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Wow, this scooter on ebay has got to be one of the absolute worst bodge jobs that I have ever seen.  It really is a sort of "greatest hits" of all the ways that the supposedly "restored" scooters coming out of Vietnam go wrong.  Let's start with the picture above.  You can tell just by the look of it that something is very wrong.  The side cowl just looks totally off kilter.  It looks like they took a VBB body, and then hacked off the back of it to make it look like an earlier 50's Vespa.  They must have modified the cowl to fit, but it just makes it look like it was put on at the wrong angle.  How many rusty/beat-down Vespa frames went into the building of this particular scooter?  The world may never know... 

Of course, the handlebars are all wrong, and likely home-made, as is the "fender light".  The chrome just looks garish.  A chrome expansion chamber (also likely home-made and probably doing nothing for performance)... why not? 

Here you see the abomination at the front end. The legshields look far too upright.  That is clearly a P-series fork, and it looks horrible. Not only that, but you have to question how they modified the fork to fit in this frame. Some cutting and welding was certainly required. Would you trust your life to that?

This thing is just horrible.  They even didn't bother to take new pictures for the ebay listing.  This is clearly shot in the old country, and they were too lazy to take off the Vietnam license plate.  The ebay listing says Miami Florida, but the photos say Ho Chi Minh City.

The January Auctions in Las Vegas are over.  There were a few (probably) bad scooters that made it to the auction block, and brought way more than they should have.  There was a really bad Vietnam restored Vespa, and a Series II Lambretta that looks like it was an A.P.I. Indian-made Lambretta that was "restored" there.  Both buyers are likely to be very dissapointed.  As expected, the TWN and the Salsbury brought big money.  They looked like they were quite nice.  Here are some of the notable results:

• Vietnam "restored" Vespa VBB in horrible pink- somebody got snookered!: $3800
• Lambretta LI125 Series III, refreshed in good shape, someone got a good deal: $2000
• Cushman 52A Pacemaker, restored: $2100
• Lambretta LI150 Series II, looks to be from India: $3400
• Cushman Series 60, older restoration: $3900
• Cushman Super Eagle, restored: $3900
• Misubishi Pigeon/Wards Riverside Nassau, unrestored excellent: $4250
• Harley Davidson Topper, restored: $4250
• Mustang Thoroughbred, restored: $5750
• Mustang Thoroughbred, restored: $7250
• TWN Tessy, restored: $7500
• Salsbury 85, restored: $11,750

The auctions are starting this weekend. This Lambretta Li 125 is up for auction at the Mid-America motorcycle auction in Las Vegas.  It seems like a reasonable scoot.  I can't asy for sure, but I think I've seen this one for sale before... maybe on ebay?

This Mitsubishi Pigeon is up for auction at the Mid-America motorcycle auction in Las Vegas.  You don't see many of these for sale in any condition.  This one is advertised as being in original condition.  It looks great.  The Pigeon is certainly an odd-ball scooter, and there are quite a few other brands that are higher on my "want" list... most notably a Fuji Rabbit.  However, if you are in the market for one of these scooters, this looks like one you should have a look at..

For a little background, here is a small article I did on the Wards Nassau/Mitsubishi Pigeon.

This Lambretta Li Series II is up for auction at the Mid-America motorcycle auction in Las Vegas.

This scooter looks very much like an Indian "restoration". These Series II scooters were made and sold in India for a while before SIL bought the presses for the GP models. Whoever buys this scooter is likely to be very disappointed.

The Salsbury is my favorite scooter. I've never had the pleasure of owning one, but I did come close once... they just don't come up for sale often. This one has been restored, and looks great. If I had the cash, I'd be bidding on this scoot for sure!

The Salsbury is up for auction at the Mid-America motorcycle auction in Las Vegas.

The big Las Vegas motorcycle auctions are coming up. I don't have the kind of cash to be a player there, but I can drool over the bikes via the magic of the interwebz. As usual, there are a smattering of scooters mixed in amongst the Vincents, Triumphs, and BMW's. Over the next few weeks, I'll highlight the ones that I find.

This TWN Tessy is up for auction at the Mid-America motorcycle auction in Las Vegas.

Compare it with this TWN that sold for $3300 at auction last year.

I can't say that I find the Tessy a very interesting scooter myself... it is pretty strange looking, and quite rare here in the US. Will this restored one bring as much as the tatty looking one from last year?

This is a real for sale ad. Not a joke. Just to preserve this gem for posterity, I give you the ad text...

Up for sale is a 1958 Vespa project scooter round tail. The frame has been cut in half by a previous owner. I have no idea why they did it. The frame can be welded back together. Comes with headset bottom (do not have the top), fork, and front fender. I also have a Vespa motor or two that can go with the bike. Motors aren't complete, but can be pieced together for a complete one. I am selling several other Vespa projects. Buy them all or more than one and I will cut you a deal. Not interested in trades.

"I will cut you a deal"... get it? Oh man, this is awesome! Anyone who buys this and tries to weld it should send me pictures. Also, let me take a life insurance policy out on you first, ok?

Up for sale on Ebay is a fairly rare Vespa Sprint, sold by Sears department stores. As we all know, Sears sold Vespas for about 15 years. Mostly they sold bottom of the line 125cc models. However, for the very last year that they sold Vespas, Sears sold the Sprint 150. They sold it along side the VMA1 Vespa 125 smallframe. One often sees the smallframes, but rarely a Sprint. These scooters had a few small unique things on them. The seats were the early Spint type, and they are small and narrow. They had a small "Sears" badge at the back of the seat. The legshields had a very nice blue metallic sticker that said "Sears" in gold letters. This scooter appears to be missing the un-obtainium sticker. And finally, they all had the "mickey mouse" Siem tail light. This particular scooter looks to be a good restoration candidate. Hopefully it will go to someone who will really fix it up. Right now the bidding is hovering around $800, I'd expect it would be well-bought up to around $1200... I guess we'll see!

For the scooter collector who has everything... a rare Eastern European scooter trailer. I've seen these things from time to time, but they are certainly few and far between. The prices on them seems to be going up, and I'm pretty surprised that this one has gone as high as it has. $1200 USD at the time of this writing! You could certainly buy a whole running scooter for that much money. I wonder where it will end up. If you want to make a play for it, find it here on ebay out of Ohio.

This odd Lambretta turned up on my local Craigslist in San Francisco. It is a Lambrett GP200 that has been totally chromed. As you can tell by the photo, this scooter was all done up in India. The seller has not even bothered to take a photo of it in the US. That tells you something right there. In any case, why anyone would want to do something like this is beyond me. Of course, doing this much chrome work would cost a fortune in California. Good thing they did it in India, where presumably all of the toxic sludge will end up in thier rivers... ugh! However, if this sort of thing is your taste, you may want to investigate further. I'd be a bit cautious though. Is it in the US? Is it a scam? Will you have a blown up motor in two weeks because it was put together poorly in India? Who knows! One thing is for sure, it will blind all passers by...

