Collection of vintage cars and unique bicycle license of Thanh Hoa man (Video: Thanh Tung).
Mr. Nguyen Huu Ngon (62 years old, residing in But Son town, Hoang Hoa district, Thanh Hoa province) owns a collection of more than 50 antique bicycles. He said that his hobby of collecting bicycles started in 2000.
"From when I was a child until I grew up and went to work, bicycles were a means of transportation that was closely associated with my life. Much later, memories of going to school and cycling everywhere to work kept coming back. Since then, I have had a passion for collecting antique bicycles," Mr. Ngon shared.
Mr. Ngon’s collection has 52 bicycles. Among them, there are bicycles that are from 50 years old to over 100 years old. According to Mr. Ngon, since ancient times, bicycles have been a valuable means of transport that everyone wanted to own.
"During wartime, bicycles were used to transport weapons and food to the battlefield. Bicycles were also a means of transport to help workers overcome difficulties and help students go to school. Later, I realized that bicycles were not only a means of transport but also reduced environmental pollution. They were very friendly to people, so I loved them," said Mr. Ngon.
The bicycles are carefully kept and cared for by Mr. Ngon. Most of the bicycles that Mr. Ngon owns have been associated with the Vietnamese people for a long time. Among them are bicycles made in Vietnam such as Thong Nhat, Huu Nghi, Doan Ket, Song Ma, Ha Noi...
In addition, he also collects cars from foreign brands such as Peugeot, Mercier, Aviac, Sterling... which cost as much as a tael of gold in the old days.
Old bicycles were assigned a frame number, ownership registration, and license plate.
In addition, the cars are also branded. In the photo is the famous French brand Mercier. According to Mr. Ngon, this type of car is made mainly of aluminum so it is very light.
Each bike's kickstand is also designed differently.
Thong Nhat bicycles were once famous in Vietnam for their designs that were not inferior to foreign bicycles. Previously, Thong Nhat bicycles were produced by Thong Nhat Hanoi Joint Stock Company.
In 1965, the State decided to distribute Thong Nhat bicycles at supply prices. State officials and employees were allowed to buy only one bicycle. Those who were distributed would be accompanied by a spare parts purchase book.
However, the number of Thong Nhat bicycles was very limited, so the number of people who were distributed bicycles could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Therefore, Thong Nhat bicycles became increasingly rare and luxurious at that time.
This type of vehicle was also used to transport food, weapons, and medicine to the front lines during the war against America. Mr. Ngon currently owns many Thong Nhat bicycles, some of which are still original and in good condition.
Because of such great value, bicycles in the past would be granted certificates of ownership. There was even a period when competitions were held to grant universal bicycle driving licenses.
"I think bicycles were the only means of transport at that time. Therefore, there should be licensing competitions like motorbikes now. I am lucky to have a general bicycle license issued in 1960. Looking at the license, you can see that the competition was extremely fierce," Mr. Ngon added.
According to Mr. Ngon, each vehicle will have details that represent its own brand. In addition, some vehicles have certain design highlights such as the saddle, storage bags, etc.
He is currently the president of the antique bicycle club in Thanh Hoa. Every day, Mr. Ngon still uses his bicycle to go out and visit friends.
"Bicycle riding will help us realize more understanding about life. Bicycles in wartime, subsidy period, each period has different meanings. Even when riding bicycles, young people today will feel like they are reliving the memories of the hard, difficult times of their grandparents and parents on old bicycles," Mr. Ngon added.
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