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1969 Lady Yamaha U5

In Japan, Scooter by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Sale Update: This Lady Yamaha sold for $1,275 after 10 bids on eBay in Clermont, Florida. Back in the day, Yamaha apparently offered a special edition of the 50cc Newport scooter that was marketed to women in the most stereotypical way possible – they made it pink, added fringes to the seat, and slapped a basket on the front. …

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Needs Some Work – 1963 IWL Troll

In Germany, Scooter by Tim HuberLeave a Comment

First founded in 1936 by the Daimler-Benz Company for the purpose of producing military aircraft engines, Industriewerke Ludwigsfelde — or IWL — was a German manufacturing firm based just outside of Berlin. Because IWL was making engines for the Luftwaffe, its factory was targeted and bombed during WW2. After the war, the Soviets came and stripped most of the remaining …

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1960 Moto Guzzi Galletto

In Italy, Scooter by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Listing Update: This Galletto was pulled off eBay due to an error in the listing. Carlo Guzzi was one of Moto Guzzi’s three co-founders back in 1921, and he was the brainchild behind a scooter/motorcycle hybrid called the Galletto (cockerel in Italian). Over approximately 15 years of production, 75,000 units were sold.

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1967 Fuji Rabbit 90 S-202

In Japan, Scooter by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Listing Update: This Rabbit did not meet reserve despite 22 bids up to $750 on eBay in Richmond, Michigan. Japan’s first scooter was built in 1946 by Fuji. Called the Rabbit S-1, it was released six months before Vespa’s first model. The Rabbit was the name given to Fuji’s scooter lineup, and it ranged from the top-of-the-line Superflow down …

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Export Model – 1967 Honda P50

In Japan, Scooter, Small Displacement by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Sale Update: This P50 sold for $2,200 after 47 bids on eBay. Honda has an extensive history with small displacement scooters and mopeds, but the P50 stands out as it was the last time the firm utilized a motor-wheel design (in which the drivetrain is all housed within the hub of the drive wheel). Most motor-wheel designs across the …

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1978 Puch Sport MKII

In Austria, Scooter by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Listing Update: This Puch did not meet reserve despite 46 bids up to $1,095 on eBay. 1973 was a bad year for cars but a great year for mopeds. The oil crisis made consumers look at more efficient forms of personal transportation, and companies like Puch benefitted from a lineup full of small mopeds like te Maxi. The Maxi …

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Ending Soon – 1949 Lowther/Indian Trike

In America, Scooter, Vintage by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Sale Update: This Lowther sold for $8,000 after 4 bids on eBay. In the late 40s, when Indian was in its death throes, they partnered with the Lowther company of Joliet, Illinois. Lowther had already been producing scooters with a slogan of “Park Avenue Scooters with the Main Street price”. Indian rebadged an existing Lowther scooter and called it …

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1940 Excelsior Villiers Welbike

In Dual-Sport, England, Scooter by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Sale Update: This Welbike sold for $10,100 after 54 bids on eBay. At the request of the British government, Excelsior developed the Welbike, a tiny single seater that was designed to be dropped into combat situations via parachute-equipped containers. The goal was that it could be unpacked and ready to ride within 11 seconds.

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Water Scooter Project – 1957 Vincent Amanda

In England, Project, Scooter by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Sale Update: This Amanda sold for $1,701 after 6 bids on eBay. I’m stretching the definition of “scooter” here, but this “water scooter” is an interesting, if brief, footnote in the history of one of the greatest motorcycle manufacturers of all time. When Vincent was struggling to make ends meet in the 50s, they tried to diversify their portfolio …

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1964 Fuji Go-Devil

In Japan, Scooter, Small Displacement by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Sale Update: This Go-Devil sold for $1,600 after 22 bids on eBay. Built between 1964-1967, the Go-Devil was one of the nicest minibikes available at the time thanks to a 50cc 2-stroke Fuji motor, swing-arm suspension, front forks with 30 degrees of rake, and good build quality. It also folded up into a storage bag. One of my biggest …