Here we have a pretty rare bird in the US, a Lambretta 48 moped. These must have been sold in the US in very small numbers, because I've only ever seen one other one in the flesh. That said, even though they are rare, I don't think they are particularly valuable machines. This one appears to have had a very long slumber in a very disorganized garage or basement. There is a lot of crud, dirt, and grime on this little 'ped. However, it is a pretty interesting machine, and would appeal to both scooter folks and moped folks. If I found one near me, I'd certainly pick it up, just for the oddity appeal. This seller, however, thinks he has solid gold on his hands. I think this moped would be a fair deal if the seller lopped a zero off the end of his $2250 asking price. As it is, I is going to stay in the seller's basement to be resurrected another day...

August 3, 2011 Update - I just took a look at this auction again, and the scooter made $5,000 USD. That sure is strong money for a scooter that is in boxes and needs a full restoration. It goes to show that the TV Series I is probably the most collectable Lambretta out there.

July 26, 2011Here on eBay, we have something of interest - a Lambretta TV175 Series I. Only the most serious, and perhaps foolhardy, scooter restorer need apply. The TV Series I is certainly one of the most desireable Lambrettas. For their time, they set the performance and comfort standard, along with the Vespa G.S. The Series I design was short-lived, however. The motors were needlessly complicated, and very different from the Li Series I. Innocenti quickly realized that they could improve reliablility and rationalize production by basing the TV motor on the Li motor. So by the time the TV 175 Series II came out, there were only a few styling cues to differentiate the outside from the Li 150, and only a few internal differences in the motor to increase performance. Because many parts are unique to the TV 175 Series I, it is really important when restoring one to have one that is virtually complete. Is that the case here? Who knows! Do you feel lucky? Well do ya? The photos give one hope that nothing major is missing, I see a lot of parts there.

The possible reward for the daring is great... the possible pain of a long and expensive parts search is also great... Who will step up?

Click through the jump for a photo of what it COULD look like when this scooter is restored!

Here we have a scooter that ticks me off... It is a Vespa Sprint, that was very obviously done up in Vietnam. You can see all the hallmarks of the Viet-disaster all over this scooter. Shall I tick them off for you? Ok... 1) Glovebox: Sprints didn't have one, 2) chrome doo-dad at the top rear of the steering column, 3) bent chrome tip on exhaust, 4) chrome license plate surround for Viet-size plate, 5) odd color floor strips, 6) chrome seat grab handle, 7) chrome rear tray, 8) odd color seat covers, 9) crappy repro tail light. On the other hand, it has some nice looking rear crash bars, so it has that going for it! You say you still don't think this was a mass-produced Viet bike? Just type in "Vespa Union Jack For Sale" in google. I found this scooter, that looks pretty much the same, for sale in the UK.

This is one of those rare Ebay moments, when the quickest draw gets a super deal. Here we have some longtime owner who didn't know what he had, and put, what could be described as a "barn find" Lambretta SX200 up on Ebay. Now normally, if the seller knew anything about how Ebay worked, he would have just run a normal auction. However, for some reason, he put a Buy-it-now of $1500 for this scooter. What a deal! What strikes me as totally insane is that you can see that there were a total of five bids on it. So that means that four people saw the ad, and did not hit the $1500 buy it now, but bid below that. I think we can safely classify those people as dumbasses. I feel sorry for the seller, who if he would have run a normal auction would likely have gotten around $4000 for this scooter.

Innocenti stopped producing scooters in 1971, but they did not go out of business. Rather, they focused on building other products. Innocenti had been building cars, alongside the scooters, for a long time. They had aquired the license to build Austin sedans in Italy from BMC in 1960. Shortly thereafter, they started building the car you see pictured above... the Innocenti Spider. This car was based on the Austin-Healy Sprite, which shared components with MG's Midget sportscar. Eventually, Innocenti moved on to make their own version of the Austin Mini, which was quite popular in Italy. In fact, it appears that their sales volume in Italy in the late 60's was second only to Fiat. By the time Innocenti stopped making the Lambretta, it seems as though they decided to halt all vehicle production, and focus on their other manufacturing lines. Their whole car production line was bought outright by British Leyland (the manufacturer of most British cars at that time) in 1972.

Turning back to the Innocenti Spider - While the motor and undercarriage were the same as the Austin-Healey, Innocenti changed the body design. They contracted with Carrozzeria Ghia for the new body, with quite spectacular results. The Austin-Healey is a good looking car (especially the early "bug eye" version), but there is little doubt that the Innocenti Spider is simply beautiful.

I have seen this particular car in person at the last Alameda Italian Day show, and I can tell you it is as nice in person as it looks in the photos. You have to be very confident of your bodywork to paint a car black, and the panels on this car are great. If you'd like this car, it is for sale right now at the well-known collector car dealer Fantasy Junction. It is not what I'd call cheap, but at $25,000 USD, it is not totally out of reach either. I must say, it would look good in my garage next to the SX200!

Wow, this place is lousy with Super Sports these days! Right after the original-condition one we found up in Seattle, here is another one in my own backyard. This Super Sport, for sale in the San Francisco Bay Area, is the opposite of the one we featured the other day. It has been totally gone through. It looks good, and has really shiny lusterous paint. They were certainly not that shiny from the factory, but boy does it look good! The owner/seller has a scooter shop, so he has gone through it to make it run as good as it looks. A cool $5800 will put it in your garage... not cheap, but a really nice scooter.

This 1965 Super Sport is for sale right now in Seattle. It certainly has seen its share of use/abuse. However, it has the original paint, so you can easily see every blemish. That is a very good thing, because there are going to be no hidden surprises. It probably looks a bit worse than it actually is. This would make a very good basis for a restoration. One fairly minor drop on the right side looks like the worst of it. The price of $3500 is on the high end for a solid project, but the seller is a well-known and very reputable scooterist - that adds confidence and significant value. You can be sure that there is nothing that won't be disclosed. Given the fact that this is in the Pacific Northwest, the lack of significant rust speaks volumes for the overall condition. Honestly, you just don't see these things come up for sale in oringinal condition much anymore. If you've been waiting for a good SS180 to take to the next level, this is going to be it. Move fast and make a deal!

