F158 1952 MAICO MOBILE SCOOTER For anyone who followed motocross in the 1970s and 1980s, the Maico brand is often associated with the screaming two-strokes ridden by the likes of European motocross riders Badger Goss and Adolf Weil to championship honors. Maico was founded in 1926 by Ulrich Maisch, initially building bicycles; 10 years later, the German company expanded into producing motorcycles. At the end of World War II, with money from the Marshall Plan, Maico built its own range of single- and twin-cylinder two-stroke motorcycles under the name of Blizzard and Typhoon, and these were followed in 1951 by the Mobil. The Maico Mobil is an early touring motorcycle made between 1950 and 1958. Conceived and marketed as a “car on two wheels,” the Maico had body panels that enclosed the drivetrain, protected its rider from the elements and included an integral pair of panniers and a mount for a spare tire. The Mobil had a tubular steel space frame on which steel and aluminum body panels were bolted. A large front nose section enclosed the front wheel. Mounted on the nose fairing was a very large wraparound windscreen, and lower panels contained a glovebox and provisions for a car radio. Mounted on the dashboard were the ignition switch, the speedometer and the fuel filler cap, as the fuel tank was mounted to the frame under the dashboard. The rear bodywork included integral storage compartments and a rear-mounted spare wheel. Storage was accessed by flipping the hinged rear lid open. The Mobil used telescopic forks and a rear swingarm, producing a ride more like a motorcycle than a scooter. Earlier Mobils had a 150cc motor with a 3-speed twist grip, but by 1952, a 4-speed, heel-and-toe, foot-shift gearbox was available and engine displacement was increased to 175cc. With a 2.5-gallon gas tank, the Mobil was ideally suited for touring, and as early as 1953, Willem Dussel completed a circumnavigation of the world on his comprehensively equipped MB200. The combined weight of driver, luggage and machine was a staggering 660 pounds. There’s no doubt that even in its standard specification, as the coachwork alone weighs in at 253 pounds, the MB200 was a heavy beast. Still, it could maintain a comfortable 50 MPH cruising speed with little or no protest from the two-stroke single, as proven by Motor Cycle magazine in its October 1956 review of the model. Compared to much of the opposition, the Mobil was undoubtedly one of the most luxurious scooters built during the 1950s, but its radical looks and high price meant that it wasn’t a huge seller. Today, however, it is highly prized and regarded by aficionados as the “Holy Grail” of small two-wheelers. Formerly part of the famed Bruce Weiner Micro Car Collection, this motorcycle has been part of the Blue Moon Cycle collection in Norcross, Georgia, over the past 10 years. Getting one of the rare MB175s is an opportunity that rarely happens.
