On The Pegs October 2019 -Volume 4 - Issue 10 | Page 88

On The Pegs
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engines with a capacity of a mere 50cc. Freedom for the people meant moving
around with a bike doing 30 km/h without registration, tax, insurance or a riding
license. These were the rules, which applied in Sweden for 15-year-old teenagers
(and older) as of July 1st in 1952. Mind you, the vehicle had to be equipped with
an engine of maximum 0.8 horsepower and two separate brakes. After a week,
there were more than a dozen approved power sources around. A few months
later the number had increased to more than 40 engines. According to knowl-
edgeable sources, some 60,000 mopeds were sold in 1952 with yearly sales going
up to more than 100,000 units. By 1957, it is estimated that there were 400,000
mopeds on the road, used only in Sweden - the fastest growing market in the
world in those days!
Husqvarna did not rest on previous laurels. In 1952 they introduced the Novo-
lette model with a 40cc Rex engine, which was imported from Germany. As this
novelty was launched, some 2,000 units were manufactured, and Husqvarna
sold approximately 25,000 Novolettes in the two first years. Then, Husqvarna’s
in-house version was presented. A number of the factory’s moped models were