It had made history by leaving one garage, and is about to reverse back into another garage – a maneuver it actually is not designed to do. Yet this 125 cm3 Piaggio MP3 scooter, which sports the registration number AL-807-SX, flouts all conventions. First, it has three wheels. Secondly, it was used for clandestine love, carrying François Hollande, then France's president and still the partner of journalist Valérie Trierweiler, despite him being enamored with the actress Julie Gayet. What's more, it was sold at auction on Sunday, May 26, in the town of Montbazon, for the sum of €25,420, despite its age (2009) and mileage (34,000 kilometers) giving it, according to an algorithm from used vehicle dealership La Centrale, a second-hand value of €1,338. What's more, it was auctioned off at a Mother's Day sale when, in principle, people had other things to do. But it has finally left the front pages of international celebrity magazines to enjoy the simple pleasures of an early retirement, at rest in an automobile museum in the Loire valley region.
Its last glorious moment took place in the gardens of the Château d'Artigny, a castle and five-star hotel, where the Rouillac firm, auctioneers from father (Philippe) to son (Aymeric) since 1983, put the adulterous scooter on the auction block. It posed, decked out in tricolor cockade, like a prize-winning Charolaise cow, as if it was a choice cut. To its right stood the flag of the Republic, flanked by a mock bodyguard in a navy-blue suit. To its left, the same. In the background, the silhouette of an aluminum replica of the Eiffel Tower (a contemporary piece, measuring 5 meters high, lot number 375 in the auction catalog) stood out against the 18th-century-style façade of this palace, which was built in the early 20th century. At its feet was a collection of enthusiasts, curious onlookers, bigwigs and reporters (including Le Monde). Let's say, around a hundred people. All around stood tall trees and the SUVs, with tinted windows, of the establishment's customers, parked in a herringbone pattern.
Before the gavel came down – and even after it had – the motor vehicle's owner, Patrick Sionneau, 71, formerly a farm equipment dealer based in the central French village of Villeromain, retraced its odyssey: Released from service by the Elysée Palace, sold by the presidential estate, purchased by a garage owner from the Poitou region, and then by two private individuals, including a friend who agreed to let him acquire it, in 2021. "Its story amused me," he said, "and I thought it would be funny to celebrate my golden wedding anniversary with my wife, Manola, by returning to the scene of our wedding on it." Which they did on October 8, 2022, in the city of Vendôme. After 50 years of life together, 10 kilometers of road and 11 minutes of travel, the mission was accomplished. And now, what to do? "Following a medical accident, I can't use it anymore," said Sionneau. "I was afraid someone would steal it. I preferred to part with it." However, not on any terms: The starting price was €10,000.
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