Traditional 1950s and 1960s scooters are enjoying a renaissance among scooterists and collectors.
Brian Crook of the UK Vintage Scooter Club says it is nostalgia, engineering and curiosity that make these vintage scooters so appealing, although, he says, in more recent times they have become style icons.
“The machines [also] link to a lifestyle which was present in the 1950s and 1960s and is still thriving, and some would say booming today,” he says.
Klaus Wolf president of The Vintage European and Vespa Motor Scooter Club of Melbourne says vintage scooters will remain eternally popular. “The only thing which will change with time is the price you will have to pay for one,” he says.
“Some of these scooters were made in extremely low numbers such as the Maico Mobil, the Piatti scooter, TWN Tessy, Bastert, Lohner, Osa, Rumi (and) Iso Milan just to name a few.
“There are only a few collectible (scooters) out there from the 1950s.”
Wolf says that of all the scooters produced across the globe in countries including Germany, France, Great Britain, Russia, America, Spain and India, one of the most popular and longest surviving is the Vespa.
“It was always built on a low budget, had a great shape, was ultra reliable and was half the price of most scooters around at the same time,” Wolf says.
He says it is the simple things such as design variation, colour and overall aesthetics in addition to practicality that contribute to the appeal.
“A vintage scooter you buy because of its practicality, sex appeal, low maintenance and easy handling around town but you don’t buy one because you expect great performance.”
The Vintage European and Vespa Motor Scooter Club of Melbourne
vintagescooterclub.com
Writer: Stephanie Madison
Images courtesy of The Vintage European and Vespa Motor Scooter Club of Melbourne