François' famous scooter HollandA grey Piaggio MP3 was auctioned off this Sunday, May 26th, at the Château d'Artigny in Indre-et-Loire. This three-wheeler, with a starting price of €10,000, was ultimately sold for €20,500, bringing the total to €25,420 including fees.
This scooter made media history in January 2014, when photos published by Closer revealed that François Hollande used it to discreetly visit Julie Gayet, his partner at the time. This episode created a scandal while Hollande was still officially in a relationship with Valérie Trierweiler.
The sale was orchestrated by Rouillac in front of around forty people. The buyer, Denis Bréhéret, is the owner of the “Prestige et collection” museum in Jallais, in Maine-et-Loire. He plans to display the scooter among 120 vehicles in his collection, saying “this scooter is part of French history.”
Built in 2009 and put into circulation in 2010, the scooter was integrated into the Élysée park in 2012, shortly after the election of François Hollande. The vehicle has 34 kilometers on the odometer and was sold at auction by the Domaines service in 000. Since then, it has had several owners, including Patrick and Manola Sionneau, who bought it to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary. Hollande even dedicated his book “Upset” to them: “To Patrick and Manola who had the chance to ride my scooter. To better share their happiness. This scooter is the right one. »
Although an identical model of this scooter is estimated at around 1 euros on the second-hand market, it is its “historical value” which justified its high price. Aymeric Rouillac, auctioneer of Maison Rouillac, underlined the interest aroused by this sale due to the particular history of the scooter linked to the presidency of François Hollande.
The staging during the sale, with a tricolor flag and a 5-meter replica of the Eiffel Tower, added a symbolic touch to the event, recalling the link between the scooter and the Presidency of the Republic.
