Scootavia Scooters

Manufactured: 1951-1954
by André Morin, 117 rue Mannin, Paris.

Scootavia were luxurious and innovative scooters fitted initially with Ydral engines, first advertised in 1949 with production beginning probably early in 1950. For 1951 there were design changes along with a new engine, the AMC 4-speed 175cc four-stroke. There was an association with M. Petigat, who built the scooter under licence from 1952 until end of production in 1954.

Around 140 scooters were built in total of which 18 remain including a very rare (and possibly one-off) triporteur style machine, the Scootavia Tripousse. (1)

Morin, who had been designing aircraft since his teens and was in aviation design during the war, returned to that passion and subsequently built light aircraft for many years, retiring in 1982.

An archive of a 1999 Lycos site devoted to the marque said, in part:

• André Morin, ingénieur en aéronautique, se lance en 1949 dans la construction d'un scooter assez inspiré des premiers Bernardet, tout au moins dans l'esprit, car les solutions adoptées sont très personnelles. Il voulait en faire le scooter le plus luxeux de l'époque, traité comme une véritable automobile de luxe, à la forme très aérodynamique.

  La réalisation de cet engin, utilisera des matériaux et des solutions directement inspirés de l'industrie aéronautique, tel que le magnésium ou l'apax, mais aussi bénéficiera d'un équipement électrique très complet.

  La marque Scootavia disparu en 1954, après avoir produit entre 50 et 80 unités de ce fabuleux scooter ; les données de production sont pour le moins imprécises. Modèle rarissime, il existe très peu de documents le concernant. De même, il ne resterait que 4 à 5 exemplaires, dont 2 seulement seraient restaurés, les autres seraient à l'état d'épave.

  André Morin, aeronautical engineer, launched in 1949 in the construction of a scooter quite inspired by the first Bernardet, at least in the spirit, because the adopted solutions are very personal. He wanted to make it the most luxurious scooter of the time, treated like a real luxury car, with a very aerodynamic shape. The realization of this machine, will use materials and solutions directly inspired by the aerospace industry, such as magnesium or apax, but will also benefit from a very complete electrical equipment.

  The Scootavia brand disappeared in 1954, having produced between 50 and 80 units of this fabulous scooter; the production data are, to say the least, imprecise. Very rare model, there are very few documents concerning it. Similarly, there would be only 4 to 5 copies, only 2 of which would be restored, the others would be in wreck.

Notes
1. Lane Motor Museum