Vintage motorcycles throned
The trend of collecting antique motorbikes is spreading with
reconditioned Vespa and Lambretta scooters
According to the owners of shops
specializing in reconditioning old
Vespa and Lambretta scooters,
these types of motorbikes are
becoming rare, and their prices are
higher and higher. The shops have to
buy the outmoded scooters from
small localities, especially from
southern provinces,
paying fairly high prices.The older, the more valuable. Formerly, Vespa
scooters of 150, 175 and 200 cubic centimeters were priced at VND1-2
million each; currently, the price amounts to VND3-4 million a unit. The
Mini Vespa (50cc) scooter was formerly sold for some hundred thousand
dong, but its price has risen to more than a million dong a unit now. These
vintage scooters, after having been reconditioned by skilled mechanics,
are displayed for sale at shops on Ly Thai To, Nguyen Van Cu, Vo Thi
Sau and Dinh Tien Hoang streets in HCM City to meet the increasing
demand of collectors. A refurbished motorbike can be sold for VND6-8
million, and a thoroughly reconditioned one can be priced at VND10-15
million. Meanwhile, unique and rare scooters can sell for
US$1,000-US$2,000 each after having been well renewed.
Mai Quang Thong, owner of a Vespa repair
shop on Dinh Tien Hoang Street, who has
repaired Vespa scooters since 1957, says it is
now very difficult to find an ancient scooter still
intact. As Vespa and Lambretta scooters were
manufactured 40-50 years ago, it is very hard to
find their spare parts. Thong says he must use
some parts of a unit for another, and must
manufacture some other parts.
Therefore, good
reconditioned scooters depend mostly on
mechanics' workmanship. Those who want to
order a vintage scooter have to wait for a month
or more, the time necessary for seeking one,
buying and reconditioning it. Thong adds that most ancient scooter
lovers want their bikes to remain as original as possible, except the paint
and some accessories such as stainless steel front and rear bumpers or
edges. Some replace their old handlebars with new ones, which look like
spreading wings.
Ba Hung, owner of a Vespa repair shop on Nguyen Van Cu Street, says
prices of vintage scooters are getting higher and higher because they
are rare. Hung adds that lovers of ancient scooters now tend to choose
beautiful Vespa models such as Standard. The Vespa Standard is the
favorite thanks to its appearance and most of its spare parts are similar
to the current models of Piaggio, the Italian manufacturer of Vespa. In
addition, Vespa spare parts have also been imported from India and
Taiwan at fairly low prices.
Ancient scooter collectors. Hiep, owner
of a Vespa repair shop on Ly Thai To
Street, says formerly only middle-aged
men rode these kinds of old
motorbikes. But now, young people
from wealthy families, artists, singers
and models love to buy these scooters
along with their latest
models worth thousands of U.S. dollars. The scooter lovers set up their
club headquartered at an Internet Caf‚ on Ly Tu Trong Street. Other
young people gather every night at a bar on Dong Du Street to show off
their beloved vintage bikes.
Vintage scooters exported. Archaic scooters are not only sold well in
HCM City but also exported. Mai Van Quang, an ancient scooter
reconditioner, says old-fashioned motorbikes have been sought after by
some foreigners and overseas Vietnamese. These bikes will then be
packed and sent by sea to Canada, France, Italy, the U.K. and the U.S.
Some are used as transport means while others are showcased in
shops. Recently, vintage motorbikes have also been ordered by
collectors from Hanoi and Nha Trang.
Reference prices of some reconditioned scooters Vespa
- 50cc US$462
- 150cc Standard US$725
- 175cc Standard US$1,121
Lambretta
- Special US$600
- 1956-1957 models US$1,200-1,500
By Nguyen Long - The Saigon Times Weekly - March 30, 2002.
A fashionable hobby
Collecting and reconditioning Vespa and Lambretta scooters from the
1950s is a growing hobby among foreigners and Vietnamese alike
Collectors usually hunt for old
scooters in the countryside where
they pay as little as one-tenth the
price of a new Honda. However, it
costs around US$80 for an original
carburetor and US$500 for a
gearbox, both of which can only be
found abroad. Hunting for parts is half
the fun for most collectors.
"A foreign collector once told me that he wouldn't leave Vietnam until all
the old scooters were gone," said Le Quoc Tuy, owner of Bay Tuy, a
vintage scooter repair and restoration shop. Tuy's shop, located at 4F Vo
Thi Sau Street, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, HCM City, is at the corner of
Dinh Tien Hoang Street alongside many other shops specializing in such
work. Tuy's six main employees can recondition four scooters a month.
Foreign collectors are very knowledgeable. They know which model a
scooter is just after one glance at the starter. So I have to hunt
everywhere for the rare models they order," Tuy exclaimed. At times, he
travels as far as Long Khanh (Dong Nai Province), crossing large fields
all day just to find a specific scooter. Sometimes, he can't find the right
one and returns home empty-handed.
Tuy often has to "sacrifice" several scooters for parts so he can fill a
buyer's request. Occasionally, however, he cannot find parts such as a
gearbox or carburetor and the customer must order them from abroad
and have them installed here in Vietnam. Tires are an important item as
well. Some buyers even request that only Casumina or Sao Vang tires be
used on their scooters.
According to Tuy, the older and more rare the machine is, the more it is in
demand. Vespas that are hardest to come by are the 100, 150 and 200cc
models, while 50 and 175cc models are easy to find. Foreign buyers
often purchase old scooters to be resold in their home countries. "People
often vacation in Vietnam during the summer and take the opportunity to
buy old scooters. The money they earn from selling just one scooter is
enough to support them for several months here," Tuy stated.
Collecting and restoring old scooters is Tuy's family tradition. His father
was also a collector and Tuy learned from him as a child. "Previously,
they were sought after by the Japanese, then came the Britons and now
the Americans," he said. He would not reveal the cost of a fully
reconditioned scooter, but said, "There are many people who do the
exact same thing I do, and the cost just depends on the skill of the
reconditioner and the quality of the bike."
Recently, many young Vietnamese people began to take interest in old
scooters. They hunt for the bikes and even meet on Sundays to discuss
them over a cup of coffee. According to Tuy, collecting old scooters is an
art form. Collectors must know how to take care of their bikes. "It's painful
handing a bike over to an amateur," he admitted.
He keeps a collection of four vintage bikes to himself. However, he
occasionally agrees to sell one to a begging foreign collector. "I only sell
one of my scooters to a real virtuoso. I must have a collection of my own
though. It is a pleasure to look at them in my old age," he said.
By Duc Luan - The Saigon Times Weekly - March 30, 2002.
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