This Lambretta Model C is up for its second go-around on ebay. The C's are very rare in the US, since they were never originally sold here. This one seems to have had a good restoration and has been kept in good shape since then. These scooters appeal mainly to serious collectors. They are not very amazing on the road. I own a D 150, and it feels like riding a moped, both in terms of size and performance. However, you sure are a hit showing up to the rally on one of these ancient Lambrettas! I'll be curious to see if this very nice C sells, and for how much.

I'll admit, here is something that I have never seen before... a set of original Vespa accessory goggles. I will have to look through the old accessory catalogs to see if I can find these. This is really cool. (Yes, I'm a nerd for liking them) I'm sure I'll never see another one again.

This is a decent summer project scooter on Ebay in Minnesota. Anyone in the area should consider picking it up. I'm guessing this will go cheap because there is no reserve, and only someon local would have any interest. The scooter is in surprisingly good shape for having been in a Minnesota barn since 1965! It does not look very rusty. That must have been a nice barn, because it snows a lot up there. The cowls are missing, and it looks like it was laid down on the right side. Other than that, it looks like this is a good starting point. Someone buy it for $250!

Here is a good project scooter for someone on Ebay. This is the kind of scooter you want to be working on. The VBA's are not fast, but they have the iconic Vespa shape. I love the way they look.

This one has a lot to recommend it. The body appears to be perfect, with no major dents, and no evident rust. The front fender looks perfect. All of the parts are still there, including the speedometer and the amber-lens tail light. The only things that are obviously missing are the floor rails, the "Vespa 150" badge, the front fender crest, and the front suspension swing arm cover. The legshield trim looks great. This would be a very easy bike to restore and make really nice... or just ride it as-is. I like it. Right now, it is at only $650 USD with four days to go on the auction. I would expect this to end up around $1200-1500. We'll see.

This is a scooter that does not seem to come up for sale very often... a Silver Pigeon.  It is for sale right now on ebay.  You may remember I did a post about the version of the Pigeon that was sold by Montgomery Ward through mail order.  This one is a C-110, which was only made for a short time (1960-1961, I think).  It has a 175cc four stroke motor that put out a mighty 8.3 hp and had an automatic transmission.  That is pretty good, considering the biggest Italian scooter at the time was the Lambretta TV 175 Series II, which had virtually the same power, but with a two stroke motor. 

03/08/11 Update: This bidding stalled at $745. That is a heck of a lot for a sign.

Here's something you just don't see every day... an original Vespa dealer sign from the 60's. It is for sale right now on ebay. I'm no authority on signs, and so I can't vouch for whether this is an actual original sign, or a reproduction. However, the bidding on this thing is already into the stratosphere, so the bidders must be pretty confident. Original dealer items are pretty hard to find, and certainly stuff from the 60's is especially difficult. This is a fairly small sign, so it has the advantage of being not too overwhelming. I have a huge 5' x 10' sign from the 70's, and it is just impossible to find a good place to hang it. This sign has six days to go, and is already close to $800... I'll keep an eye on this to see how high it gets.

This project scooter is for sale right now on ebay out of Ohio. This is the kind of project that I like. It looks like it is all there, but has been sitting for a long time. It looks all original, just scruffy. There is some surface rust, but nothing looks like it is too bad. I'd give this one a full restoration. The primaveras are just so simple, that taking it apart and renewing everything would be a fairly straightforward proposition.

This has some added interest because it is a "Sears" Primavera. Technically, this is a Vespa 125 VMA1, and not a Primavera. These were sold by Sears for one year only, and it was the last years that Sears sold scooters. They sold this as their 125 model, and they also sold a 150 Sprint that year only. As far as I can tell, the Vespa dealers did not sell the Primavera concurrently, they only sold it the following year. These scooters are pretty cool in that they have some unique features that are absent on the other smallframes sold in the US.

These Sears scooters did not have a battery, and did not have the ugly battery door and battery box on the left side like the later smallframes. The only other US market smallframe that had a similar frame was the Vespa 90, which was sold in '64 only. These also had the larger engine door, which unlike the small door on the 90, makes engine maintenence a bit easier. They had a very simple headset, with only one simple switch, no ignition key, and the simple Siem headlight that had no chrome ring. Finally, these scooters had the one year only "Mickey Mouse" Siem tail light.

As I said, I really like these Sears 125's, and if this were close to me, I'd make a play for it. This scooter obviously needs a lot of love. Primaveras generally are not worth a lot of money, even when they are done up. With the cost of paint, motor parts, tires, etc., you'd certainly have a substantial sum tied up in a restoration. For me, I think you'd probably be upside down on it if you bought it for much more than $850. However, if you don't really care about spending a bit more than it is worth, and want a really cool fairly rare scooter, I'd be comfortable bidding up to around a grand. We'll see how high it goes!

For those of you on the East Coast, here is a nice winter project, for sale right now on ebay. This scooter would probably appeal to someone who already has a bunch of Lambretta junk cluttering up their garage, but is lacking a suitable frame. Here, all you need to do is drop in your motor, attach a seat, and you're good to go. This would also be a good candidate to stick in a GP200 crate motor.

Well, the big Las Vegas auctions are over... so it is time to check and see how our favorite scooters did. There were no European scooters at the Bonhams Vegas auction, but there were five at the Mid America auction.

1) Very nice GS160 restored to a very high standard by Tim Stafford.  $6700

2) Pedestrian Lambretta Li 125 Series III.  Above average condition with nice paint.  $4200

3) Vietnam Vespa deathtrap bodge.  $1800

4) Nice Heinkel Tourist A3 in above average driver condition.  $3700

5) TWN Tessy (pictured above), looks complete, but in need of restoration.  $3300

Here is another scooter that is up for sale at auction in Las Vegas. It is listed as a 1965 Heinkel Tourist. I believe it is a Tourist model 103 A2. These scooters are great, and I have always wanted one in the stable. There are actually quite a few of these things kicking around in the San Francsico area, despite their overall rarity in the US. That fact is probably a result of the US West Coast distributor for Heinkel being located in the area. However, total US sales for Heinkel was less than 400... though a quarter of that total was in the San Francisco area. Judging from the photo, this one was not originally sold in the US, but is a European import. I say that because the photo background just looks like it is in Europe, we don't normally do brickwork on the ground like that in the US.

The styling on them is just so great, they look like a jet-age hovercraft... something from outer-space. They must have been pretty crazy looking to 1950's eyes, but surely even more so today. Luckily for their owners, there is a huge following for them in their homeland of Germany, and just about every part you need to keep one going is currently available. When they are set up right, they are utterly rock solid scooters. I can attest to that fact because I followed a friend of mine on his while we did a grueling 1,000 mile ride over three days... and I was on a BMW motorcycle! Now, since I won't be in Las Vegas, who wants to sell me theirs?

