Happy Vespa Easter!

 

A good friend have been hooked on clay. It started with a moped and now he has made this Vespa. I hope there also will be a Lambretta later. Happy Easter!

1960's Vespa posters

I've just purchased three lovely and genuine Vespa posters from the 1960's. They're from an old scooter/bicycle shop in the south of Sweden. The size is approximately 70 cm x 100 cm so they make quite an impact.
One of the girls seems to be sitting on a Vespa with a narrower front shield. An 50 SS or a 90 SS? 

Vespa 125 U parts catalogue

 

Here is a nice and original parts and accessories catalogue for the 1953 Vespa 125 U (Utilitaria). The registration number of the Swedish sold 125 U is scribbled on page three along with the telephone number to importer. Take notice that it is to the company "Fram-King" who were importers during the 1960's. So I guess this catalogue was passed on from the original owner to some of the next ones. Or, as the first owner had a brand new scooter he maybe didn't need a parts catalogue?

Nevertheless an interesting item of Vespa's history!

Vespa 125 U at the Imola fair

This picture was taken at the 2014 Imola mostra e scambio (show and fair). It has become a tradition to walk by this seller displaying his Vespa 125 Utilitaria from 1953. Restored but the colour feels a bit "minty". Or is it the camera or the computer?
This seller has repro items for 125 U, side cowls, petrol tank. Leftovers from the restoration maybe.

The Vespa in the forest

A good friend sent me the picture above. "I've found this Vespa while walking my dog in the forest" he told me. "But it's in very bad condition" he added. I of course told him that I wanted to pick it up and his response was "why?", the natural question from any sane person.
I was also tpld that it was stuck in the ground, due to frost. Anyhow I wanted to establish what model it is so we went to check. The initial guess was that it was a faro basso, a 125, but then a VGL or VGLA seemed most likely. The latter being to most common 50´s and 60's Vespa in Sweden.
Examining the Vespa I discovered some of the metallic blue paint typical for the Vespa Touring.
It has been stuck in the ground for 20-30 years is my guess. No engine but the swing with part of the brake drum is still there, and the stand. There is the remains of a house ground nearby, maybe it was "parked" by the house owners. Otherwise it would have been nicked a long time ago when it was in better shape.
I will dig it out, could be a nice garden statue!

That's me, sporting a stupid cap!

The Struzzo - It's a Vespa VL2

The Struzzo as found.

I managed to buy the Vespa "Struzzo" that was up for sale, in Sweden they we're sold under the moniker "Super". I thought we only got the VL3 to Sweden but this is actually a VL2, produced in 1955. The seller had started some "restoration", sand blasting and then applying grey primer. I'm not entirely happy with that.
Next step is to trace it's registration. Then we'll see...

It shared the space with Swedish mopeds.

Partly restored tail light, why?

The speedo, the same as on the Vespa 125, 1953-1954.

You can see the outline of the V in Vespa.

Home at last.

Girl on a Vespa Struzzo

This is a promotion picture from Piaggio. It looks like a Vespa 150 (VL1-3) but with another colour then standard light grey. Is it an Acma from France? The yellow headlight might indicate that.

"Struzzo" - Vespa VL3 for sale

 

This Vespa VL3 from 1955-1956 is for sale and I have an opportunity to buy it. It's registration has expired. The VL3-model was sold here in Sweden next to the Vespa 125 (faro basso) and Vespa GS. The earlier VL1-VL2 was never sold in Sweden. VL3 has the 150 cc/6 hp engine and 8-inch wheels. "Struzzo" is the italian nickname and it translates to "ostrich" for obvious reasons.

Another "Struzzo".

And another one.

Espresso and Vespa GS 160

An Italian moment last summer. A cup of espresso, doppio, and the view over my 1963 Vespa GS 160, series 1. With the a custom seat, re-upholstered after a Vespa accessory-seat from the mid-sixties. The tail light is from a scooter-moped, a 50 cc Italian Vispetta.

Flash Gordon's new scooter

The German scooters were not beautiful, but plentiful. This is a Walba De Luxe, 1949-1952. With Ilo 118 cc engine. Built with Flash Gordon in mind?
Walba was the brainchild of father and son, Waldemar and Alexander Balbaschewski.
I got the photo from the guy sitting on one above. Later it became some sort of agricultural device. Long gone...

Very strange covers on the handlebar and a turbine (!).

Vespa 125 cc from 1951

This Service station manual for Vespa 125 cc, the "Roman Vacanzes", is from 1951. It was given to me by it's original owner who had just such a Vespa, bought as new. Long gone by now...
The manual is very extensive, approximately 150 pages. All in English (sometimes in Italian!) but printed in Florence (Firenze).
The Operation an maintenance is marked "5th edition. Dec 8 1951". Among the Accessories is a plexiglass windscreen mentioned.  

Pictures from the exhibition

 

Somehow I was invited to show three of my Vespas at "The Hallwylska museet" in Stockholm. The palace was built in 1890's for Swedish nobility and was turned into a museum in 1930. Right now there is an exhibition called "12 cuckoo eggs", twelve collectors showing their stuff. Pez dispensers, cuckoo clocks, high couture shoes and bags, shaving devices, battered dolls, kinder eggs, IKEA-chairs and so on. Plus my Vespa GS 150, Vespa SS 180 and the Vespa Touring (VGLA). And  the banner from the 1960 Eurovespa held together with the inauguration of the Roma Olympic Games.

Since the creator of the museum, Wilhelmina von Hallwyl also was a collector this location was choosed to show these modern collectors.

Another Swedish scooter...

Mustad Folkscooter, not Mustard or Mostardo, a scooter built in Gothenburg around 1952 ready to pick fight with Italians Vespa and Lambretta and Germans Goggo, Heinkel and Zündapp. With a 50 cc German Amo engine with 1,3 hp.
Week and front heavy! Some say about 1 000 produced, I strongly doubt that figure.
The Swedish word "Folkscooter" translates into "people's scooter".

Really nice Vespa PK poster

 

A nice friend asked if I wanted this Vespa-poster. The size is 70 X 100 cm. I said yes...

Speedo or contachilometri

Some pics from the 2014 Mostra e scambio (Exhibition and fair) at the autodromo in Imola. One seller had lots of old speedos for Vespa and Lambretta. Standard and special ones from makers like Veglia, Rolle and Jaeger. Some other accessories as well, petrol gauges, mirrors and assorted bling-bling all New Old Stock. Everything at a price! Wonder if anything was under €200?
Eye-candy at least...

My Vespas on exhibition

There is an exhibition at a museum here in Stockholm regarding collectors (or hoarders?).
I was invited to show some of my Vespas and some other stuff. I have chosen my Vespa SS180, Vespa GS150 and the Vespa 150 Touring (VGLA). More pics later, this is from the museums garage waiting to be displayed. There is a 1914 Mercedes behind them.

Two Vespa U in South America

No less than two Vespa U, Utilitaria, emerged in South America during 2014. Or should I say one whole? The first is an engine that was found in Colombia, by chance in a small town by a Vespista.
He then put it up for sale in an Argentinian forum - my correspondent in Buenos Aires tells me. But it was just the engine, with number 58**, about 1 200 numbers from the end of production in 1953. Only 6 000 Vespa 125 U was produced, starting with number 1 000 and ending on 7 000.
The second, or half, 125 U was found approx six months ago in Argentina. Nice but only the body and it was bought by an italian collector.

VU1M*58XX*, at the end of 1953.

The U-engine with another Vespa.

Correct cowl over the engine and front fender and fork.

This Vespa 125 U is now back in Italy.