red " ( TT was a former expression for what we today know as road racing ). And the model was presented with the " Silverpilen " appearing as a teaser in the promotion .
Then the naked truth was revealed . The moped did not sell . Despite good intentions and looks , it was far too unsophisticated to make more than headlines . This sports machine did not convince youngsters . It lacked performance due to an inferior engine , which from the start was only single geared . Also , the unsexy belt drive proved negative instead of using a chain for transmission . The " Blöjpilen " became a crowd-pleaser , displayed in the showroom , but it never reached the customers . The young generation refrained from putting down 795 Swedish kronor ( approx . 160 US dollars ) for the product . And it didn ' t help promoting the 1956 " Blöjpilen " version with a 2-speed gearbox . The bike didn ' t sell . Less than 1,000 units were made . Some sources say a mere 330 while others claim a volume of 800 vehicles . The truth may lie somewhere in the middle ... who knows ? But fact is that the sporty moped never fulfilled expectations . In the end , Husqvarna had a considerable stock , which was dumped at bargain prices . The sad truth was , that the bike was a flop , sold at a loss . But it was a respected and beautiful failure .
VOL . 7 ISSUE 8- AUGUST 2022 // PAGE 131