Yesterday, we started our coverage of the upcoming Mid-America motorcycle auction in Las Vegas. Here is another scooter that will be sold at the auction. This appears to be the worst type of Vietnam bodge "restoration" that have been coming in to the US. The fact that it made it into a big-time motorcycle auction is pretty scary. It is listed as a "1953 Vespa Twin", whatever that means. It is a Vespa widebody handlebar style frame, Frankensteined in with a 10" wheel fork, probably from a Bajaj, and a 10" wheel rear hub. The listing has the motor with a "VBB1M" prefix, which if it is to be believed as original (which I doubt) would add another level of bodgery. The VBB would have had an 8" wheel, and putting the 10" wheel on it would completely alter the gearing. It also looks like there is some sort of home-made handlebar setup on this thing. I'll give it bonus points for the notorious yellow centerstand boots that scream Vietnam disaster, and the chrome P-series centerstand.

This thing is a disaster all the way around. At best, it could be an interesting display at someone's Italian restaurant or army surplus store. At worst, someone will lose a lot of money if they buy it because it will likely never run, and possibly explode.

With the rise in blue chip car collecting in the last 30 years or so, there has also been a lesser corollary in big time motorcycle collection.  Naturally the prices for motorcycles are not up to the crazy level of some of the cars, but it is pretty serious nonetheless.  Once of the biggest auctions happens every January in Las Vegas.  Since it is getting pretty close, the list of bikes for sale is now online for your perusal.  There are a lot of cool bikes this year... and, as usual, quite a few more pedestrian models.  Not only are there motorcycles, but there are also a few scooters thrown in for good measure.  I'll highlight a few of them, mainly for fun.  I'm not going to the auction, but if I was, I'd probably try to low-ball several of these scooters and more than a few motorcycles to see what happens...

First up, a Vespa GS

This looks like a pretty good straight-up restoration. I would say that it is up to "nice driver" quality. The main thing that I notice that is wrong have to do with the seat. It looks like a standard bench seat, not the GS-specific seat. The GS had a larger gas tank with a raised center area, which necessitated a different style seat. The seat also had a special seat cover, which is different from the normal bench seat. This does not have that seat, and I suspect does not have the large GS-specific gas tank. Other things I notice from this photo are that the tail light appears to be a plastic aftermarket item, and the metal spare tire cover is missing. I'm sure I could nit-pick a few other things if I saw the bike in person... however, this looks like a pretty nice scooter. I'd be happy to own it. I'll be curious to see what this goes for at auction.

12/16/10 Update: The listing for this scooter has been updated, and now lists the restorer of this scooter as Tim Stafford. If that's the case, then I would say that this is a scooter I'd buy without reservation, and take back my assumption that it was a "nice driver"... I'm sure it is up to a much higher standard. He was the best restorer in the US, and sadly has stopped working on scooters and moved on to motorcycles. Every restoration that I've seen of his was just excellent. Still, I'm not sure what's going on with the seat...

This Lambretta TV175 is for sale right now on ebay in Alabama. This one is a somewhat weathered survivor. It is certainly getting harder and harder to find a TV in un-restored condition like this one. I'm guessing that it wouldn't take too much to get this thing running again. It would make a fun runabout as-is with some freshening... however, if I owned it, I'd probably opt for a restoration, mainly because I love this color. This would make an easy job of it. It looks like everything is there, it just needs new paint, rubber, and cables. I really like this special blue metalic color that the TV's came in. This one will have the color matched rear frame badge that came only on this color, which is a neat touch. Right now, the bidding is still pretty reasonable. I expect that it will go higher. Is it worth it over $2000? Probably not, when you factor in restoration and shipping costs.

Here is a nice, clean, unmolested original US market Rally 200 for sale on Ebay.  This is the scoot you were looking for.  Everything is all there, and all original, for sale by the original owner.  Heck, even the huge front mudguard reflectors are still there!  The seat also looks like it is the original seat.  This scooter is in Michigan, so my guess is that it only got ridden on nice summer days, and was ensconced in a warm cozy garage the rest of the year.  This is a sweet scoot.  You should buy it.

09/24/10 Update: Sold, for $416 USD! Insanity.

09/21/10 Update: This one is back on Ebay. Currently it is at around $140 USD with two days to go, and no reserve. Let's see where it ends up!

(08/11/10) Here is one that you just don't see very often - a Bandai Vespa toy, with the original box.  This is for sale right now on ebay. I have seen quite a few of these toys show up on ebay, but I don't think I've ever seen one with the oringinal box.  Time to step up, all you scooter memorabilia collectors!  This one ain't cheap, that's for sure.  The bidding starts at $400.  It seems unboxed Bandai Vespas in good condition sell in the $60-90 range.  I wonder if anyone will buy this one.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  Here we have a nice, original, Vespa GL for sale on Ebay.  The listing just cuts and pastes the description of the GL from our own humble Buyer's Guide.  Without attribution, I might add...  However, this scooter is pretty cool, so I guess we'll just have to let it slide.

This GL has nice original paint.  There are some serious dents to the front mudguard, but otherwise, it appears to be pretty solid.  The original windscreen is a nice touch, especially considering the trapezoidal headlight.  I wonder if it was a windscreen made just for that style of headlight.  I would certainly take it off, it were my scooter, but I'd probably save it.

Anyone in Florida should seriously consider making a play for this scooter.  The condition is pretty good.  Not good enough to warrant serious money, but good enough that you'll be rewarded if you get it, and fix it up.  The patina is good looking enough you could conceivably ride it as-is.  If it were my scooter, I'd probably just repaint it.  The GL is just such a pleasing scooter to look at, it is would be worth doing this one up right.

Wow, this scooter really just hits all the right notes.  It is a Lambretta C, and in the US no less.  These scooters were never sold here, so this one must have been brought back from Europe at some point a long time ago, used a bit, and then tucked away.  it still wears its original paint, and it is in remarkable condition.  I love it!  If this were not three thousand miles away from me, I'd make a play for it.  If you are on the East Coast, buy this thing!  I bet a weekend of tinkering and a set of rings will get it running. 

Funny, there was another barn find Lambretta C on Ebay last week out of the mid-west.  It was not nearly as nice as this one though.  These are quite rare in the US, but don't really have a lot of value.  It would be a good way of expanding your scooter collection to include something truly rare, but without spending a lot of money to do it.  What an odd-ball scoot!

Click below for more detailed photos...

Although the Interwebz has put the world at our fingertips, and a resurgence in demand has allowed specialty companies to re-manufacture most parts we need to keep our scooters on the road - there are still some bits that are unobtainium.  I give you now, the Lambretta LD clock.  This part won't make your scooter run.  It won't make your scooter obviously more beautiful.  It probably won't even keep time very well.  But what it most certainly will do is make the current owner of the clock much more wealthy as he packs it for shipping... 

