Summer 2002

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The Vespa Tea
and the 1958
Monte Carlo R
IN an age when there were fewer
distractions in getteral and little
television
to compete for our
attention, the progress of each
'"
years Monte Carlo Rally oc:c:upied
"'
'"
"
- and
more media coverage
..
.,
therefore more of the pub1ic:'s Inhalt
attention - than perhaps is the
case today. This meant that there three tiny 400cc cars to last 2,500 miles or
was a lot of potential publicity to so in these conditions was demanding rather
be gained from an event that was a lot. Amazingly they all made it. Naturally
considered in its day to be the they finished at the tail of the field, but took
a class win and covered themselves in glory.
most gruelling endurance test of
I wonder if any of the actual team cars has
virtually standard production cars. survived?
Alwaysheld at the beginningof the year,
there was a choiceof starting venues, the Whilst on the subject of the Vespa 400 and
routes from which all convergedon France competition, I recently unearthed my copy
for the final stages. Whereveryou started of "Champion Year" by Mike Hawthorn.
from, you were guaranteed ice, snow and (Britain's first F1 champ for ignoramuses)
One chapter gives details of a hair-raising
fog.
TheVespa400 had not been in production trip through the Alps made by Mike and
long at the ACMAfactory in France, and Ferrari team mate Peter Collins between
participationin this eventwas a goodwayof races in a hired Vespa 400. You can just
bringing the small car to the public's imagine Schumacher and Barachello sharing
attention. It was a riskyone though;asking a Fiat Cinquento between GPs today!
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28 RALLYEde
MONTE-CARLO
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1t.'CC;'vr-"" -'~."113
is well under way as you read this. After endwing a
few frustrating days holed up in New York waiting for
the Rod Model (aka "Doug") to clear Customs, Greg set
off on Apri121. Despite only managing 27 mph on the
flat he has so far made it all the way down the East Coast
through Virginia, turned right (missing off Florida) and
as at early May had reached Albuquerque in New
Mexico. He then skirted the Arizona Desert and reached
Los Angeles (getting on towards the half way point) on
May 12. All this, may I remind you, on a Vespa Rod
Model almost fifty years old. Going around the Arizona
Desert on a new vehicle is not an undertaking to be
taken lightly, let alone on a 1953 Vespa.
As had been hoped, he has had superb support from
American scooterists who have rallied to the cause by
providing accommodation,
route planning and much
more. There's been local 1V coverage and generous
extra sponsorship along the way. Fortunately, there has
been some technical assistance forthcoming as well
I
..
3~/oo STOCltHOtM
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because Doug has had a few mishaps. The engine panel
and the stand keep falling off, bump starting was
required before the points were adjusted, there've been
problems with the silencer and the rear tyre has
delaminated. Doug has fallen over a couple of times to
the detriment of the paintwork , and the luggage straps
have damaged
the paint as well. But the basic
mechanical elements have so far coped admirably with
up to twenty hours of nonGreg's punishing schedule
stop riding at a time!
-
This is not the first
- nor
will it be the last
- time
that
someone has used a scooter of this age for an ambitious
trip of this nature. But this is surely one that will be
remembered. I know a1I club members will want to join
me in wishing Greg (and Doug!) safe passage fur the
remainder of the journey. Greg's round-USA tour is in
aid of the British Heart Foundation. More up-to-date
information can be found on www.scooteristscene.com
"~:;i.
CL U B 0 FFie ERS
AND SERV ICES
PRESIDENT
FrankBrookes,BEM
19,DitchlingCrescent, Hollingbury,
BrightonBN18GD
CHAIRMAN
r'
WANTED
For Douglas 91L1 - engine cooling
cowlingfor cylinder.Phone AndrewJames
on 0 I 15 911 1712. (Membership No.
AB/ 12/1915).
GS 160 FLORIDA BARS with blue
..
gems. Phone Chns on 01132 583557.
Leslie Smith
The Hermitage,
21 Hazlewood
FOR SALE
Road.
Duffjeld,Derby, DE564DP
,
GENERALSECRETARY
DickSmith
52 Lackford
Road. Chipstead,
Coulsden. Surrey CRS 3T A
Tel: 01737 552155
Email: [email protected]
TREASURER
Margaret Farquhar
11. Batde Court, Kineton.
Warwickshire,
CV35 OLX
MEMBERSHIPSECRETARY
Peter
Harris
28 Hope Road. Benfleet,
Telephone
01268
Essex
456560
JOURNAL EDITOR
Ashley
3. Vincent
Lenton
Road, Croydon.
Surrey.
CRO 6ED
Telephone
020 8656 4953
E-Mail AshlevLenton(a)aol.com
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
Ashley Lenton
as above
SPARES OFFICER
Matthew
8. Amesbury
Phillips
Close,
Surrey,
Telephone
Worcester
Park,
KT48PW
020 8395 6324
CLUB REGISTRAR
Darren
Haywood
46. Brampton Close. Corringham,
Essex, SS 17 7NR
Telephone
01375
677227
REGALIA SECRETARY
Darren Haywoodas above
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
T ony Thorpe
96. Southview Road. Carlton.
Nottingham.
NG4 3QL
James Mcabe
115 Goddard Place, London
N 19 5GT
Email: [email protected]
nnmnn_
22
_
M........__
VESPA PX 11S with just 1014 miles on
the clock BeautifulPurple Metallicpaint job,
2000 model (X reg) in excellent condition
- £'1,500 ono. Interested? Call Phil on 020
7432 9442 (London).
BLACK VESPA P100, Y reg August
200 I, 500 miles only. Chrome wheels,
engine parts, Taffspeed exhaust, Dyno test,
213 kit & matched crank cases, Ancillotti
seat - £.1,500.PhonePaulWilsonon 01652
680464 (home); 07775 996217 (work);
07833 941371 (mobile).
BRAND
NEW SIMONIMI FOR
P1, - £.45.Phone Peter on 0 I634 876070.
P1 DISC, 2002 model. latest type
horncover and front mudguard, both
enigma green and brand new - offers. Tel:
07971 830648 (Coventry).
VESPA PX 11S, I owner from new,
mint condition, all original docs, full MOT
and taxed - £.695 ono. Tel: 02476 628470.
VESPA SO SPECIAL, 3 speed, 1976.
American import - 095 ono. Tel: 01702
6 I6346 (Southend).
ODD SIZE TYRES 300x12; 325x12
and 350x12, in older style block pattems.
Contact Tany on 01923 23 I699
(Watford).
VESPA EXHAUST FOR CIAO
MOPED new - £.5.Phone Philon 0 I 16
235-7595(Leicester).
WC Journal - No.II
1MHIJE
W"JEilI&TItA\NW1E~JF&CCIL1JJfIB)
JJ«J)~AJ1
]EIIDIIil@ ffiII&IL
The wonders of Email
.are multitudinous but do not come
without a price. My work Email
address appears to have become an
International call sign for distressed
Vespa owners the world over. Every
time I log on there are a barrage of
messages ranging from pleas to
validate the performance figures of a
Primavera to the Lebanese licencing
authorities, to advice on getting an exVietnam Sprint through Customs
without paying duty, and regular
requests for paint specs, production
details and opinions on various models.
