By Bernadette King
The first thing he did was to join the newly founded Rome Vespa Club, which hosted a gathering of European Vespa clubs in conjunction with the Olympics. He went on to have long tenures as president of the Rome Vespa Club and the Vespa Club of Italy, both positions he still holds, and headed the Vespa World Club, where he’s now president emeritus. There are nearly 600 official Vespa clubs around the world, and Vespa owners, Leardi included, use words like “soul” and “personality” to describe their scooters. Vespa parent Piaggio counters the criticism by saying each major change strikes a balance between tradition and innovation. To him, the Vespa’s buzzing sound represents the arc of Italian history that he and his Vespas have lived through.
With just over two months to go before EICMA 2021 takes place in Milan, Italy, the lineup of participating OEMS continues to grow. In early September, 2021, Moto Guzzi unveiled its sweeping new plans to redesign and expand its Mandello del Lario factory, museum, and public space. The company is celebrating its 100th anniversary throughout the year, so that’s when it also took the covers off its stunning new Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello for the first time, as well. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that all brand members of the Piaggio Group—that is, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia, Vespa, and Piaggio—have also confirmed that they’ll be attending EICMA 2021 this November. That makes EICMA 2021 feel all the more important and special, because it represents a comeback—both for Italy, and for the motorcycle industry as a whole.
LML had first become a licensed producer of Vespa scooters in 1984 after signing an agreement with Piaggio of Italy. LML Electric Pvt LtdPresumably the Chetak has persuaded the current owners of LML to try again, but will it be a retro styled scooter? SG Corporate apparently purchased the LML brand from the Singhanias (the family which owned LML) in September 2021 with CEO and MD Dr Yogesh Bhatia heading the new company, named LML Electric Pvt Ltd. We have a global ambition with this LML electric brand. There also a suggestion that, like Baja, LML Electric may choose to ‘ride on nostalgia’ to help their initial products.
If right about now you wish that you didn’t part with your Von Dutch trucker hat, you can still participate in the trend: The brand just reissued many of their early aughts styles, making the second coming of the hat style inevitable. According to Ed Goldman, the general manager of Von Dutch, when the brand started to notice a resurgence of other ‘00s-era trends, they saw an opportunity for a comeback. In its fall ‘21 collection, the brand included other ‘00s fashion mainstays like bowler bags, low-rise flare jeans, and crop tops with decals. Goldman says the uptick in popularity this year has been so significant that it’s easily comparable to the success the brand saw in the ‘00s. “The only difference is which celebrities and consumers we see wearing [our brand],” he says.
Quite simply, over the years, Vespa has been able to engage with the zeitgeist, no matter the era, and often in a unique way. Universal Motors of Clearwater INC was founded by Peter Nichols in 1979 as a premier automotive dealership and repair center, specializing in European sport cars. At the turn of the century, Universal Motors expanded this expertise to two-wheel vehicles and began specializing in motorcycles and scooters, in addition to cars. Based on our expertise and experience providing service to both modern and vintages Vespas, they officially became a Piaggio / Vespa dealer in 2008. Universal Motors of Clearwater INC, operating as Vespa Clearwater, has been servicing the Tampa Bay Area as the premier Vespa dealer and Vespa service center.
If right about now you wish that you didn’t part with your Von Dutch trucker hat, you can still participate in the trend: The brand just reissued many of their early aughts styles, making the second coming of the hat style inevitable. According to Ed Goldman, the general manager of Von Dutch, when the brand started to notice a resurgence of other ‘00s-era trends, they saw an opportunity for a comeback. In its fall ‘21 collection, the brand included other ‘00s fashion mainstays like bowler bags, low-rise flare jeans, and crop tops with decals. Goldman says the uptick in popularity this year has been so significant that it’s easily comparable to the success the brand saw in the ‘00s. “The only difference is which celebrities and consumers we see wearing [our brand],” he says.
Now, Daniel Gloaguen and Tomàs Galmés are giving these scooters a new lease of life through their Loco Wheels initiative. Daniel worked in public relations and Thomas was a mechanic, they’re both nuts about vintage scooters and offer tours of Mallorca. “The idea for Loco Wheels came from cultural influences and we both needed to change jobs,” says Tomàs. “But there are also the classic tourists who just want to rent a vintage scooter," adds Tomàs. “Some of them loved the experience so much they bought a Lambretta after they did the Loco Wheels route."
After being dormant for a few years since being bought over by Mahinda in 2017, the BSA brand is finally making some waves for its comeback in 2021. Although they’re owned by the giant Indian automotive conglomerate, BSA will re-start in the UK with a host of different models in the works. To start things off, BSA won’t simply just pick up where they were left off. There are rumours of its production facility being planned in Birmingham and will start operations sometime in the middle of 2021. The brand’s electric series will be leading the way and if it all goes well, BSA will also bring back its petrol-powered offerings in the future.
The company is introducing some 600 of these “e-mopeds” in the nation’s capital, according to its blog. Two helmets are stowed on the vehicles, with sensors onboard that know if the helmet has been removed from its storage area. "When riders feel secure on Bird scooters, they’re more likely to rely on them regularly for essential short-distance urban trips. "Lastly, the nation’s biggest city, New York, has announced the launch of a one-year e-scooter pilot project. The NYC project will operate in an 18-square-mile section of the eastern Bronx, home to 570,000 residents.
