French Motorcycles

Today in Motorcycle History

Presto by Chapuis Frères

A Brief History of the Marque

Manufactured: 1931-1933, and postwar with Mosquito engines
Chapuis Frères
24 av. de Neuilly
NEUILLY-sur-SEINE (Seine)

Presto reached an agreement with Garelli to built Mosquito engines under licence. A new factory was built for the purpose and the first engines rolled off the production line in 1950, along with two Presto frame kits, Confort and Sport.

At the Paris Salon of 1951 they presented a new machine, the BMG (Bici Mosquito Garelli) with a type 315 engine of 49cc. By all accounts it was a fairly good moped but suffered from poor lighting, as did all Mosquitos. The icenicam article cited below also explains that the BMG appeared to be designed for riders suffering duck disease.

Models include:


  • Presto 1 to 5 were all fitted with a 48cc VAP 57 two-stroke engine
    Presto 4 Porteur
    Presto 5 Sport had a dual seat and motorcycle styling. It was the most expensive of the range.
    Presto Tourisme, 38cc Mosquito Type 38 A two-stroke engine
    Presto Sport and Confort, Mosquito Type 38

Mosquito Engines include:

  • Type 38 A 38cc 2T
    Type 38 B
    Type 315 49cc

Sources: JLB Creations, icenicam.org.uk, mo-ped.se, et al

Mosquito at Icenicam

Note: The Presto Ballon and Presto Saxonette were built by a German firm in Frankfurt in the 1930s. See Presto Werke.


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