Amongst all these are requests from
club members who do not always
identify themselves as such. Since I
cannot possibly get round to answering
everything, it is possible that some
members have not received a response
for which I apologise
From the end of June I shall be taking
early retirement, so please contact me
in future at my home address
[email protected]
by the use of a consistent pattern.
Periodic
financial
considerations,
however, have led to a few gaps. Some
rallies have been missed, and others
commemorated with inferior nonstandard pattern items. There is a
proposal to plug some of these gaps,
especially those from the last ten years.
Jim McCabe is considering possible
candidates to start the ball rolling.
Brentwood 1998, Farnborough 1994
and Longbarn 1992 are being
considered, and there are thoughts of
reviving the tradition of having a
British Team badge for Eurovespa.
Anybody interested in purchasing any
of these ( or any future issues) is asked
to contact Jim (details at back) so that
he can get an idea of possible
production numbers.
Badges are being produced this year for
the WC rally at Cheltenham on June 79 (this magazine mayor may not have
reached you by then) where, in
addition to the usual rally badge there
will also be one to commemorate the
Queen's Golden Jubilee. The VCB are
also issuing a badge at their own
Cog badges
Golden Jubilee Rally which is being
... .have been produced for rallies since held at Paddock
Wood (near
1956 by the VCBand by the WC since Maidstone) on July 26-28. Hope to see
its inception in 1964. Collectively they
you all there.
form a unique visual record of the
Ashley Lenton
history of the VCB/VVC,greatly aided
Website: www.veteranve..paclub.co.llk/
3
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The earliest photo
.
that could be found
of Margaret
Vespa is this one taken at the 1954 Brighton
on a
Rally
THIS year is the fiftieth
anniversary of many things.
The Coronation,
th~ conquest of Everest, the
formation of the VCR
Butneyer mind all that,
'WR{1;t'S
reQlly important is
AND yet it is really only
by accident that Margaret got involved with
the VCB in the first
instance. A keen cyclist
on a 'forties Raleigh that
she still uses today, she
bought a Rod Model to
commute to her teaching
job in Stratford-on-Avon
in 1952. Margaret might
have been just another
keen-but-transient owner
had it not been for the
1953 Brighton Rally. In
this era of only a few
VCB branches, it fell to
Douglas' PR agency of
the time to contact owners direct in order to
ensure a good attendance. Margaret was one
of those written to, but
could not go. You or I
might have deposited the
unsolicited invitation in
the waste basket and
thought no more about
it, but we are talking
about the world's most
polite person here. "I
thought I might get into
trouble if I didn't reply!"
The PR agency were
clearly taken aback by
the heartfelt profuse
apologies that were
received,and let the VCB
know. In no time at all
Margaret found herself
being asked to form a
Stratford-on-Avonbranch
of the VCB,of which she
was secretary.
For a while Margaret's
life was much like any
other VCBmemberof the
time. The branch was
renamed Mid Warwicks
VC and moved it's HQ to
Leamington Spa. All the
usual VCB rallies were
constantly shifting sands
of youth culture must
have seemed like a mine
field. The first faux pas
took place in 1963 when
Douglas found themselves locked into a
publicity campaign centred
on
the
film
"Summer Holiday" featuring Cliff Richard and
the
Shadows.
Presumably contracts had
been drawn
up the
previous
year before
anybody had even heard
of the Beatles or Mersey
beat.
Having licked their
wounds for a while,
Douglas decided to have
another go at this youth
market thing. Mod symbols such as the Union
Jack and Targets were
carefully
noted
and
incorporated into a fully
integrated
advertising
campaign (Go Vespa!)
that was ready to roll by
the beginning of 1967
the very moment at
which such symbols went
out of fashion! It is
probably a fair indication
of the disconnection be-
-
tWeen Douglas and their
customers that the ads
featured a 90SS with
Union Jack paintWork
probably the least appropriate model in their
range for this kind of
treatment. It's easy to be
critical of the Douglas
Management
in this
matter, but they were
probably
doing their
best. After all, do you
keep up with what is
fashionable
from one
week to the next?
Right at the end of the
decade the ads took on a
less subtle look, models
in swim suits being
draped unceremoniously
over the Vespas as in one
example shown here. An
uncharitable view might
be that having run out of
ideas,
Douglas
were
resorting to using sex as
a desperate measure. But
in truth, adverts like this
were very much the
norm from 1968 through
much of the seventies.
It must be clear from
the above that Douglas
tended to be one step
behind their customers
final analysis it probably
made little difference.
Once
something
lying social changes no
advertising
campaign
can revive it.
has
Go~e'"
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CUO"PIP'*th V.:IIp.lI "..WiIIl.'"
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,. Sup.,'" V,spa ,«fo,,"ancl
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hydn".lliicdftm'.'
th.ftotlt.llfI)
O...VM..
ntti'. mflnl .f8b~ riiH... bf!!fU'Icf(t
alldcotnpM1
that MarrgaretFarquhar has
now had an inv()lvement
with Vespafor fifty years.
..4:ndas we only celebrated
vhefiftieth anniversary of
Vespa in the UK last year,
it's very difficult to imagine
one without the other.
4
-
throughout the whole of dropped right out of
the sixties, but in the fashion due to under-
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WC Journal
- No.I1
Website: www.veteranvespaclub.co.uk/
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j'otiQ(u
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SCOOTER sales started the sixties by
slipping slightly and then slid badly as
the decade progressed.
Douglas' initial
advertising
response
seems to have
been to try to shore up the traditional
commuter
market
by
reinforcing
messages
of
dependability
and
reliability.
This makes an interesting
It's
comparison with Lambretta who sought
to
reposition
their
product
by
association
.firstly
with an elegant
woman in evening dress and later with
jet planes, Rolls Royces etc.
~ffiC
Trying to retain com- creasinglymade up what
dodgers
muters was never going sales there were. This is
~~II ~i\~:.hf~~C:/~kr~;:h~~o!~~::~'}r:II:':~~t~)
3~ui~1~6~~~!o:j~~
parking problems :at lh~ other cud. The
over J million Ve$pas have been sold.
to be enough though, where thingswent slightyoung nUll who'" going plata-hc
arrive.!
on time. unhurrk't'l nnd unruffled 011 hi:t
and Douglas'ads for the ly array. To the middle
Ve~f'Ol.
bulk of the decade ten- aged men that made up
DOUGLAS(Sales& Service)LTD. KINGSWDOD,BRISTOL
ded to attempt to identi- both the Douglas manfy and appeal to the agement and their adyouth market that in- vertising agency, the
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1)"_<7I111e
M/ail,
w;
"'1M'~~N..hu04!i18I\01CA.
