You would be hard pressed to find someone who grew up between the Vogtland region and the island of Rügen and did not at least ride on the back of a Simson moped. For several generations of adolescents, these mopeds from Suhl (Thüringen) were their ticket to personal mobility. The charac­teristic chugging and droning sound of the single-cylinder engine and the smell of blended petrol still evoke memories today.

In former East Germany, Simson mopeds were omnipresent. Their simple construction and technology made them easy to repair and tune. Their 50 cc engines could reach speeds of up 60 km/h and more on country roads – a revelation for any teenager. “Simmes” were so sturdy that they often lasted their owners half a lifetime before being passed on to their children and grandchildren.

In 2003, 48 years after the first moped rolled off the conveyor belt, production of the classic brand was discon­tinued. But that did not mean the end for Simson: There are still many tens of thousands of Simson mopeds on German roads that are used for everyday transport or for weekend trips. Simson clubs have sprouted out of the ground, mainly in East Germany, but also in the western federal states. Simson rallies attract thousands of visitors every year.

Simson is more alive now than ever. The mopeds still hold the same promise for young people today as they did for their parents and grandparents 30 or 60 years ago: The freedom of being indepen­dently mobile for the first time.