The Vespa Club de France and the ACMA project
In an endeavour to preserve the former ACMA factory in Fourchambault (Département Nièvre, no. 58), the Vespa Club de France is presenting a comprehensive project to enhance and conserve this historic industrial site. Between 1950 and 1961, almost 400,000 vehicles were manufactured here - including scooters, tricycles and the Vespa 400 microcars. The importance of this site for French industrial history was recognised by the Fédération Française des Véhicules d'Epoque (F.F.V.E.), which awarded the site the distinction of "national industrial heritage" on 9 October 2021.
The industrial site, whose oldest buildings date back to 1907, covers a total of 100,000 square metres. A 260-metre-long façade with numerous glazed window frames stretches along the adjacent main road. In consultation with the local authorities, the Vespa Club de France is planning to enliven this façade with 47 panels. The panels are between 1 and 25 square metres in size and show historical photographs - most of them elaborately coloured - together with explanatory captions.
The pictures are arranged chronologically to vividly illustrate the history of the "national cradle of the Vespa". A plaque is to be placed in each of the glazed window frames, creating a "memory trail" that passers-by can discover as they pass by. The practical side of this project is that the panels will cover numerous broken washers and thus prevent rainwater from entering the building.
The Vespa Club de France has already received the support of local elected representatives and the F.F.V.E.. The Vespa Club de France is the largest national contingent within the F.F.V.E.'s "2-wheel" college.
The history of ACMA
ACMA was founded on 25 November 1950 as Ateliers de construction de motocycles et accessoires in Fourchambault near Dijon and is best remembered for the production of scooters and microcars. From 1951, the company produced a 125 cc Vespa, followed in 1956 by the Vespa 150 GL, and four years later another 150 cc Vespa was built. Production started in February 1951 with 20 workers, who initially manufactured 200 scooters; the 100,000th Vespa scooter left the ACMA factory in April 1953 and the completion of the 150,000th scooter was celebrated in 1954. In the same year, the company changed its name to Ateliers de construction de motocycles et d'automobiles, as it was now also producing microcars. The Vespa 400, one such microcar, was presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1957 and went into series production in the same year; a total of around 34,000 vehicles were produced by 1961. The rapid growth led to an increase in the workforce to around 2,800 employees in 1958, which caused the population of Fourchambault to Elevation to 6,242 and necessitated the construction of 200 new homes as well as a kindergarten and a primary school. As sales of scooters in continental Europe began to decline, ACMA hoped to open up new markets with the Vespa 400, but it was unable to compete with models such as the Citroën 2 CV or the Renault 4. Due to growing stocks and declining sales, the company was forced to cut back production and was finally forced to Lock for good on 31 December 1962.
Appeal: Sponsorships wanted for the windows
In order to restore the historic façade of the former Vespa factory in Fourchambault to its former glory and at the same time protect the building from further weathering, the Vespa Club de France is calling for sponsorships for the windows. Each panel that is installed in one of the glazed window frames requires financial support for printing, colouring and installation. By becoming a sponsor, you are helping to preserve an important piece of French industrial history and keep the memories of Vespa production in Fourchambault alive. The aim is to raise a total of €40,000 by July 2025 in order to start designing the historical information panels in September and then celebrate the inauguration in October/November 2025.
In connection with this, the launch of the GRAND AUDAX FOURCHAMBAULT-PONTEDERA and a magnificent exhibition of previously unpublished photos are planned for September 2026! Any support to help preserve this national industrial heritage for future generations will be greatly appreciated.
You can support the Vespa Club's project on this page: SAUVEGARDE DE L'USINE ACMA