U4.
Meet the new
addition to the
Vespa 125c.c.
family
c apo$C
125ccmodollnd'ot
'anot';mtrodl,lCldltw19i)8.w.rtI
MW sJendwtine ~,1Jng ItId imProWd
perlorm~.
Enyma>lI1l!noW'lCC.
Joow
. tu: and il'L'lU!.JI'ICe,
light 4nd iNS't'
toh"f~~":tC~~~~
btUet' petrd CtlNu~lon
(8bOut 150 rnpg)
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WC Journal
- No.ll
]:
TI1(h! ;,or11WJ("n~y on Ih~ SU~!j oi IJt(! JerrtJuriul f01 tUJ at~,"'«nl
r' IhfJ S"Cl1!(iJI.VG~.n~ul. A t}pJl('.ml/~.m()uld " ' ~IH/UU;d_'itic ,-laJj
rtl('1tlbcn~ able 10 O'f(UlliJI: and ponc..Y;IJI ~t.mt' 1)11kt
.
Iffpcrit!nce.
(m!...' vhimlol
Uril.lll}_
hr mhlr(>~i('d 10 S('i'('('f,Jl)'
All appU1
(;('lIInJJ
4'), pM lton~1.\ttf'f'J.H;L I,.n;~~j
attended, and in 1955
Margaret went to her
first continental rally at
The Hague. None of her
fellow club members
could be persuaded to
go. But Margaret is a
woman of fierce determination
and independence, so off she set on
her new 42L2 all alone.
This was not all that
common in 1955. Along
the way she met up with
one or two riders from
other branches, but the
bug
for
continental
travel had bitten. Without the help of men if
necessary. This independent streak would see
her clock up thousands
of miles on a succession
of Vespas over the next
four decades.
In 1957 an advert
appeared in Vespa News
for someone to assist Bill
Bond run the VCB at the
club's headquarters
in
(where else!) Old Bond
Street. Having got the
job she chucked in her
teaching post (much to
the
disgust
of her
parents) and moved into
a hostel in London. This
sounds remarkably impulsive for someone who
is generally the epitome
of measured calm. But as
she herself says "instinct
told me I just had to do
it". Apart from that,
trying to do a full time
job and run Mid Warwicks was affecting her
health. The advert was
published just in the nick
of time.
Serendipity
indeed.
Within two weeks of
her arrival the club HQ
moved to the Douglas
service depot in the
Finchley road. Margaret
was made the Assistant
General Secretary of the
VCB and besides herself
and 'Bill Bond there were
usually two secretaries.
The
period
between
1957 and the HQ's
closure in 1961were
possibly the most hectic
in terms of her Vespa
involvement.
On her
company
Continental
(VL3) Margaret rode the
length and breadth of
Britain in all weathers to
set up branches of the
VCB
Aberdeen being
the furthest trip North.
Possibly because of her
Scottish heritage (she
moved down south with
her parents when she
was twelve) Margaret
was asked to set up the
Vespa Club of Scotland.
Finchley Road was a
hive of activity during
this period, VCB council
meetings
being
held
there and many visitors
from foreign Vespa clubs
dropping in. But towards
the end of 1961 declining membership - a
direct result of declining
scooter sales - meant
Finchley Road had to go.
Margaret's
value had
been clearly recognised
by Douglas, however,
Website: www.veteranvespaclub.co.uk/
. .
ReceIvingthe secondplacecup at theAudax de Femanine
and she was asked to the gritty environment
become General Secre- of Poplar in the East End
tary and. run the club of
London.
This
from Bnstol. Unfortu- challenging-bUt-rewardnately, ill health pre- ing work was Margaret's
vented her from taking day job right up to her
up th: offer
- something
retirement
she sull regrets.
A brief spell as a
courier on continental
coach trips was followed
by a return to teaching in
in
1993.
A
woman of many parts is
Margaret
Farquhar.
Meanwhile,
she was
soon back in the swing
of things Vespa wise and
~,,~
-
t'
An early trip to Scotland.
The sight of a woman
scooter alone in these parts was considered
that the local press insisted
riding a
to be so unusual
in recording
it
5
-
THE MARGARET
Another
FARQUHAR
event, another float
joined the Hampstead back in the saddle of her
Ironsides.A second-hand P200.
42L2 was obtained, and
We've heard about
although other Vespas Cortina, but what other
have come and gone this events does Margaret
one remains in her especially remember?
possession.
The Audax Feminine (a
In 1963 Margaret's ladies only event from
linguistic prowess was 1958) is recalled ''There
put to goodusewhenshe was a British team of
acted as the VCB's three of us spending
official interpreter for several days riding
the 1963 Euro Vespa in around France not
Cortina (see Journal No knowing what we were
4). This event is remem- doing or why? Somehow
bered with particular we managed to finish
affection "We were second."
treated like royalty - the
Then there were those
people and the hotels South Devon VC rallies
were fantastic. As for the of the fifties. Every time
scenery, it was just Margaretstepped out her
breathtaking"
hotel room in the
After the demise of the morning she would find
Hampstead Ironsides, items ranging from
the St John's Wood men's shoes to used wine
Wallabiesbenefited from glasses on her doorstep.
her membership until By the standards of the
they too bit the dust. nineteen fifties this
Thereafter she became a implied wild living.
committee member of Although George Baber
STORY - continued
Club at Grenoble. They
escorted her to Menton
in diabolical weather
conditions.
Trying to get Margaret
to list all of her achievements is a hopeless task she is much too modest a
person for that. BUtsome
things must be recorded.
Hundreds of hours spent
travelling up and down
the country. Part of the
organisational burden of
a hundred or more rallies
must have rested on her
shoulders. All this for no
reward other than the
pleasure
of helping
others enjoy her hobby.
A highlight must surely
being
awarded
the
"Silver Meritum" a few
years ago. This rarely
given honour is for
exceptional service to the
Vespa cause. Only two
others in this country
have received it (Brian
Freehold
and
Frank
Brookes) and Margaret is
the only woman to be
awarded it ever. But her
real achievement is the
way in which she has
done these things. If I
C1[3W~~
described Margaret as
almost the only 100%
trustworthy
person
I
have met in the world of
scootering then some
might take offence. But
the fact remains that
trying to get her to say
something
bad about
anybody is well nigh
impossible. Trying to get
anybody to say anything
bad about Margaret is
actually
impossible.
Apart from that, her
good humour and calm
temperament have diffused countless fraught
committee sessions.
Many thanks are due
to Margaret for allowing
me access to her archive
of pictures and press
cUttings. Features
on
other aspects of her
involvement with Vespa
including
Finchley
Road and Mid Warwicks
VC will follow in due
course.
