Founded in Acacias, Geneva, in 1901, Motosacoche took its name from Henri and Armand Dufaux's self-contained cyclemotor power unit, literally 'une moto sa coche' or 'engine in a bag'.

The 211cc motor was soon being manufactured in substantial numbers and the brothers set up a subsidiary firm to market it in the UK.

This led to collaboration with Royal Enfield, who supplied the cycle parts necessary to market a complete machine and used a Motosacoche v-twin engine when they recommenced motorcycle manufacture in 1910.

The Motosacoche and Royal Enfield ranges were effectively identical for the next few years, but after WWI the Swiss marque's presence in the UK market would be limited to supplying its 'MAG' proprietary engines to other manufacturers.

These well-made Swiss power plants were also widely used throughout Continental Europe, the French and Italian markets being served by subsidiary factories in Lyon and Milan respectively.

Motosacoche's characteristic inlet-over-exhaust en...