Look at Life - Scooter Commuter, 1962

Thanks for a good show and some history i did not know.....

Interesting very interesting!

What goes around, comes around
especially ordinary kids scooters.

My first one, the LI 150 Lambretta was a 1963 model - I owned it in '69. In 1970 it was stolen and dumped in a river.

Thanks, I learned something today. Very interesting and entertaining.

what Brittish scooter models are available today?

As far as I can make out, none. There used to be the Douglas and BSA. But Douglas started re-badging Vespas in the late 60's I think.

Most are Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian or Italian. Only BMW, with their new big pair (!) are the closest, in Germany.

Unless anyone else can think of a British scooter? (Triumph don't make one)

3 and 4 wheeled electric mobility scooters with baskets on the front only.

What a cool video. Very nostalgic, thanks for sharing, I could almost smell the 2-stroke fumes.

Actually, Triumph did make a scooter in the '60s; it was 100cc 2-stroke automatic called the "Tina". They weren't very popular as they had a bit of a "girly" image & neither I nor any of my ruffty-tuffty mates would be seen dead on one!

Have a look at the link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_Tina

I had an uncle who bought a new Triumph Tina and he had nothing but trouble with it, sometimes the weight activated switch under the seat, or suddenly pulling away when he was starting it.

My Dad had a couple of Villiers engined two-stroke 98cc New Hudson auto cycles around that time, he used to spend a lot of time fettling them. I must have pissed him off one day when he was working on the engine, he told me to hold this length of stiff wire on top of the spark plug and metal HT lead while he started the engine. That was the first time I'd ever felt an electric shock!

There was also the BSA Aerial-3 from 1970. Although technically not a scooter but a 3-wheel 50cc moped (with pedals). I nearly bought one for my mother but she decided to stick with her bicycle for going to work!

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pattle/nacc/arc0510.htm

I was unable to view motion----but from what I read here......BSA/Triumph did make vertical twin scooter----complete junk. I remember spring 1960/1961 Helping "Flash" Rogers (BSA Golden Flash was supposed to named for him) on sponsored test ride near Pirmasens Germany----scooter had stopped, we somehow got it to BMW Pfeiffer, son of owner had ridden in ISDT 1934/36?.... I had to leave. Wonder if it ever ran again.


weren't vespas assembled in UK by Douglas beginning in early 50's?

My first ride to school/work bike 1955--was Travis bike motor first on Columbia bike, later on Schwinn. Worked on front tire like Velo Solex. Got me hooked.

A Vespa man me-self!

Always liked that spare wheel safety!

Looking at Vespas these days for next year----but? Horrible situation in US=overpriced/no strong dealer network/ Italian parts service??

Had 4 Vespas---3 new, one $100 piece of junk, but it ran.

Spare tire---great idea/handy, most German scooters in the 50's had them and think of it, the rear wheels were easy to get off. Current Vespa 300 use different size tire fr to rear. Wonder it the wheels are interchangeable?

In the years after WWII there were a lot of scooters on the European roads. They were about the only affordable means of transport for the working class. Not only Italy, but also Germany and France had a number of manufacturers offering scooters.

This French Monet-Goyon Starlett had an novel starting system 'for the ladies' by means of a lever that had to be pulled, instead of kick-started.

I had great desires for a Triumph Tigress back in the late '50s. It was the fastest scooter I'd seen and highly desired one but had to settle for a pretty used up Cushman.