The Vespa movement
has indeed been fortunate to have had the
services
of Margaret
Farquhar for the last fifty
years.
this club - she remains and Ernie Hendy were
treasurer to this day - blamed
at the
time,
and rejoined the VCB Margaret suspects that
committee on which she they were actually operserved on until very ating under instructions
recently. Through most from EricBrockway.
of this time Margaret has Another memory is
been an all-weather that of the 1960 Chrysscooterist. Recent health anthemum Rally at
problems have caused Menton. Margaret rode
her to take a break, but across Europe and met
she is determined to get up with the local Vespa
6
~ti
'(
i
.~
__li..
~v
1:\'".
Margaret as part of the VCB contingent addressing
the North East Region
WC Journal
- No.11
u8
1]DCJ[3C3801]8m
of this
Buying from abroad sent Vespa Allhere an e- problematic. Whether publication
Dear Editor
mail expressing my you are entitled to expect quality demands.
I
have
recently disappointment
and a "blow over" or a "bare The editorial, articles,
bought a Vespa VNB await their response. I metal respray" is basi- technical features and
advice are all first class.
over the internet from will let you know as cally a question of how
.
Vespa Allhere (contact soon as I hear anything.
d mg I cannot believe that
.
much you . are spen
.
name Mlchael Quester .. If you have any. m th e first mstance.
there is anyone in the
). I had a really good mformatlonor help that
..
club who does not read
relationship with him I could take regarding There are an mcreas~ng it all (and it has been
allbeit over the internet. this it would be much number of outfits dealmg
proof read - something
The Vespa I was appreciated. Also if you in this kind of scooterin
that a lot of magazines
quoted
and know of any company the UK in all conditions.
can't seem to manage).
subsequently paid for that can help with spare Often it is possible to get
As someone who has
was a VBB 150cc but parts and diagrams for them brought in from
been
absent
from
received a VNB125cc. I the Vespa VNB 125cc abroad at a cheaper
scootering
since
1986,
I
had been informed by that also would be price. An individual has
the way of a chassis appreciated.
to decide if a potential thought my final "fond"
memories of it all would
number
VNB.4T This being my first cost saving is.worth the
0129451 and engine ever vintage scooter still ns. k OJnot
.~ bemg able to be the warm glow of the
number
VNB5M04639,
has not put me off and I. vIew It
.. m ad vance. beer tent burning down
.
.
.
h h
at the Isle of Wight and
w IC I Investtgate d look forward to getting Garys
, expenence
.
(from
through the internet to It
. on
..
t h e roa d an d
..
a rusting custom scooter
.
be a 125cc and have J'ust t ounng Scotl an d over Austna m th IS Instance) that couldn't be rehad
confirmed
by the summer months.
suggests that there horned. However, the
Piaggio and Scooterhelp
Thanks certainly is a risk. I'm chance acquisition of
aforementioned
that the scooter is a VNB
Gary Linning glad he hasn't been the
. d .1 discouraged by the Franco-Italian "classic"
125cc and not a VBB,
150cc
I can t comment metal
.
,
.
.
.
on a case like this expenence, and I m sure and the incredibly
I know that m buymg.
.
that his VNB can be put helpful (and generous)
over the internet there wIthout knowmg all the .
.
club members I have
.
.
are ns ks wh ICh I h ave fiucts' but will make some mto shape wIthout too
met to-date have well
paid for with the bad general comments. First- much trouble.
Bd and truly changed my
workmanship on the ly, a VNB is not necesmind.
scooter Le. the respray sarily worth less than a A contented
I hope to have the
job was just painted VBB - though of course member
scooter running and
over the existing paint people are entitled to Dear Editor
registered for Cheland as soon as I had receive what they have
tenham. If not then I
received the scooter the been sold. Secondly,. the a Inote
wanted
to
drop
you
to say what an should certainly make
Paint started to flake off fa ct th at Gary was gtven
. .
.
excellent pubhcatton Maidstone as that is
on several areas of the h .
d
c asslS an
engtne the club journal is. I only round the corner
scooter, spare tyre was numbers in advancewith . .
.
second hand and re.
Jomed the club In late from here. Hope to meet
'
'ust
spraye d to I00k lIke new VNB prefixes suggests 2001 as I had J
you at one of the two.
and kickstart lever tha.t there was not a purchased an ACMA
Again, thank you for
rubbing against the side delz~erate . attempt to V56 (125cc). I never
producing
such an
panel. I am informing decel~e - It. could be a expected to come across
enjoyable
and
prothe VBB of this so that genume mlsunderstan- the level of profellow members do not dingo
fessionalism and com- fessional journal.
Yours sincerely
get ripped off as I have.
The issue of the paint mitment
that
At the moment I have quality is a bit more production
of
a
Peter Mickleburgh
Website: www.veteranvespaclub.co.ukl
19
THE HAPPY ROAD
If H8Ppene d On
WORST EVER COG BADGES REVEALED
~
O\l2
~w
..~~
IiPt>
.
Well, okay, these are
I don't have anYthing
horrors lurking in the
unaware. So if anyone
free to write to some
.
THIS 1957 film starred Gene Kelly,
"
Barbara Laage and Michael Redgrave.
Kelly and Laage play two single parents
whose children run off together. Most of
the film consists of them riding through
the French countryside on an ACMA
World Model Vespa in pursuit of their
offspring.Ascan be seen from the filmstill ~(~f~fllr
reproduced here, mishaps are aplenty. Imm..~.~_lIJIm......
This film had a strong lead cast and,
judging from the many different film
posters available, a wide-spread international release. Despite this it has been
f
~.
relegated into total obscurity. It is never
~
.\
,~
Cog badges are frequently which point Mr Inspiration 1960 Eurovespa badge ends in
things of beauty, but inevitably departed their house forever.
disaster
as
the
VCB
that there have been a few
headquarters is picketed by
duffers along the way. Here I
animal welfare activists. In
.1~~.Ia
have speculated as to the
,.,.-
/1:
1/'
f"
'.~4i~,<f/~;seen
on TV and is
'\ ':<i;.\ not available as a
'~
~.,..~.r~>'
.:J~. _ ,.'
'" video
fij
or in
DVD.
'!.
Does anybody out
. ,
.,'
~:;7#-~:.".,
.
11L1'
I_~:
B.S.
_
J,
~ctually
,.,. the~e
haVIngrecall
seen It?
..
r:.. ....
stands
---
..~
-J- I u
[j -JU!r~:';~
., 1r]~~r;~ .: ! ~ [,- 1_.5
r
- - -- - - -- - -- -- --
for
Beuzen en Sordet
-
'1
.:-~
a French company ,~.~
that made cheap ,"'I..."AT ~
plastic toys for a '1115'r
.
~
18
~. ~
.
4:JI'."
'*'
long cheap plastic
to~
for all. that,
qUIte well detailed.
Surprisingly, it is a
representation of a
Piaggio built Vespa
rather
than
an
ACMA one. In the
'fifties it was quite
-"
l ~
.~
short while. They
apparently made a
Vespa
400,
but
slightly better known
is this three-inch
-
or'
.
