Post Listing Update: This Valmobile was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown.
Some little scoots in the 60s had foldable handlebars, but very few could compare to the Valmobile. The entire front assembly folded into the body, and an integrated handle allowed you to drag the box by hand as it rolls on the rear wheel! This led some people to nickname it the “suitcase scooter”.
The 49cc two-stroke engine produces 2.8 horsepower and yielded 165 miles per gallon. It could apparently hit 35 miles per hour and it was available in Red/Orange, Cream/Beige, and Blue/Green. Marketing materials suggested you could fold it up or unfold in 30 seconds. According to a period brochure, the list price was $215 (plus a $10 fee if you were west of the Mississippi River). For an extra $79.95, you could also buy a Val-Cart, which was a mini sidecar of sorts that would allow you to lug along some extra cargo…like a bag of golf clubs. For more information, check out Old Bike/Buy Vintage UK, which has a great set of photos showing how it all folds up, as well as some old ads like this one:
photo from https://buyvintage1.wordpress.com/
This example has been in the seller’s family for decades, possibly since it was new. The seller states that his grandfather utilized it in Shriners parades in the 60s and 70s, but “the next generation” (presumably his kid) has no interest in it. It’s still said to work and it’s received some recent work. Besides cosmetic wear, the only flaw seems to be a missing battery box lid. Find this Valmobile for sale in Barrie, Ontario, Canada with bidding up to $560 and the reserve not yet met