Nouveaux Triboum et Tribenne Lama — L’Officiel du cycle, 6 April 1964, Children’s Tricycles

A note in L’Officiel du cycle, 6 April 1964, page 24, “Nouveaux « Triboum » et « Tribenne » Lama”: Francolam’s new children’s tricycles, the Triboum, Trisport and Tribenne models, with photographs. The heading, captions and coupon line are transcribed as printed; the text is summarized in Ebykr’s words.

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NOUVEAUX “ TRIBOUM ” ET “ TRIBENNE ” LAMA

Le Tribenne Standard

Le nouveau modèle Tribenne Sport

Le Triboum Standard

Le nouveau modèle Trisport

HN 22 Pour recevoir une documentation sur cette production, remplir le bon de la page 23.

[Ebykr summary; the article’s text is not reproduced. The note recalls that the magazine’s previous editorial stressed how much a spare-parts service from a maker of sporting toys matters to the Vélociste, and that a faultless after-sales service gives the trade’s readers an argument against the department stores (grands magasins). At the Salon international du Jouet held recently in Lyon, Francolam, a maker well known to the Vélocistes, displayed at its stand a panel announcing a complete and permanent spare-parts service, with every part that could be supplied at once to agents or wholesalers laid out on it; visitors were surprised, but the paper finds the step logical for a firm that built its network largely through the Vélocistes, who can now count on making repairs (« dépannages ») from year to year. For the Salon Francolam also published a complete catalog of these articles with a table of spare-part references, and the paper hopes every maker will follow the example. The Lama range of toys made by Francolam brought a few new items this year, improved versions of existing models. The well-known « Triboum », a small take-apart tricycle sold in a display box (boîte-présentoir), gains a « Trisport » version: carefully finished, with a fully chromed frame, a new flexible plastic saddle with a backrest (dosseret), a lacquered mudguard, wheel trims and steering on nylon bushes. The Triboum stays in production; the paper dwells on the backrest seat, which gives a secure, stable seat to a child who is only 18 to 30 months old when it starts riding. On all these small « Lama » models the cranks (manivelles) can be taken off, a detail that matters to dealers who have struggled to repair shoddy tricycles. Another Francolam novelty, the « Tribenne sport », derived from the « Trisport » and much noticed at the Lyon Salon, has a tipping bin (benne basculante). Since children like to sit in such a bin, Francolam made it rest directly on the frame itself rather than on thin, easily bent wires, for strength; the paper notes that the Vélociste cannot sell badly designed toys. This model sells to the public for about 50 F, with a worthwhile discount to the retailer. A plainer model with a fixed bin, the Tribenne Boum, sells for about 44 F; it is lacquered instead of chromed like the previous model and has no mudguard. Francolam featured these models on its stand, and its advertising in the general press as the holidays approach will push them at very attractive prices; readers are reminded of the firm’s other lines: chain-driven tricycles, scooters (patinettes), rowing toys (rameurs) and pedal karts (karts à pédales).]

[Four halftone photographs of Lama children’s tricycles, each captioned: the Tribenne Standard, a tricycle with a flat open tray behind the saddle; the new Tribenne Sport, its bin tipped up behind the rear wheels; the Triboum Standard, a small tricycle with a curved frame, spoked wheels and a plain saddle; and the new Trisport, with a front mudguard and a saddle with a backrest. No signature or monogram appears on any of them.]

[The right-hand column of the page carries an unrelated item, the Micmo « Bien Être » chair for babies with its own HN 23 coupon line, and the page foot carries the printer’s imprint (Imprimeries TANTET et CATINAT, Chartres) and the managing editor’s line; none of these is part of this record.]