Paul Vallée was a wealthy industrialist with a complex and interesting personality. He could anticipate novel ideas before others, yet he did not carry them through in practical terms. He ran a successful transport business, married into wealth, and opened a mechanical shop called S.I.C.R.A.F. (Société Industrielle de Constructions et de Réparation des Automobiles Francaises). He founded and ran a successful Grand Prix team, the Écurie France, which fielded the magnificent Talbot-Lago T26 racing cars driven by legendary drivers like Louis Chiron. However, he regarded the Grand Prix team not as an end in itself, but as a way of promoting his other businesses, scooters included.
Vallée had anticipated the widespread need for a scooter during the post-war recovery period very early on, but it was overtaken by Vespa and Lambretta, who took the idea a great deal further. The Paul Vallée scooter won enthusiastic praise for its superb finish…
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