French Classic

[foraloysius]

Here's an example of a French Classic. It's an H-axis toploader, color is brown and it has a window in the lid.

http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=69569&item=4350789081&rd=1

 

[arrrooohhh]

Ohh! One likes! I have a soft spot for french cars, a French washing machine would be too cool!

I wonder what it is like to watch?

 

[Unimatic1140]

Wow, at first glance it looks like a 1970's Maytag with a window lid.

 

[laundramatt]

What good is a window lid on a top-loading, horizontal axis washer? All you would be able to see is the drum rolling, right?

 

[spiralactivator]

I used to take French classes, and I studied by reading '70s issues of Elle magazine (from France) at the library. I remember seeing an ad for a Vedette washing machine in white. That lid is so cool, just a window in a frame.

 

[gansky1]

I remember seeing a similar machine in some kitchen decorating book when I was a kid - the caption said it was a kitchen in Paris that had been combined with a laundry area for easy flow of household chores. I'd never seen anything like this (H-axis toploader) before and stared at that picture for days. I had no idea how a washer could be that narrow!

 

[arrrooohhh]

What is the history/story of the Vedette brand?

HL TL's are fascinating to look at and open up, i still think it would be cool to watch the drum go around and all the water hit the glass as the machine ramped up into spin!

 

[foraloysius]

Yes, those machines are very narrwo and still they hold the same amount of laundry as European frontloaders. The width is 40cm (15 3/4 inch) or 45cm (17 3/4 inch) and the everage capacity is 10lbs of laundry.

I have no idea of the history of the Vedette brand. Their website is down at the moment.

I too noticed too a resemblance with older Maytags. The window makes it possible to see if there is any oversudsing going on. Although rare, there also were some toploader washer/dryer combo's with a window in the lid. I guess the window would get pretty steamy in the dry cycle.

http://www.vedette.fr/

 

[agiflow]

Older Maytags

That was my immediate impression on first seeing this washer,a Maytag with a lid. LOL