These clocks were an accessory which one could purchase to fit on the dashboard of pre-1957 Lambretta LD's.  Not many people opted to purchase them.  Most of the time, you just see a blanking plate on the LD's where this part would fit.  They are a pretty neat, if understated accessory. They don't obviously put shine and sparkle on your scooter, like some cowl accessory or crash bar... but to those in the know, they show that you have the taste, style, and funds to sport one on your show scooter.

I've bought quite a bit of neat bits from the seller in this ebay auction.  He seems to have an inexhaustible supply of rare and wonderful Lambretta parts and accessories.  I hope he keeps it up.  I can't wait to see what he'll sell next.

I've seen several of these for sale over the years, and mostly they have sold for what I would consider fairly high, but not obscene amounts of money.  This one, however did not meet reserve on ebay for the hefty sum of $455 USD.  That is a lot of bread for a basically useless item.  I'm guessing the reserve was somewhere around $500.  Ouch!   Still, if you HAVE to have one of these, where else are you going to get one?!

There sure have been quite a few really nice Lambretta Series II's for sale recently.  Not just any Series II's but there have been some really rare low-mile examples that have come up.  A few a months ago, there was this one from Sportique in Colorado.  Now there is this one up in Seattle.  The Sportique scooter sold for a cool $6000. I wonder what the Seattle scooter will end up selling for...  

You just don't find them like this much anymore.  The paint on this one is just great.  Essentially, this scooter belongs in a collection.  It is just too nice and too clean to consider driving it very often.  Plus, let's face it, a 125 Series II is just slow as a dog, it isn't something you'd actually want to drive every day.  This is a really nice scooter.  My guess is that it sells for around the $5000 reserve.

This 57 Allstate is available for sale right now in Massachusetts through ebay.  This scooter looks to be a perfect candidate for restoration.  It looks really straight, and there is no rust evident in the photos.  It looks like the classic story of a scooter that was painted with housepaint at some point, which did a nice rust-prevention job.  The original green paint is evident under the scratches and on the flywheel cover.  All the parts look like they are there, including the very hard to find aluminum floor strips.  This would be a straightforward restoration... or just get it running well and drive it as-is (which is probably what I would do).  This is an interesting and fun ride for not much money.  Just don't expect to go very far or very fast on it!

Here is something you don't see for sale every day in the US... a restorable sidecar body.  I'm not sure who manufactured this one, but it looks pretty similar to the ones that Sears sold.  The tub on this car looks pretty good, and I'm sure it would be pretty easy to clean this one up.  The mounting bracket on it looks a bit strange, I have no idea what this was mounted to.  However, it looks like it could be very easy to fabricate a different bracket to fit this hack up to either a Vespa or Lambretta.  Neat!

This scooter is up for sale right now on Ebay.  This is exactly how you want to find them.  All original paint, just a little surface rust here and there, running, and complete.  This scooter looks really straight with no major dents or even dings.  The floorboards even look ok.  This will make a great ride for someone.  If you are near Ohio, I suggest you make a play for it.  The bidding is starting at $2500, which is just a bit on the high side for a 125, so I'll be curious to see if it sells.  If not, it would be worth emailing or calling the seller to make an offer on it. 

This scooter is for sale right now on Ebay.  This looks like the kind of scooter that used to be fairly commonplace, but is increasingly hard to find.  It has fairly nice original paint and does not appear to have been modified or messed with.  I really like this blue color that these came in. 

This is not the kind of scooter which will rip down the street, but it will certainly turn heads at the local corner coffee shop.  I used to have a scooter exactly like this one, and I regret selling it.  I'd keep this one totally stock, and lose the sticker on the legsheild.  It is a nice scooter, and someone on the East Coast will be happy with this one...

Sportique Scooters in Colorado is selling this beautiful Lambretta Li 150 Series II on Ebay right now.  Here is how they describe it:

It's completely original, 100% unmolested.  We purchased it from it's second owner, an antique dealer who found it in the basement of a house in the Bay area.  It still has it's original dealer sticker on the legshield.  The original clear-coat still sparkles.   This scooter is as close to flawless as any 50 year-old scooter we have ever seen.  Only the tires have been replaced.

Looking at the photos, it sure does appear to be about as good an unrestored scooter as you are likely to find.  Certainly, considering it is 50 years old at this point, there just are not that many in this kind of original condition around any more. 

It is unfortunate that Ebay pushes these very small photos into their listings.  This is a really nice scooter, and if I were bidding the big bucks it would take to get it, I'd want some big photos to reassure me.  In any case, you can see that the paint looks great.  This is not my favorite color for these scooters, but heck, beggers can't be choosers.  No dings, no dents, only a few minor scratches...  I sure wish I could buy it.

There is the money shot.  You can see the paint shining on all of the curves of the legshield.  I've seen quite a few original paint Series II Lambrettas, and none of them had this kind of shine.  That gray paint just gets dull with any sun exposure.  This scooter is great.  Also note the "Al Fergoda" dealer sticker on the left, that is a symbol of originality.  I love this scooter!

Alas, I can't buy it... but YOU can!  I'm curious to see how much is sells for, if it sells.  With the Euro tanking, there might be less interest from abroad.  And with the economy the way it is here in the US, I wonder if any serious scooter collectors here will step up to the plate.  This scooter is worth every penny of (my guestimate of the asking price of) $6,000... and then some.  It is possible to restore a scooter to this level, but very very difficult to find one in original condition this nice.

This Lambretta is for sale on Ebay right now in Southern California.  It is a great example of exactly the kind of scooter we here at Scooterlounge are always on the lookout for.  It is mostly original, but has a few nice touches to make it more practical for trouble-free riding. 

We are not sure, but it looks like the same scooter we noticed for sale on Craigslist back in November.  Back then, it was $2700.  Now, it has a "buy it now" for $2800.  Who knows if the scooter has a new owner, or if it still the original seller from six months ago.  Nevertheless, if this scooter were nearby, it would certainly be worth a look.

You can see that the scooter is in pretty good condition overall.  The paint is almost certainly original.  The running in sticker is evident behind the legshields.  The robin's egg blue on the cowls and fender are a color which was common on these scooters originally, but isn't often used on restorations.  We like the color a lot.  It is hard to tell from the photos, but it appears the seat is not original, but that is easy to rectify.  We'd also lose the crashbars and chrome floorboard trim if it were in the Scooterlounge stable, but that is just a quibble.

As for the motor, the seller states that it is stock, except for an electronic ignition and a Mikuni carb.  Those are two very practical modifications which will make this scooter an easy daily driver.

More photos below the jump.