"
\
..:'~
~
.,~~
a
7)
'
4(;\
only my personal selection. And since
like all the badges there are doubtless
background
of which I am completely
disagrees with this choice please feel
other publication
and complain.
~~~.~'
-.,-
..,
&~
::
~
-
'..;
?
. .....
~
usual for moulds to
be bought, sold and
shared amongst different manufacturers.
also be the BS toy,
but might also have
been
made
by
somebody else. Does
anybody know for
Maybe the mould sure? The BS Vespa
for this toy started toy fetches about
life somewhere else. £50 today.
In any case, only the
silver-green version
Jp:- f='6
shown
here
is
definitely BS. The
orange and dark
1\~blue versions may
J
,
V.
WC Journal- No.ll
~
~
more recent timesthe designof
possible reasons for the dismal._
",:"~
,,_
this (thankfully) rare badge is
appropriated by legions of takeresults. An honourable mention
#~.,_.. 4\"< !..\ ,,' .
':::::;.~ awaykebab establishments.
should be made of the 1996 _ ~ [ *i, Ji, ~,
WC
rally
badge.
This
represented the committee's
first (and last) venture into the
realm of CAD (Computer Aided
Design). Had I been on the
committee at the time I would
have suggested that they
viewed the "Colossus CAD
Company" with deep suspicion. 1994 National Rally
A misguided attempt to widen
the appeal of the VCB saw the
club hand over the design of the
1994 badge to the local play
school. In return for copious
quantities of jelly and ice cream 2000 National Rally
the inhabitants were told to do
Given a suitable dose of
their worst. And they did.
digital enhancement (as here)
this badge can be made to look
almost reasonable. But every
collector knows the truth. In
r-OOVA.. ~..
normal daylight his badge
. LEAMIN~TONSP4 I
becomes completely invisible
leaving him to ponder how he
1962 National Rally
came to part with hard earned
cash for a gap in his display
For their tenth anniversary
board.
the VCB spared no effort in an
endeavour to produce an item
of quality. Committees and subcommittees burnt gallons of
midnight oil in an endless
pursuit of perfection. After six
months of toil they had come up
with the words "anniversary
Gung ho effort to show the
year" and the figure "ten". At Italians how to do a proper
.,
~~
_~.r
--~ ... ,.-.-
Website: www.veteranvespaclub.co.ukI
7
FOURCHASSIS,A DODGY
RECENT
AID A HEAPOF..OIEY
Trying
images
of this
.AI1TER twelve years option but to transport it
the Editor's
GS160 all the way up to Mike
S1 is finished. Sort of Clark so that it could go
on the ex-Douglas jig
It seemed so easy in
then owned by Herbie
principle. I'd kept one of
Johnson (and now by
every thing from the
Mike himself). When I
mountain of new parts
got it back a couple of
I'd picked up in the weeks
later
it was
seventies. A Siem headstraight enough but still
light rim and dipswitch. needed a fair amount of
A speedo, a set of Jag
filler to get the surface
lights.
Everything
to back to scratch. Howbuild the best GS160 in
ever, at least building
town, if only I could find could now commence.
a chassis to put it all on. Since the GS had come
But in the age before
with an SS engine, I had
easy imports such a thing
to source the proper item
was by no means easy to from a dealer who had
find. In early 1990 an
broken a 160 for spares
opportunity
presented
some
years
earlier.
itself and I found myself
Rather ominously, this
the proud possessor of a had had the number filed
delectable classic GS160
off. I can think of no
S2 already stripped in
reason for
order to facilitate restor- legitimate
such an occurrence, so
ation. In other words, a
the most likely explapile of junk.
nation is that it was a
The
first
problem sixties ringer.
presented itself almost
immediately
when it
Apart from all this
became apparent that things proceeded fairly
the chassis had been smoothly
the paintrear-ended in an acci- work being done by
dent. There was no myself with about twenty
-
Got it at last!
it did not move for three
years. I didn't like the
paint, or the filler, or the
lack of engine number. I
resolved to fmd a better
engine
and
chassis
however long it took. At
least there was still the
old workhorse to ride
about on.
By
1994
another
complete S2 had been
located in a dreadful
pink colour. The first one
was retrieved from inside
my house with the
intention of swapping
the bits onto the second
chassis.
Except
that
when it came to stripping
down the pink GS the
colour turned out to be
the best part of it the
Having got it home it chassis was no better
went straight into my than the first. So now I
front room from whence had
two dismantled
-
too familiar
thing
of a challenge.
After all, there's
a
finite number
around. So you can
imagine how pleased
I was to find on the
web four splendid
newly
produced
posters with a Vespa
theme
REVIEW
to find period
Vespa
to use for the cover
and which
magazine
aren't
Halfords cans. Things
started to go wrong at
this point since a GS160
looks good in pictures in
dark colours - but not in
the metal. An attempt to
retrieve the situation by
adding a lighter colour
on top was only partially
a 160 really
successful
needs to have the frame
painted a light colour
with the darker one used
for detailing. In this form
it was taken by van to
the 1991 WC rally at
Cheltenham along with
my regular ''workhorse''
S2 160. It failed to make
any impression in the
concours while the old
one came third!
PRODUCTS
-
some
of
which are in a period
style.
-
- is
,,~
I
'.
8
WC Journal
-No.ll
The Auto Art 1112
scale GS150 is widely
available in the shops
now.
This is an
officially sanctioned
Piaggio product, so
it's slightly surprising
that
the
later
Website: www.veterWlvespaclub.co.ukI
'-
~C'.s
They are the work name of Glenn Reid
of
an
American and can be viewed
graphic artist by the (and purchased) on
www.reidstudio.com
They are all 19 x27
inches, and three are
reproduced
here
while the fourth
forms the front cover
of this issue.
~
-~-
some-
",,, \"'"
~~~
-
..
Messerschmitt version
(with VS5 hubs) was
chosen as the subject
matter. I was just a
little surprised also to
find that the whole
thing was mostly
plastic - it generally
retails for over thirty
pounds - but if you
can livewith that then
the level of detail is
out s tan din g .
Especially impressive
is the detailing of the
springs on the inside
of the dual seat and
the opening hatches.
The only real criticism
is that the front wheel
assembly
sits
a
fraction too low, but
that aside this is an
outstanding model.
150
Also
doing
the
rounds are these onepiece pewter models
of a GS 150 from
Pewter Collectibles
www.pewter.co.uk
(clickon key rings list
A) though they are
also starting to be
seen at parts fairs etc.
These are accurate
representations and
truly bargains at
£2.75 for the small
key ring, £6.99 for the
lager model and
£9.99 for the gold
plated version.
There is an unprecedented amount
of Vespa merchandise
around
at
the
moment of varying
quality, but all the
items reviewed above
are well worth having
in my view.
17
-
SPARES INFORMATION (updated)
MORE items from
the Piaggio Vespa
Vintage Spares Catalogue are now filtering through.
