The Tunturi Automat was an automatic moped made by the Finnish company Tunturipyörä Oy. It had a centrifugal clutch instead of a hand gear change and stayed in production from 1965 to 1984.
Tunturi Automat at a glance
| Maker | Tunturipyörä Oy, Finland |
|---|---|
| Production | 1965–1984 |
| Transmission | automatic, with a centrifugal clutch |
| Top speed | about 50 km/h |
| Early colour | graphite grey |
| Later colours | most often green, blue or red |
| Tank | chromed sides |
| On display | Lahti Radio and TV Museum |
The article is based on one source, the Finnish Wikipedia page on the Tunturi Automat; there is no English Wikipedia page for the model.
History of the Tunturi Automat
An automatic Tunturi
The Automat was the automatic alternative to Tunturi’s hand-shifted mopeds. A centrifugal clutch did the work of the gear lever, and the moped reached about 50 km/h. Like the Maxi, it is often called a Pappa-Tunturi in Finland.
From graphite grey to bright colours
The first Automats were painted graphite grey. The most visible difference from the hand-shifted models was the chromed sides of the fuel tank. Machines built later were usually green, blue or red. Examples of the Tunturi Automat can be seen at the Lahti Radio and TV Museum.
Design and features
- Centrifugal clutch: no hand gear change, the moped drives automatically.
- About 50 km/h: the top speed quoted for the model.
- Chromed tank sides: the visual mark that separated the Automat from the hand-shifted Tunturis.
Tunturi Automat versions
- Early Automat: graphite grey, with chromed fuel-tank sides.
- Later Automat: most often finished in green, blue or red.
The hand-shifted model of the same period is described in the article on the Tunturi Maxi. More machines are in the Tunturi collection.
Sources
- Tunturi Automat, Finnish Wikipedia: production years, transmission, colours, top speed
