Iconic moped lives on in the hearts of Moroccans
In France it slipped into legend after delighting long-haired teenagers in the 1970s and 80s, but in Morocco the tireless moped trundles on despite an invasion of cheaper Chinese scooters.
The Peugeot 103 has been around for so long in the North African country that most Moroccans do not notice it.
But with its rounded handlebars, spluttering engine and signature exhaust cloud of blue smoke, the Peugeot 103 is to Morocco what the Renault 4L is to Madagascar: almost a national emblem.
“We adore the 103,” says Mohammed Ngaire, a salesman at a used motorbike and moped market in the capital Rabat, showcasing the most beautiful specimens of the Peugeot 103 still in circulation.
“Come and see, we have them all,” calls the 63-year-old, a popular character at the seaside venue who says he was once a “400-meter champion” in running.
“The Fox, named after its headlight that makes it look like a fox. The Ninja with its black coat and steel hubcaps. The safe Vogue, and the unmissable 103,” he adds.
Passers-by can also admire the Ramzey, which is made in Turkey.
They can even find the antique “Motobecane”, whose clumsy appearance and large saddlebags today inspire love in grandfathers France-wide.
That one’s “a real Rolls-Royce. When you have one, it’s for life. But nowadays good deals are rare,” Ngaire says.
The first models of the Peugeot 103 were made in France in 1971, intended for older people living in the countryside.
But the model caught on fast, over taking its predecessors the 101 and 102, becoming a must-have among youth and blue-collar workers.
No permit is required to drive the moped, which can be spotted at virtually every street corner in Morocco.
They scoot around in all their legendary glory — starting pedals, 49cm3 engine, miraculous petrol tank backup, 45 km/h speed limit and all.
France stopped producing the 103 in 2011 and Morocco followed suit three years later when it shuttered its DIMAC-Peugeot plant in Casablanca.
Nostalgic moped lovers are now forced to make do with an obsolete if beautiful catalog of seven models priced from 7,400 dirhams ($740) for the orange 103 Classic to 10,600 dir hams for a Fox with a pointy nose.
Fans can also sign up to a oneweek road trip from Essaouira to Agadir along the Atlantic coast for “an adventure behind the handlebars of a moped ... between friends”, according to the French organizers.