. ..
.
'
~
.
~
<_
,.:_'<
.
. .,
'J
").
t
\
'~
Brake levers for 'fifties
models have been remade. These differ from
the later type (which can
still be found) by virtue
of having a slot in. the
body of the housing
where the lever closes up
it. Although the later
type works perfectly
well, for that perfect
r~storation you just have
to have that slotl
~~
~(
I\.
'-
'
"l'"
,.' ([
.
~
~
.:.
~I import old Vespas, do
" engine swaps and keep
some parts.
Legshield-mounted
If you want a top-class
spare wheel holders are rebuild done, people
back for Small Frame speak highly of Gran
models and also 150 Sport of Birmingham
Super.
(0121471 4555)
Spares from the Vespa Dave Ritchie (020
Vintagecatalogue can be 8462 2320) is a club
ordered
from
any member who has rePiaggiodealer, but as far made the engine pivot
as is known only three shafr of the type fitted to
people keep parts in models which had the
stock. They are:
separate engine bearer Mike Clark Scooters
Le. everything pre
GS160 and 152L2. These
(01179656837)
Kegra Scooters
Zinc plated items come
(0800 7832745)
~~
~
Matthew Philips
(020 8395 6324)
Other useful telephone
numbers:
Scootopia
-
(01934
641614)
Scootopia
import (and, in some
cases, manufactUre) a
wide range of parts and
accessories for older
Vespas.
Allstyles Scooters (023
92
655565).
AlIstylesstock a certain
number of parts for old
models.
Scooterworks
(020 7620 1421) stock
Gear selectors are
becoming a little thin on
the ground now thanks
to all those imports
needing them, so their
remanufacture is quite
timely. There are three
versions of the enclosed
type (I52L2 and GS 160
onwards) and versionsof
the earlier open one that
will do everythingexcept
Rod and G Models.
Scootopia parts. But they
16
also have a container being sold through the
coming over every vintage spares catwogue
month full of old Vespas are.
and, sometimes,sib bits.
For wiring looms,
Furthermore, some of Dave Nelson (0116
their commuting custo- 2796346)
recois
mers like to put P200 or mmended. Price range
T5 engines in an old from £22 - £30.
frame. So if you are on
the lookout for a dis- London Chroming
carded original engine, (020 7639 6434) are not
you might just get lucky. cheap but their quwity is
cons~tently good. Many
Scooter Emporium have used them and
- (020 7375 2277) wSO
complete with washers
and bolts and conical
rubber bushes. Priced at
£45, these are excellent
quality items. Dave wso
does superb restoration
jobs on metw badges
Bill Drake (02380
617316) ~ a Vespa enthusiast and club member of long standing,
who always has items for
swe and sometimes organ~es the re-manufaCtUre
of parts. Currently he has
had Douglas handlebar
grips re-made and wso
has a supply of GS 150
cranks. These are likely
to be cheaper than those
been pleased
results.
with the
Our
membership
Secretary,
Peter
Harris, does superb repaints of cog badges.
Contact details at the
back.
Don't forget that the
club also has a stock of
spares Generally speaking, these are for
Douglas-built models,
and don't include much
in the way of panel work.
Howeverthere are plenty
of new items such as
42L2/92L2
steering
columns and 152L2
headsets. The club has
plenty of new Lucasrear
lights as fitted to Rod
models. There are also
lots of mechanical
spares, e.g. Douglas service replacement Rod/G
cranks for only £25. We
apparently have loads of
throttle and choke cables
for 152L2s More information from Matthew on
m:
2ft:
.
.
.t>,
~..~
.~~.j~
"~
a
f-'"
.~
'~'&~
~.
-
,.
f
.
~
'
'
.
~~
...
"",7
ill
"#
,\
~
'- " ~"~
'i.:,
.
.., ~..
~.~I"
~
'DJ
"
'11
Around 1996 I became
aware that people were
importing from Italy
good quality original
160s without dents or
rust, so I decided that I
had to have one of these
as a basis for my
seemingly
unending
project. An originw SI
duly arrived, which was
then d~mantled and shot
blasted. As might have
been expected, it tUrned
out to be slightly
disappointing with a rust
hole at the bottom of the
horn casting and more
pitting on the floor than
had been anticipated.
Chassis 3 was, however,
can go and jump
,
~'
.A-
Still not quite there
in a lake
a d~tinct improvement
on the other two so a
dec~ion was made to go
with it. 1997 saw the
formation of Paradise
Garage in Bermondsey,a
triumph of aspiration
over application that
cited GS rebuilds as its
speciality. The doomed
nature of such an
enterpme was not immediately apparent, so
Chassis 3 and associated
bodywork was dispatched forthwith for
reincarnation as a style
icon.
A
moment's
thought would have
brought with it the
real~ation that Parad~e
could not possibly be
located in Bermondsey.
The de luxe bomb site
prem~es that compmed
.~
.
~"',:J
<(: yP.
-"',
~
..
.
:. "
...
Well I like it, so any dissenters
~
1
.
.filii
machines, neither of
which I was happy with.
Time to go off and sulk
for a couple of years.
{. ....
, .
CJI -
Paradise Garage con- residing in my garage
tained another shot together with a great
blasted SI chass~ which mound of engines,
was actually perfect
- so
panels,
of course I had to have it.
Things were now completely out of control. I
was now up to chass~ 4,
with chassis 3 sitting
next to it at Parad~e.
Chass~ 1 and 2 were still
headsets
and
who knows what else
that had been collected
along the way. It was
obviously possible to
create complete GS160s
continued overleaf
""
'~"- .- --
~
)'~
I''''
~.
I
\ffJ.//..,f,.
,
'''''f
An ear(y paint scheme
Something
"'"
- -,,-
!:i1r""'"
on chassis
4.
not quite right here
";.--'-
~
...
020 8395 6324.
If you know of other
sources of spares, or
have been the recipient
of some kind of good
service, please let the
Editor know.
WC Journal - No.ll
Chassis 1 as bought. An obvious bargain I'm sure you11
agree
Website: www.veteranvespadub.co.ukI
The paintwork
was the best parr of Chassis 2
9
suits and looked quite
smart.
We had our own Club
magazine
and
Club
meetings every Thursday
for social events and
skittles. Every year we
held an Annual Dinner
and Dance in Torquay
when Mr & Mrs Brockway
FOURCHASSIS,A DODGYPAil' JOBAID A HEAPOFMOIEY- continued
from all my discarded
parts, So Paradise built
up Chassis 3, painted it
blUe and white and used
it in the Lucozade advert.
I've seen it advertised for
sale since and it still
lo()ks good. Jason, Proprietor of "Saddle Up"
took chassis 1 and still
rides around on it to this
day. Matthew Phillips
had chassis 2, completed
it and sold it on. Paradise
took eighteen months to
paint Chassis 4, by which
time the three built up
from my spares had long
since been up and
running!