05/25/10 Update: This scooter was bought by a Scooterlounge reader. Hopefully he'll keep us informed of his progress!

Here is a (possibly) good project scooter which is for sale right now on Ebay with no reserve.  This is a Li 125 Series III which looks to be in neglected, but original condition.  There is some rust evident, but my guess would be that the rust is primarily surface, and could be fairly easily cleaned up.

More below the jump...

This is a very clean Lambretta LD which is for sale right now on Ebay.  The seller had this scooter totally restored by West Coast Lambretta Works, which is one of the best shops in the US.  His ebay listing is quite sparse, but he links to photos of the restoration on West Coast's site.  As one would expect from West Coast, the quality of the build is impressive.  If you ever wanted a nice LD, this is certainly one to consider.

As you may know, one of our bugaboos here at Scooterlounge has been the influx of crap Asian "restoration" Vespas and Lambrettas to the US.  They are a trap for those new to the vintage scooter world, and can easily turn someone who would join our ranks as a vintage scooterist into someone who hates the thought of a scooter because they were burned.  The unscrupulous people who sell these things should be prosecuted.

Where I live, in the San Fransicso area, we have a lively scooter scene, and a lively internet culture... the two often meet on Craigslist classifieds.  There is a general internet culture here of policing Craigslist, and pointing out egregious scammers.

A case in point, there was recently an ad on Craigslist for a Vespa that was clearly a Viet-deathtrap.  There are times when the sellers will be honest about what they are selling.  In that case, I'm ok with it.  You couldn't pay me to take one off your hands, but if you are upfront about what it is, fine.  However, this particular seller was clearly hiding the provenance of his crapmobile.  Enter, the Craigslist scooter flamers!

Below the jump - the original ad, and the take downs...

Could this be the nicest Lambretta Starstream in the US?  I certainly have not seen many that are nicer.  I am personally not a big fan of the J-range, but this one is crazy clean.

I can say that from experience.  I used to own a Lambretta "Super" Starstream as well as a "Cento".  The Super Starstream looks pretty much the same as this one, but had a turning front mudguard.  It was a pretty rare scooter... but it just wasn't very great.  The J-range was trying to compete with the excellent Vespa smallframes, primarily, the Vespa 50.  However, the Starstream could not hold a candle to the Vespa Primavera.  The J-range vibrates like crazy, is much slower than the Vespa, and honestly just doesn't look as good.  Sad really, because the other Lambrettas just look fabulous even when they are standing still.  The J-range just missed the mark entirely.  That is probably why the Vespa 50 sold millions and the J-range only thousands.

More info and photos below the jump...

Late Update:  This scooter made it to $6000, and did not meet reserve.  The six grand price is probably close (within a grand or so) to where it should be, given the fact that it isn't perfect.  About $500 worth of parts and a weekend of labor would have this scooter closer to perfect, and would probably go a long way towards bumping up the bidding.  Having international shipping lined up would go even further...  It is now back on ebay, with a $6500 starting bid and no reserve - so here's your chance!

Here is one thing you don't see for sale very often in the U.S., a Vespa 90 Super Sprint.  This is one of the more rare Vespas, and certainly a blue chip collector scooter.  Not many were made, only about five thousand, and even fewer survive today.  I have seen perfect examples with 100 point restorations fetch over $15,000 in Europe.  This one is nowhere near that level though.  Overall, it appears to be in fairly good condition, but it is missing bits here and there, and it just doesn't have the look of a scooter that has been properly done up, considering how precious it is.  It is interesting to note that despite how rare these things are, most of the parts one would need to complete a full restoration are available.  Things that are obviously missing from this one are the special chrome exhaust, the legshield trim, the rear seat badge, and the license plate holder. 

One other thing to be aware of is that there is a company in Germany which is making very high quality replicas of the 90SS.  Since you can get all the parts to make one of these from scratch for a fraction of the cost of buying a genuine one, any possible buyer of this scooter would be well advised to do their homework.  Get clear photos of the VIN numbers on this scooter, and get a lot of detailed photos of the rest of the bike.  You'll want to compare them with other reliable genuine 90SS's to be sure that this isn't a replica.

Late update:  This scooter ended up selling last week for $5500 with only one bid.  Someone walked away with a great deal.  Obviously the general economy didn't help the seller, but the sold price was quite low for this scooter.  My guess is that the fact that the seller did not offer to help with shipping and was looking for a local sale hurt the final price quite a bit.  In any case, well bought, and hopefully this scooter will be out on the scooter runs soon.

This is a scooter that you just don't see for sale very often in the US.  It is the DL/GP200, certainly among the best scooters ever made, and among the most valuable to collectors.  This is an Italian version, and looks very tidy.  It is for sale right now on Ebay.

These were not imported to the US (perhaps a few slipped through for police use), and so are very rare here.  Heck, they are quite rare even in Europe, and large demand from collectors have pushed prices for them way way up.  This auction should be one to watch.  Expect the final price to end up somewhere between $8-10,000 for this scooter.  It will be interesting to see if the Great Recession does anything to the value.  The main question is going to be shipping.  If the seller had international shipping lined up, this thing would fetch closer to $10k, and likely be on the slow boat to the UK at the end of the auction.

Hot on the heels of the American Pickers TV show, every doofus with a back shed is looking to find some junk they can sell for millions.  Here we have a guy who is at least honest about the hack job "farm engineering" which was done to this Ape.  You can see the huge gash in the floorboard where he cut it open for cable access.  He also cut the rear breaks and added some home made manifold to take a carb from something else.  The headlight on these in the US market was mounted to the horncasting, and that is missing.  Good luck finding another one.  That said, this thing looks reasonably complete, but clearly will need a ton of work and money to get it going.  There is no way that anyone would recoup the investment in this Ape, even if it was free.

Compare that with this '65 Ape which is being sold by a friend of mine.  You can see the difference in styles, with the 60's Ape having an enclosed cab.  The '65 is also going to need a lot of work, but at least it is running.  The 60's parts are a lot easier to find, since they are similar to the Bajaj-made three wheeler, which was made by the millions in India.  This Ape is also only for the very ambitious restorer.  It clearly needs a lot of work.

If you love the Ape, there are some options, that's for sure.  Both of these scooters will have you dumping piles of money into them with little financial upside.  There is not a lot of a market for even perfect Apes in the US.  However, for everything, there is a niche collector.  I'm sure there is someone out there with a yard full of Apes.  If that is you, or you aspire to be that guy, step up!

We here at Scooterlounge are nerds.  We freely admit it.  And one thing nerds do is get overly excited about very odd things.  For example, we go totally weak in the knees when we see pristine NOS parts that are very seldom for sale... just like the carburetor above.  It is for sale right now on Ebay with a buy it now of $475.  Ouch!  That is certainly a lot of money, but these carbs for GS's are pretty hard to find even in used condition, and we have to say that we've never ever seen an NOS one. I doubt we'll see another NOS one for sale any time soon.

