Perhaps no car more perfectly exemplifies the ethos of the “microcar” than the delightful little runabouts produced by the genius mind of Georges Mochet. His first creation was the pedal-operated Velocar, which restored to a downtrodden post-war French population the pride and dignity of once again owning a vehicle with four wheels. But as countless other companies started up production, it was clear Mochet had to refine his concept with a proper factory-designed and installed motor in the product range. The wood-bodied Type H developed into the Type K, an all-steel Type K, the first Mochet without pedals, powered by a 125-cc version of the ubiquitous Zuricher motor, which was mated to a separate three-speed gearbox. The lack of curves and complex design made the car utterly unique but also tremendously easy to assemble.

In fact, the CM-125, which followed on from the Type K and of which this is a particularly exceptional example, was successful enough to be produced for five years. Part of its success came because the owner could take delivery within a period of weeks, not the many months required by the larger manufacturers to fill orders. Another reason was accessibility: no license was required to drive a car with 125-cc displacement. Of course, the absolute simplicity of maintenance of such a basic vehicle also played into its appeal.

This CM-125 Luxe was a completely original and unrestored barn find, having remained virtually untouched for nearly six decades. It was in very complete condition, complete with its original paint, top bows, and even the hand-operated windshield wiper. Since then, the delightful little Mochet was fully restored by the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum in the striking colors of yellow and black. No stone was left unturned in bringing an extremely well-preserved original CM-125 back to its correct presentation.

The final iteration of Georges Mochet’s vision, it is perhaps the perfect execution of the brilliant post-war microcar concept.