"Ireland" folding bike.

The 1970's saw a proliferation of folding bike models coming from France (Astra, Peugeot, Motobécane, Motoconfort), Italy (Bianchi, Carnielli, Cinzia, Formicone, Rizzato), Austria (Dusika, Puch), West Germany (Heidemann Werke, Hercules, Jobafa, Kalkhoff, Kettler, Kynast, Panther, Rixe, Schauff, Staiger), East Germany (MIFA), Netherlands (Batavus, Gazelle), Poland (Romet, ZZR), Japan (Bridgestone), Spain (Beistegui Hermanos, G.A.C., Torrot), Argentina (Aurora, Bergamasco), Brazil (Caloi, Monark), U.K. (Raleigh, Dawes, Elswick Hopper), USA (Schwinn), USSR (Салют - "Salute" in Russian), Yugoslavia (Rog), etc. In fact, most bicycle companies had a folding bike offering during this decade leading some to call it the "Golden Age of folding bikes". There were also a flood of cheap Eastern European so-called "U-frame" folding bikes (so named because the frame was shaped like the letter U) during the 70's, many sold via mail order or at department stores and service stations. Most of them carried contrived brand names that gave little indication of their true origin of manufacture. Many of these U-frame folders were based on the design of the Puch Pic-Nic folding bike shown below. Johan Puch actually pioneered the single tube U-frame (non-folding) in the late 1800's while working at the Syria Bicycle Company in Austria. The Puch Pic-Nic was significant not only because its design was widely copied (Graziella, etc.) but also because its flaws were what inspired Harry Bickerton, among others, to design what they considered better folding bikes.