BODYWORK: Engine no.: 8884810. Chassis no.: 4269. Registration no.: 6365VF84.

MECHANICS: Engine: single-cylinder, two-stroke. Displacement: 125 cc (54 x 54 mm). Transmission: chain-driven. Gearbox: three-speed. Frame: split single cradle tubular steel. Front suspension: girder fork. Rear suspension: rigid.

HISTORY: Although the manufacturer of the Hirondelle (“Swallow”) models was the long-established company Manufacture Française d’Armes et Cycles, founded in 1885 in Saint-Étienne, some models were built under licence and others were manufactured by third parties and later marketed under its own MF or Manufrance brand. It was the first French company to sell through a mail-order catalogue, offering an extensive annual selection of products ranging from handguns to bicycles and sewing machines. After the Second World War, it entered the motorcycle market with relative success.

The Hirondelle Type C was fitted with a Nervor 125 cc engine with dual exhaust outlets and magneto ignition, capable of producing 4 hp and reaching a top speed of 70 km/h with a fuel consumption of 2.5 l/100 km. Produced between 1949 and 1952, it was a fast and economical motorcycle that today attracts the interest of classic-vehicle enthusiasts due to its unusual history and rarity.
This example was correctly restored some time ago and is in excellent condition.