Tourist pilot on a Vespa

In the mid-sixties the oil company Caltex, later Texaco, did a publicity stunt where they supplied Tourist Pilots on Vespas in European cities. In Sweden it was Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö and Helsingborg. They were also present in UK and Greece as far as I know.
The picture above is from a card that was handed over to tourists to explain the service. The Tourist Pilot jumped on the Vespa and led the way to the requested adress.
This card should be from after 1968, since the female pilot is sitting on a Primavera.
Below is from the same card, explaining the service in five languages. And it's from Göteborg as you can see.
At the bottom is a postcard, with another Tourist Pilot, riding through Stockholm. Followed by a Volvo Amazon (121 was the model name outside Sweden). There is also a Volvo lorry in the picture.
Funny thing, the pilots overalls were light blue during the Caltex era, here the girls have the darker blue Texaco overall.

Merry Christmas everybody!

It's been a great year! Lot's of scootering both home and abroad. From February to the end of October.

Vespa World Days in Norway in May, visiting the Scooter museum outside Milan in June and the Imola fair in September to name a few events.

And I started this blog! Getting to know lot's of nice scooter people from all over the globe.

Thank's for following, commenting and making contributions.

Posting ten pics from my scootering year.
My way of saying Merry Christmas, Buon Natale and God Jul!

The 18th of February, minus 22 degrees C at the start.

Scooter premiere, May, Stockholm.

Vespa World Days, Gjövik, Norway.

Vittorio Tessera's museum in Rodano, June.

Stockholm, 7th of August. Racing hard!

No, no progress in the Ape business. August.

Same helmet, Mods vs Rockers, September the 3rd, Stockholm.

Carello half moon fog lights, found at Imola fair, September.

Yeah! My Lambretta 150 D, the mean green machine! September.

The wreck and the TV 175 to be...

Magnificent about Lambretta

It's maybe too late to wish for this as a Christmas gift. But maybe you can change a boring book against this?
"Lambretta - due ruote di felicità" (two wheels of happiness) is of course written by Vittorio Tessera. The man behind Casa Lambretta and Museo Scooter & Lambretta in Rodano, outside Milan.
In the foreword he says something in the line of "Here I go, talking about Lambretta again".
Please do, signore Tessera!
Well, talking, but the real treat here is the pictures. Meraviglioso will translate into marvelous!
Okay, it starts in the 1930's and the beginning of the firm Innocenti, producing steel scaffolding for construction work. Interesting as a background, but we're all after the scooters, right?
Calm down, they start at page 52, of a total of 360 pages. Pictures of production, competitions, events, rideouts, club life, holidays, publicity stunts etc follows.
Every aspect of trying to reach happiness on two wheels are covered!
Then there are interviews with Luigi Innocenti's widow and son, factory employees and racing drivers. All in Italian at first, but in the back there is an english translation to each chapter.
But the pictures speaks an international language!
Mi piace molto!

One more - kids Vespa PX

Found another Vespa PX for children among my pictures.
This one was for sale at the Imola fair.
Didn't bother to ask for the price. But I like them, although my sons are to big...

Warm rideout in Argentina

Rain, rain and rain mixed with snow here in Stockholm. No scootering at all for me.
While the vespistas in Argentina has rideouts, wearing t-shirts.
Recently there was a three day do in the Buenos Aires area. Raul started on his Vespa GS 150 (VS4) but suffered from a piston breakdown 30 km's from his home. His father came along on a Honda and towed Raul to his home. You can see the rope below.
At home Raul switched to his P200 and he could participate. About 200 scooterists showed up.
I don't know much about the multicoloured GS that was subject to a jump start in the last picture.
Thanx, Raul!

Francobollo con D'Ascanio su!

Please send me a postcard! The Italian postal service is honouring Vespa creator Corradino D'Ascanio with a special stamp to be issued on Tuesday 20th of December.
Mandami una cartolina!

The Swedish Parilla scooter

This is very hardcore, the emblems above was removed from the Parilla scooters when the Swedish Husqvarna in 1953 started transforming them into their own model.
We're talking serious badge engineering here.
Well, the Husqvarna factory equipped the scooters with their own 120 cc/4,5 hp and three speed engine.
The leaflet below brags about bigger wheels and longer wheel base.
And "An Italian beauty with speed rewarding (sic!) lines, powerful engine and extraordinary handling".
I haven't had the oppurtunity to drive one, but they do have a reputation for over-heating. The Husqvarna engine wasn't designed for fan cooling, just like the JB-engine in the ill-fated Swedish Svalan Scooter.
The Parilla emblems above belongs to a Husqvarna collector.

"Swedish quality, italian beauty".