I had decided to try
and replicate a two-tone
grey paint scheme of a
m'achine once ridden by
an "Ace Face" in my
youth. Enter at this point
Dick Smith, old friend
and colour co-ordination
creative consultant (self
appointed). Fortunately
- or possibly unfortunately - he retained a
memory of this very
same scooter. "If one
thing is certain in life it
was three-tone. White
was the third colour old
boy". I believed him.
By the beginning of
1999 chassis 4 finally
emerged painted from
Paradise and was assembled by Matthew. All
those years of effort and
finally it looked
well,
a bit naff really. Everything was tried in order
to rectify the sitUation.
Armed with aerosols, the
headset and the Baldet-
style sweep on the front
were changed from light
to dark grey, as was the
centre section of the
inside of the legshields,
But still it didn't look
quite right. And what
was worse was that the
battery would suddenly
go dead after about 100
miles. After a few rallies
and several bouts of
assistance by the AA it
was
unceremoniously
relegated to my garage
and the old workhorse
was dragged out once
more.
In 2001 it was "back to
basics" and the paintwork was made into the
two-tone I had originally
intended with the use of
even more aerosols. All
that money I had spent
on a professional paint
job, and I ended up
doing 80% of it myself
anyway! At least it looks
reasonable now, though
in truth the pictures
exaggerate my painting
prowess slightly. Subject
to ongoing investigations
into its wretched battery
start system, the latest
incarnation
should be
seen this year.
attended
Would I do it all
again? You have to be
joking. The last word
should be Dick's: "By
Jove old chap, I think I
might have been wrong
about the three-tone all
along. I hope I didn't
lead you astray".
It's good
friends.
to
have
MISSING
OUIP
p-------------..
WANT
TOHAVE
SCOOTERIST
SCENE
I
I
DELIVEREDDIRECTLYTO YOUR DOOR!
SUBSCRIBE
MOW!
Just fill In this form
I
PLEASE HAKE ALL CHEQUES/POSTAL
ORDERS PAYABLE TO
I
Telephone:
I
:::
10
danger of burning out
their clutches!
Gordon Alford was
Secretary of the Club for
quite a few years and he
was also on the executive
committee. He was also
keenly interested in sport
and on his trips to
London for meetings
would either visit a
football
ground
or
Wimbledon to see the
tennis. He now collects
autographs from famous
stars and has had one or
two newspaper articles
and radio features done
about his hobby.
with Dickie Henderson
Many lifetime friends
in the Club called it the
"marriage bureau" because so many members
married within the Club.
For many of us our whole
lives evolved around the
Club and one of the most
difficult things for a lot of
people was giving up two
wheels and going to four
when they had a family.
For many years in the 80's
Ted Parrot and myself
seemed to be the only two
people on Vespas in the
Bay. Geoff Martin, one of
our founder-members has
helped me write these
notes.
(Thanks to Val for
sharing these memories
with us. Many will have
met her and husband Ted
- and their original
at last year's
GS150
Bristol Rally. The Torbay
Club was obviously a
very active one, and by
keeping going until 1974
it outlasted the majority
of its contempories. The
local dealer seems to
have done his bit too,
Torbay Council running a
fleet of Vespas for many
years. Ed)
-
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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::.::::::::.:::::::::::::~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::=:::::::::::::::=::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::e::~;~~;~~~~..:;~.;.:;~~;::::::::::::::.:::::.::::.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-.:.,~:d
Club members
I
I
I
I
I
I
'SCOOTERIST'
Name
Address
it may have
and send to:
Scooterist Scene. Briar Lodge. Nursery Lane,
Whitfield. Kent CTI6 3ES
IOHL Y £. 0 FOR A YEARS SUBSCRIP710H
(£ . 8 Europe
I £22 res« of! World
I
-
been that Mr Brockway
liked playing golf with
Jack
Green all the
weekend! We had various
holidays away, mostly to
Newquay in Cornwall,
and the Isle of Wight. We
had runs every Sunday
and must have clocked up
thousands
of
miles
around Devon.
From 1960 onwards
we always took part in
Hotels Day in Torquay
and we now have a
wonderful
range
of
photographs taken with
stars of those days
including Charlie Drake,
Sid James, Max Bygraves,
Val Doonigan, Tommy
Cooper, Frankie Vaughan
etc. The only trouble was
the procession went so
slow - everyone was in
to
=~ri$I'=;'
MII;;,;.ored;';;'rlcdY
;:'de"f:;
d;;,;.e pon..;;to;;~'
I
=$Simil
WC Journal
- No.ll
Max Bygraves' friendliness was more than a mere pose... he invited
everybody back to his hotel for drinks after this photo was taken
Web site: www.veteranvespaclub.co.uk!
Harry Worth playing to the camera
15
THE GS 160 IN DETAIL TORBAY AND NEWTON
- continued
drilled and rusted-out
floors. And that's the
good ones. Many of the
better original mod 160s
went out to Japan in the
nineties, where they still
reside. Fortunately,
a
good supply of original
machines in reasonable
condition existed in Italy.
As most people are
aware,
a significant
number (far outnumbering remaining original
UK reg examples) have
been brought over in the
last few years. The word
is that this supply is now
almost exhausted.
Regarding
colour
schemes; though (as far
as is known) no GS160
left Pontadera in any
colour other than white,
in this country they were
painted in all manner of
colour schemes by dealers. Eventually Douglas
got into the act, offering
Cornflower
Blue
or
Wessex Red as a second
colour over the original
white.
Body spares
have
always been a problem,
since the 160 is a bespoke scooter. Items such
as the panels, mudguard
and tool box were produced exclusively for it.
Even the front suspension and wheel rims are
shared only with he
SS180. However, the influx of restorable machines from Italy has
created a bigger demand
for parts that has in turn
improved
the supply
situation in many areas.
14
Previously unobtainable
things such as horns,
legshield trim, seats, and
wheel rims have been remade and are freely
available once again.
However,
new panel
work has not so don't
buy one without side
panels. It used to be the
case that the S2 was
m~r~
numerous
.in
Bnt~n than the earlIer
version. However, most
of the original imports
were
wrecked.
and
thrown away whIle the
majority
of
those
brought over from Italy
in the last six years seem
to have been SI variants,
so the position is now
reversed.
Engines have never
been a problem, the
under-stressed 160 lump
not being prone
to
shedding woodruff keys
in the way the GS 150
does. The only weak area
is the battery-start systern. Unfortunately it is
not possible to have
sixties
Italian
style
without sixties Italian
electrics.
Unless,
of
course you install a P200
or TS engine, like many
have done, and reap the
benefits of electronic
ignition. It is not the
business of this Club to
recommend
such
a
course of action, but at
least it has had the result
of releasing plenty of
serviceable engines onto
the
market
at
a
reasonable price.
ABBOTT VESPA CLUB
BRANCH NO 74
Club Shop
Recalled by Val Edgecombe
I.
