Aquila Motorcycles, Saint Etienne

Aquila 1957 Vap 57

Aquilette by Aquila, 1954

Aquila 1955 98cc Aml

Aquila 1959 Sul 274

Founded in 1900 by Claude Meunier at 38 Rue Balay in Saint Etienne. From c.1927 to 1930 they built 175cc two-stroke motorcycles.

In the 1950s their address was 34 Bis Jules Janin, Saint-Etienne where the firm built bicycles and a variety of mopeds using Mistral, ABG VAP, Lavalette, Comet and Himo engines, some of 98 and 110cc but the great majority of 48cc. In 1955/56 they offered six cyclomoteurs under the name Aquilette.

Aquila was bought by Ballis in 1953 and the address became that of the Ballis offices at 3 Rue Palissy. Ballis continued to market the Aquila motorcycles until 1962, the last model being the 48cc Alpino SS.

Aquila Models:

Util. S.E. Himo 48cc
Util. A.E. Himo 48cc
AUL/AULT Mistral 48cc
AMM Mistral 48cc
AMM-FT Mistral 48cc, tele forks, brakes F&R.
AMM-GL Mistral 48cc
AJ Le Poulain Junior 48cc
AJ-FT Le Poulain Junior 48cc, tele forks, brakes F&R.
AM2 Le Mistral 50 E 2 48cc
AML Le Mistral 100 E2 98cc
ACL Le Poulain Comet 98cc
Aquilette 1954-56
SUL 274 1959, rear suspension.

Sources: encycloduvelo.fr; Motos dans la Loire; Cycle Memory

N.B. Several firms used the Aquila marque.