Vidal and Sohn began the move from being a coal storage and port-side firefighting service to a commercial vehicle manufacturer with the development of their in-house designed Tempo T1 triporter in 1927. The T1 and its larger brother, the T2, were entirely conventional copies of a relatively common motorized delivery tricycle. The T1 was powered by a small proprietary ('off-the-shelf') two-stroke motor, which produced 5 horsepower. Ignition was provided by a magneto with a kick starter. A motorcycle clutch and gearbox provided three forward speeds without reverse. Most importantly for customers of these vehicles, they did not require either a drivers license or payment of road taxes, making them very economical for the small businessman.
Unfortunately for Vidal and Sohn, these vehicles proved to be extremely unreliable. Their engines were cheap and not particularly effective. Build quality was also poor and the company was forced to employ a full-time mobile mechanic to provide a breakdown service to keep the few hundred triporters on the road. The fact that this did not stop people buying them tells you about the desperate demand for motorized transport in Germany at this time. By 1930, a new generation of triporters were on the road, such as the Tempo Pony and T10. Although these looked similar to their predecessors, they were in fact completely redesigned and improved vehicles that proved to be much more reliable and cost effective, setting Vidal and Sohn were now set on the path that would see them become the number one manufacturer of commercial delivery tricycles in Germany by the mid-1930s.
The Tempo Pony was the cheapest vehicle manufactured by Vidal and Sohn. It dispensed with a steering wheel in favour of handlebar steering, like that of a pushbike triporter. Despite its low price, it was not particularly popular.
The T10 represented the pinnacle of the first generation triporters. It offered few comforts but was an efficient commercial vehicle for its time - and it had a proper steering wheel!
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