In 1933, Ernesto Pettazzoni, an engineer from Bologna, Italy, applied for a British patent for his ultra=short-wheelbase semi-recumbent machine, the Velocino. It represented a wheelchair chopped in half, with the seat over the normal-sized rear wheel. The tiny front wheel was about 10 inches in diameter. The handlebar was reversible, giving the option of under-seat steering. Mussolini is said to have commissioned the Velocino as a compact, easily stored urban vehicle. The project attracted a lot of attention but was canceled after Italy entered Word War II. [Bicycle Design: An Illustrated History, by Tony Hadland, Hans-Erhard Lessing, Nick Clayton, Gary W. Sanderson]
Since Ernesto Pettazzoni’s original Velocino was launched and, unfortunately, canceled soon after, several other companies launched bicycles inspired by his design. Union of Holland introduced the ‘Strano’ in 1964 – designed by Bernard Overing of Deventer – and, a year later, inventor Emil Friedman of Germany exhibited a similar machine he called the ‘Donkey.’
This rare youth size Velocino needs tidying cosmetically. It’s a simple restoration project and once completed you can entertain the crowds wherever you go.
I’m not sure of its provenance. It has a 1951 dated Sturmey-Archer 3 speed gear but I’m not sure if it’s an original from that era or if someone has built it; if so, it was presumably done many decades ago. Though by design it does not have a wide turning circle, it’s a functional machine and should provide a slightly adventurous vintage bicycle enthusiast with many hours of riding pleasure and entertainment for fellow road users.
View in the Online Bicycle Museum