More nerding out, below the jump

Here we have a really great (or really horrible, depending on how you look at it) example of the sort of "restored" Lambretta one sees coming from Vietnam.  It has all of the really bad problems that you often see, but not so often see all in the same scooter. 

The most obvious things are the seat, the chrome do-dads, and the rear tire rack.  Not that you don't ever see chrome on an Italian scooter, but you virtually always see over the top chrome on a Nam bike.  Then there is the legshield glovebox, which was not stock on Italian Lambrettas, but always present on the Vietnam bikes.  Then you have the cowls.  All I can say is wow.  Someone really spent some time hand forming these things.  They are the TV style, but the middle flash is way too far towards the back... definitely wrong.  Then there is the GP style louvers in the middle of the cowl - I have no idea what they were going for with that, other than finding a way to add more chrome.  My guess is that they started with GP cowls, and modified them to look more like TV cowls, but who knows...  You also have the legshields, which look like they are from a shorter GP model, yet they fit, hmmmm.  Coupled with that, we have what appears to be a "chrome ring" frame, which would be a lot longer at the fork than the GP.  How do the legshields fit?  Did the saw the frame and re-weld it to make it shorter?  Did they somehow attach the chrome ring to a GP frame?  You could find the answer to these questions out if the frame cracks in half while you are riding down the road!  That is, if the scooter actually ran, which it doesn't.  I would not take this scooter if someone paid me money to haul it away.  

Vintage scooter prices have had their ups and downs in the last ten years, but one segment of the scooter market that has gone up, and stayed up, has been the 200cc Lambrettas.  I could postulate several reasons why (they are fairly rare, the English are ga-ga for them, etc.), but I will simply observe that prices for these scooters are far out of line with that for similar Vespas, or even other Lambrettas. 

The case we have before us here is a TV200, which is for sale right now on Ebay out of Santa Cruz, California.  This scooter is still in its original paint, but clearly is well used and somewhat beat up.  On the other hand, the TV200 is really the gold standard of Lambrettas, and is likely the most desirable model.  They are fast and pretty, and their rather short production run means that there is a fairly limited supply. 

This scooter was previously for sale on Ebay, but somehow didn't sell.  I'm thinking the seller was just trying to gauge interest, either that, or the buyer bailed.  In any case, it is back on now, and has an opening bid of $8500, and a buy it now of $9200.  No doubt that the TV200 in general is worth a lot, and I've seen them change hands for $10,000 before.  However, this one is just in really poor shape cosmetically.  If the owner wants to get that kind of money, he should just take the 3 months and restore the thing.  Otherwise, he needs to get real, and drop the price.  Given the market that I have seen, I think this is probably a $5,000 scooter in this condition (original, complete, tatty, but running well).  What he's aiming for is probably what it is worth when totally restored to a high standard.  I guess we'll get to see if someone bites at this price, but my guess is there will be no takers.

Boy, this sure makes me regret selling my TV200 in similar condition for $2500 ten years ago!

This Ebay auction just goes to show you that even in these days of good quality reproduction parts and internet searches... some parts are still made of unobtainium.  This large face square speedo is one of those items.  The same size speedo was mounted on some of the '50's Vespas, but only the GS speedo was calibrated to 80 mph.  (I believe it was a 120 kph speedo on the Euro models)  These things are very hard to find since they are not being reproduced.  This one was rebuilt and has a new lens and faceplate.  It brought a whopping $280 at auction!

Now to rummage through my parts boxes...

There are a couple of Lambrettas on ebay right now (here and here), which are a good representation of the two ends of the scooter spectrum.  By that, I mean that there is the "barn find" candidate for full restoration, and the scooter which is already done, and ready to ride.

The '61 Li 150 Series II is totally done, and looks very nice.  The black paint, while not stock, is very pretty on the Series II.  The other thing about black is that it shows every flaw in the bodywork, so if you go gloss black, you have to have a perfect scooter.  This scooter has some nice internal motor upgrades which will make it something that is practical in today's world. Most notably, there is a 175cc top end and electronic ignition.  All in all, this is a pretty nice scooter.  Given the work it takes to get a Series II to this point, I'd say that the opening bid of $4000 is probably pretty fair.  You could just hop on this scooter, and ride it today.  Of course, the chrome and crashbars are something that would have to suit your tastes...

On the other hand, you could buy something like this mid-60's Li 150 Special.  It is in pretty rough shape, but it appears to be complete.  Though it looks beat up, I bet a little body work will have the legshields and cowls into shape pretty easily.  Now tally up the costs for paint and body, replacing rusty parts, a motor rebuild, etc, etc... and I bet you'd be into this thing for more than the cost of the Series II above when it is all said and done.  Is it worth it?  That all depends on whether you like to wrench, or whether you like to ride.  To someone with the knowledge and the time, the 150 Special could be a good opportunity... only if the price doesn't go too high. I would probably not pay more than $600-700 for a scooter in this condition.

With all of the Vietnam scooters floating around, I often get asked to point people in the direction of good honest vintage scooters.  Here is one for sale right now on ebay.  It is a '65 Vespa 125.  One of the last years for this model before the Supers came along.  I really like the VBB/VNB body style, it is just about as classic as you can get.  They are very reliable scooters, and just about every part is available for them.  This one has some good points and bad.  The main bad point is that it has been repainted, from the looks of it, rather poorly.  The scooter was clearly not taken apart for paint, and you can see that numerous nuts and bolts were painted over.  On the other hand, someone cared enough about it to paint it, so one would hope that it has not lead a life of too much abuse.  All of the parts appear to be there, and it has the neat accessory legshield basket.  It also has the special US market "Mikey Mouse" tail light, which is neat.  There are a few other strange things... I'm not sure what is going on with the rear seat, and I'd want to know what is hidden under the floor mat. 

All in all, the buy it now price of $2300 is a bit on the high end of fair.  If I were looking for a 60's Vespa, I'd keep an eye on this one.  If it didn't sell, I'd email the seller with a lower offer, certainly under $2000.

This scooter is for sale right now on Ebay out of Florida.  It is a completely original looking US market Serveta, which was a Lambretta made in Spain.  They imported two models, the 150 Special which you see here, and the Jet 200, which was a version of the SX200 Lambretta.  Of course the 200cc models are the most desirable, but these 150's are not bad either.  This one still has the special US market turn signals, and the reflectors.  You can tell that this is a fairly early version, because it has the nice Italian-style switches and tail light.  Later versions had big black plastic switches, and a large squar-ish "tractor style" tail light.  Clean Servetas in original condition are becoming harder to find.  This one is well worth the $2000 buy-it-now price. 

