Arola (microcar)
| Société à responsabilité limitée | |
| Industry | Automotive industry |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Headquarters | Lyon-Corbas, France |
|
Key people
|
Daniel Manon |
| Products | Microcars |
Arola SARL was a small manufacturing company based in Lyon-Corbas, France, which manufactured a range of microcars, designed to be driven without a licence. Arola became part of the Aixam group in 1983.
Arola started manufacturing road vehicles with a range of tricycles, models 10, 11, and 12. They shared the tubular frame, front and rear coil suspension, cable brakes, polyester body, and many other components. The driver sat on a flat bench without a back and controlled his cyclecar like a motorbike. General layout met French legislation of the day for permission-free driving. They were single-seater.
The 10 and 11 did not have a speedometer and ashtray, the 11 takes advantage of the storage bag found in the 12. All had electric starters, wipers and the chromed muffler could be transverse or longitudinally mounted.
The main difference was in the power train: the 10 and 11 used a 47 cc (2.85 c.i.) Saxonette single-cylinder engine by Fichtel & Sachs that delivered about 3 HP (2.2 kW), coupled to a two-speed automatic transmission. The 12 featured a Motobécane 50 cc (3.05 c.i.) which had a reverse gear.
While top speed for Models 10 and 11 was about 25 mph (40 km/h), the 12 was good for 40 mph (65 km/h). Detachable and transparent plexiglas doors were available. All models had a length of 72.45 in. (1,840 mm), a width of 42.13 in. (1,070 mm), a height of 61.81 in. (1,570 mm), and weighed in at 242.5 lb (110 kg). Model 12 was built until 1982. Production of the Saxonette-powered vehicles ended earlier.
In 1978, Arola presented a somewhat larger variant of the Model 12, called SP. It was 89.567 in. (2,275 mm) long, other dimensions were the same as the 12's. SP meant here not "Sport" but "Super Practical". To meet that purpose, additional length went completely into a tiny pickup bed. It was built until 1982, together with the 12.
When Arola presented its first range of quadricycles in 1979, they bore close resemblance with the earlier models. The main difference, of course, was the front axle with conventional steering by a center-positioned steering wheel. This layout was chosen before it became evident that French legislation for this class of vehicles would be changed soon to allow to carry two persons instead of one. The seat "bench" was still here, but now a similar back was added. Plexiglass doors were now standard equipment. Model 14 got them with cooling louvres, Model 15 instead had them with sliding (real) glass inserts. Length was 74.02 in. (1,880 mm), other dimensions were the same as those of the tricycles.
...
Wikipedia