Scooting around

Vespas in the city

John McCombe

Celia Faris loves scooting around the city on her Vespa.

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As petrol prices hit new highs and the recession introduces new lows, the Vespa's practicality is an even bigger plus.

The Vespa is an icon. An Italian stallion. Defined as the first globally successful scooter, the Vespa has been a leader of style and affordable transport since its 1946 launch in Pontedera, Italy.

Vespa is the Italian word for "wasp", reflecting from both the buzzing sound of its two-stroke engine and the shape of its rear haunches. The design is classic, and was popularised by Salvador Dali and Audrey Hepburn, Jude Law and numerous other celebrities. Now, the Vespa is turning into an essential possession for urban-style aficionados in New Zealand.

With parking in Christchurch becoming increasingly difficult, and petrol prices hindering many from getting from A to B, Vespa riders are laughing at the conveniences scooter life allows them. What is it, exactly, that makes life as a Cantabrian Vespa owner so attractive?

Jonathan Mackie fell in love with the Vespa after hearing stories of his mother's "mod" days in London in the swinging 1960s, when the scooter first became a style icon. Like many riders, Jonathan has always been attracted to the story behind the Vespa.

"In the late 1940s, after the war, Italy was extremely poor. Cars were no longer affordable, and the Vespa was created as a low-price alternative," he says. "There were also potholes all over the cities, so manoeuvrable vehicles were needed to swerve around them; cars no longer did the trick."

Having bought his Vespa PX200 in 2005, Jonathan became an organiser of CanScoot, Canterbury's scooter club. Members range in age from 20 to 60, and are mainly Vespa riders. Up to 20 of them at a time meet for monthly rides, all keen to share a mutual love of their Italian two-wheelers.

"We all love the Vespa brand for what it is, not what it appears to be," Jonathan says. "We're not concerned about what others think about us as Vespa riders. They are not about being showy. We don't own Vespas because we feel the need to prove ourselves; we own them because they serve a purpose."

Jonathan attends CanScoot's monthly drinks and scooter chat at Poplar Lanes' Vespa Room, where members share their affection for the Vespa among classic memorabilia. As well as the gatherings and short monthly rides around Christchurch (and often over Banks Peninsula), CanScoot also organises an annual three-day ride during Show Weekend. Members travel about 1000km around the South Island together. Last year they traversed the Canterbury Plains to Mount Cook and then rode down through Central Otago.

"I love our convoy rides," Jonathan says. "The feeling of riding in unison is amazing, like you are one body. That buzz of riding in a pack like a swarm of wasps is incredible."

*Read more in the September issue*