A Brief History of the Marque
Manufactured by Cycles Tendil
10 bis et 21 rue Ruffi
Nîmes
The firm was established by Elie Tendil in 1919 in Ales (Gard) where it built bicycles, and towards the end of the 1920s began building motorcycles using engines from Chaise, JAP and Moser. Their existing facilities proved too small for the planned expansion and during this period they moved 50km south to a larger factory in Nîmes. There they built their own frames and wheels, and had a paint shop and plating works.
Postwar
In the 1950s they constructed numerous mopeds fitted with Myster, Vap 57, Vap 55, Vap B and Vap G engines along with lightweight motorcycles powered by AMC, Comet, Aubier & Dunne and Nervor. By the mid fifties the factory produced some 5000 mopeds and motorcycles annually, along with 50,000 bicycles.
Competition from the larger French companies was fierce and Elie Tendil decided, in 1962, to cease manufacture. The workforce of 100 was, sadly, dismissed and activities were restricted to retail sales of Motoconfort. Members of the third generation of the family are still in the motorcycle business.
Models include:
1952 VMT1 123cc
1953-54 M2T3, M4T3, M4T4 170cc
1955 Type V.M.T.4 - V4, AMC 125cc engine
1955 Type V.M.T.3, Aubier Dunne 125cc
1955 Type V.M.T.L.3, Aubier Dunne 125cc
1955 Type M.2.T.3, Aubier Dunne 175cc
1955 Tendilet Vap 55, Standard
1955 Tendilet Vap 55, Luxe
1955 Tendilet Vap 55, Grand Luxe
1955 Tendilet Junior, Grand Luxe
1955 Tendilet Vap G, Grand Luxe
1959-1961 Tendilet Caravelle 49.9cc VAP
1960 Type V.M.T.V. Camargue Sport, ABG 100cc 2T
1961 Tendilet Messidor Luxe Vap57
Sources: Cyclememory.org, cfcs50.com
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