This unrestored SS 180 showed up on my local (San Fransicso) Craigslist for sale a few weeks ago.  It didn't last long before it was up on ebay.  I suppose there was not a lot of local interest.  In any case, when I saw it on Craigslist, I realized its rarity, and considered making a play for it myself.  Financial considerations got the better of my impulse to buy it, so I was content to simply watch the ebay auction to get a better sense of the "great recession" market for a nice scooter like this.  After seeing the results from the latest big Las Vegas motorcycle auction last month, it looks like prices for collectible classic motorcycles have gone down significantly.  Would that be the same for scooters?

Here we have another Ebay listing for a fairly rough early 150 Super.  The low opening bid of $10, with no reserve, is attractive.  If this scooter sells for somewhere under $400, it would probably be worth the effort in resurrecting it.

The very first batch of 150 Supers imported to the US had some interesting features.  For the first thing, they did not have the turn signals and funky electrics of the later US models.  However, they did have some nice goodies that the European models did not have.  They included the oil injector.  They also had smaller headlights, which made the handlebars look nicer.  The other nice thing about these early ones is that they had the older style script badges as opposed to the block style badges of the later Supers.

This particular scooter is one of the few which came in this olive green color.  I've seen a few from this batch, and I really like the color.  I've only seen it on these early 150 Supers.  Sweet.  This scooter also has at least one of the original front fender reflectors, and still has the correct rear tail light and the often missing tail light side reflectors.

It is a toss up whether to buff out the original paint and ride it as-is, or opt for a respray.  The motor side cowl looks pretty rough.  Hmmm, hopefully this scooter will find a new owner for cheap.  It is complete and interesting enough that it deserves to make it back on the road.

It seems that there is a strain of the classic car and motorcycle community that is moving toward placing a lot of value on un-restored original vehicles.  We here at Scooterlounge agree.  We prefer an original scooter with some dings and scratches as opposed to many of the so-called restorations that we often see.  Let's face it, a shiny new paint job does not a restoration make...

On the other end of the spectrum of originality are scooters for which the word "patina" has lost all meaning.  Perhaps we've spent too much time around the California hot rod scene, but we sure have a healthy respect for scooters that have begun to succumb to rust's not-so tender embrace.

This scooter just turned up on Ebay with a fairly ambitious opening bid of $500.  If this scooter can be salvaged, it will take a lot of time and money.  Of course, leaving the paint as it is (which we'd prefer) would significantly cut down on the money investment.

Here we have a stock Lambretta Li 150.  It seems like you just don't see the stock ones too much any more.  From the seller's description, this one has some of the basic upgrades that one would want to have a functional vintage scooter, but didn't do anything to really mess up a basically stock bike.  He describes an electronic igition, new tires, cables, etc.  The paint appears to be original, but it is hard to tell from low resolution photos over the internet.  A quick email would confirm the paint status.  You can just see the running in sticker still on the legshield.  So either the paint is original, or who ever re-painted it took some care to make it look original.  The scooter is in Southern California, and the asking price is in the right ballpark at $2700.  Click here to contact the seller.

We here at Scooterlounge are very fond of original condition scooters, especially those that have low miles.  Here we have a '64 Cento with a purported 418 original miles in Kansas City.  Knowing the quality of Italian speedometers, I'd want to really check the bike over to verify the mileage... but knowing it is a Cento helps lend creedence to the claim.  Most Centos didn't get ridden much since they were slow, vibrated a lot, and were not all that reliable. 

The Cento, and the j-range in general, are probably our least favorite Lambrettas.  It was Innocenti's attempt at a "if you can't beat 'em join 'em" competition with Piaggio's Vespa.  Yet, the Cento was a poor imitation of a smallframe Vespa.  Nevertheless, from a purely collector's perspective, this one is intriguing.  They were not very successful sellers in the US, and not too many of them are still around.  This one looks to be in pretty good condition.  I'm not sure if the two-tone paint scheme is original, as all of the Cento's I've ever seen were one color.  The robin's egg blue appears to be the same color used on the Li's and TV panels, so it could be original.  The buyer should verify so they know what it is that they are buying.

In any case, the price seems right at $1200 obo.  The seller notes that it will take a bit of TLC to make it a reliable runner.  Even taking into account that this scooter was fairly crappy when new, it is a cheap way to round out your Lambretta collection.  If you're ready to bite the bullet and join the ranks of the j-range disaffected, email the seller here.  Click here for more photos.

Here is one that you don't see every day.  It is a US market Rally 200, with very low original miles in Sacramento, California.  Only 517 original miles, to be exact.  Of course, I'd want more details to verify the milage claim, but in any case, the picture does show a very clean, very original scooter.  All the details are there, and correct.  The US scooters had a lot of odd additions that the Euro models did not have - things like the turn signals, tail light, headset, and reflectors. Many of those things were poorly designed, and were either removed, or broke and fell off of the typical 70's Vespa that you see.  Virtually none of the US only items are being reproduced.  So when they are off the scooter, they are gone for good.  It is nice to see one with all of the goodies still intact.

The price for all this originality?  Well, as they say, if you have to ask...  you can't afford it.  I'll tell you anyway.  Ten grand, in US dollars if you please.  Indeed the price is high.  However, if the milage is as stated, it is certainly in the ball-park for what it is worth.  Seriously, where else are you going to find an essentially brand new Rally 200?  With the dollar as low as it is, I would not be surprised if this scooter finds its way to a European collector.  If you think you have the garage to take on the awesome responsibility of such a rare scooter, you can email the seller here.

Here is one you don't see every day... a Lambretta SX200 for sale on Craigslist in Los Angeles.  For a fairly rare scooter, there are actually quite a few SX200's around the US.  I think people just were not as cost-conscious about them here as they were abroad, and consequently a higher percentage of them were sold here than in Europe.  However, you just don't see them come up for sale often.  Mainly, I think, because most of them are in the hands of scooterists or collectors, who just won't sell them.  (I can tell you that I won't ever sell mine!) 

 This is the first in what I intend to be an ongoing series.  I'll post up pictures and information about scooters that I see for sale that are noteworthy in some respect - whether it be rarity, condition, price, etc.

Here we have an example of the very first group of Vespas officially imported into the US.  Sears had a deal with Piaggio to sell the Vespa under license in their stores.  At the time, and up until the late 1960's, Sears sold just about anything under the sun, including motorcycles and scooters.  Previously, the scooters had all been Cushmans.  With the new Vespas, they had a scooter that was far superior in performance and quality to anything Cushman had to offer.