It's ValDoonigan'sturn to get a ride
THE Torbay and New- continued
to flourish
ton Abbot Vespa Club until the early 1970s. By
was
numbered
74 1974 however it was
and founded in 1956. decid~d to close 'the Club.
The main Vespa dealer
in Newton Abbot was
Jack Green and he was
instrumental in forming
the Club. For the first
three years the Club
mainly had runs over the
summer months and also
held treasure hunts and
proficiency tests. In 1960
some of us decided to
have runs throughout the
year and the membership
of the club continued to
grow. In 1962 we held
our first National Rally in
Torquay. National Rallies
were also held in 1965
and 1968, and the club
However, members have
still kept as friends and
every three or four years
we have had a gettogether - the last one a
couple of years ago
when, with members of
the Torbay Scooter Club,
over 50 people turned
up.
We used to attend
Rallies, in fact founder
members attended the
Douglas Works National
Rally in Bristol in 1956,
and in 1968 we were the
best-dressed Club at the
Cheltenham Rally. We all
had Royal Blue boiler
The following list is what the club shop has in stock
at the time of the journal going to print, please note
that it would be advisable to contact the regalia
secretary before sending any monies ensuring the
items you require are available.
Per Item
V.V.C.Club Badges (members only)
V.V.C.50th Anniversary Badges
V.V.C.Maldon RallyBadges
GL2 Badges
V.V.C. Key Rings
Maidstone RallyStickers
V.V.C.30th Ann. Banner
Ostende RallyBanner
V.V.C. BaseballHat
V.V.C. Tie..
Vespa Prints
Vespa Oast House
V.V.C. Stickers
£ 15.00
£22.00
£ 15.00
£20.00
£ 1.00
£0.50
£ 1.50
£ 1.00
£4.00
£5.00
£3.50
£3.50
£0.50
N.B Please note that all cheques are to be made
payable to the Veteran Vespa Club. There is a
postage and package charge of 10% of the total
order value with a minimum charge of £ 1.00.
Frankie Vaughn and Roy Hudd pose with Val
and two fellow
members
WC Journal - No.11
Website: www.veteran"espaclub.co.uk/
11
THE GS 160 IN DETAIL
ysa.
~
~
series'
VSB IT 100 I-VSBIT
1
29910
YSa . series 2 ...1....
.~
R
'11
VSBIT 2991 I-VSB IT 61000
less. This greatly reduced and damper now being
stress on the mechanical combined in one large
{1
"
components and helped unit. When the Vespa 90
reliability.
was introduced the
I"
The rear pan of the following year, it feaframe was dimensionally tured a miniaturised ver~
.
;
similar to the 125, but sion of this unit. It
~
the front legshield seemed for a moment
pressings were more that this type front
I(
A.
curved. The headset was suspension would be
identical to that of the standardised on all
I..
.
GS150 VS5. A novel Vespas, but, as it turned
jAl,
,....
approach was taken to- out, this was not to be
.
wards the sighting of the the case.
spare wheel. The side
Another change was
TheG516051
panel that formerly that for the first time on
The GS 160 was
Whilst the engine housed the toolbox was a Vespa the wheel rims
developed from the design was clearly de- made detachable, allow- were symmetrical.At the
new 125cc VNA rived from that of the ing the spare wheel to be time it was speculated
model
of
1958 VNA,with the beareI:-aIld housed inside it. This-that offset rims were not
(152L2 in UK), in cr~nk.case cast as one idea was a great success, needed to counterh th
UnIt,It was stronger and and top-model Vespas balance the engine inmuc
e same way larger. The new engine have had their spare stallation, since the sidethat the GS 150 was clearly designed wheels situated there mounted spare wheel
evolved from earli- with future capacity in- ever since.
now did the job. This
er 125 models. Con- creases in mind, and is As a consequence of was never stated to be
sequently, there are still the basis for the this, the toolbox needed the case by Piaggio, and
almost no common power unit of the current a new home. It was when the Rally was
parts between the P200E.
placed underneath the introduced in 1968 the
old and new GS
Although the power rear of the frame, with offset rims [and the old
returned
other
than
the output was the same as an opening just above suspension]
headset
and the for the GS 150, it was the back light. This with it despite retaining
horn.
achieved for 1000 rpm arrangement worked less the side-mounted spare.
well, the toolbox having Both the mudguard and
11
to be shaped rather the side panels were
awkwardly around the increased in size, and
\iPl.
rear wheel. The front both featured alloy trim.
"'"
suspension was comDuring 1963 a signifipletely new, the spring cantly revised version
~
\
\
'\.-.i,,;~\/
~~
.~
11II
1\
:,
-",
-
~
'I\'
-Most 52 models have round toolbox
was introduced. Logically this should have
been called the VSB2,
but for some unaccountable reason it was
designated the VSB1
Series 2. The frame and
engine
were
still
stamped "VSB1". The
rear toolbox was too
small, and the complicated pressings it required must have been
costly to manufacture. A
solution was found by
relocating the toolbox to
a positionjust in front of
the rider's knees. Similar
items had been available
for some time from the
accessory manufacturer
f:;
~,
r~\;
J~~"
.. "
The first type battery
tray.
The design was later
changed
52 airfilter
12
WC Journal-
to make removal
the battery
No.11
easier
of
and steering
locks
.=
-
Rarelate model52 with 55180 style locks
Ulma,but its appearance also to have been a batch assembled in Germany,
on the GS160established of tan seats made at one and a few kits sent out
to New Zealand.
it as a standard fitting on point.
the
biggest
Vespa The GS160 represents
models. The series 2 also a high point in the story The GS 160 in Britain
featured a different air of the Vespa .The styling The GS160 is possibly
filter.
was as good as the the scooter most closely
Although the Series 2 preceding GS150, and it associated with the mod
was only in production incorporated many de- era, and this has cenain
for eighteen months or sign improvements that implications. For a start
that
the
so, there were a sur- made it a much more it means
condition
prising
amount
of practical machine to use. average
alterations made to it. A The GS160 was not as (under a mountain of
new steering lock was dominant in its market filler and a glossy paint)
fitted, and this neces- as its predecessor was of surviving examples of
imponed new to
sitated not only a new since there was now those
these shores is worse
pressing dividing the some effective competilegshields, but also a tion in the shape of the than just about any
modified
steering Lambretta TV series scooter. Battered legcolumn. The toolboxlock three. Piaggio made just shields, dozens of holes
under 60000. In adwas also changed, so the
continued overleaf
pressing of the toolbox dition, about 2500 were
lid had to be altered to
accommodate it. The
tubes running through
the frame that carried
the cables were deleted
(to the relief of many),
and the pressing for the
battery tray was also
changed. A batch of 500
models late in the
production run had A.C.
ignition. The seat colour
changed from light grey
with dark grey piping to
~
the reverse quite early
In
Britain,
G5160s
were
often
customised
from new
on, though there seems
Website: www.veteranvespadub.co.ukI
-
13