It was back in 1949 when its manufacturer, Motobecane, introduced the first moped to the market. Motobecane, whose name derives from two colloquial words, namely “moto” and “becane”, was a company based in France. The main business of the company was the production of motorcycles, bicycles and mopeds. The name of the company was self-explanatory, as “moto” is a colloquial word meaning motorcycle, while “becane” is a slang word for bicycle.

Since the first production of mopeds in 1949, these mopeds have gained great popularity among bicycle and moped enthusiasts. By 1970, the popularity of these vehicles rose to even greater heights, causing their manufacturer to produce at least 750,000 units of these vehicles each year. According to records, Motobecane had produced and sold around 14 million pieces of these mopeds to the public.

While the company’s scooters, bicycles, mopeds, and motorcycles were widely embraced by the public, Motobecane still met its demise sometime in the year 1981. It stopped production of the famous mopeds and filed for bankruptcy. Later, it was sold to Yamaha Motor Company Ltd., another manufacturer of mopeds and motorcycles. Until now, Yamaha is one of the key players in the moped and motorcycle industry.

Yamaha reformed and reorganized the Motobecane company systems in 1984 and named it MBK. Under his head, Pedro Álvarez, MBK picked up what Motobecane had left behind. The company revived the production of moped vehicles and raised them back in popularity.

Of the millions of mobylette bicycles sold since its first launch in 1949, the la bleue model was one of the most popular. This model got its name from the color of its initial versions, which were sold only in blue.

When France underwent radical changes in the economic and cultural aspects, the sales of mopeds plummeted drastically. The engines of these vehicles did not meet the vehicle emission standards written under the new EU anti-pollution legislation. Also, most people, particularly teenagers, had already changed their preferences. Instead of mopeds, which had been the means of transportation for many farmers, postmen, and even lovers for many years, flashy and colorful scooters have now become the trend. These changes ended the popularity of moped vehicles. In November 2002, the production of these vehicles was stopped.

The scooter has now taken the place of the moped in terms of popularity. However, mopeds remain in the minds of those who have come to love them. These vehicles have been popular for 48 years and have made millions of people happy during their heyday.

The moped vehicle received recognition when it was revived through the movie “Amelie” starring actor Nino Quincampoix. In the film, the lead actor Nino was shown driving a moped through the streets of Paris. Aside from the film, the memory of France’s once-famous vehicle was revived when it appeared on sets of stamps that were issued by France’s national post office sometime in March.