Scootermania: A celebration of style and speed

by Josh Sims

From its origins on the Italian battlefields of the Second World War to movie roles as Audrey Hepburn's iconic transport in Roman Holiday and Sting's stylish companion in Quadrophenia and on through the current vintage revival, the classic Italian motor scooter is an enduring design classic from the twentieth century.

With a host of stylish photographs of original advertisements as well as a myriad of rare photographs, artwork, and designs, Scootermania celebrates the superbly simple vehicle that is so symbolic of freedom, style, and the modern world. The book contains chapters dedicated to the 1940s origins of the classic scooter in Milan and Tuscany, scooter racing, and long-distance attempts, as well as its role in more laborious tasks (including as an anti-tank weapon in the French army). The iconic role of scooters in popular culture from films, music, and fashion is given due attention while the chapter "Scooter Style" chronicles how generations across the world have made the bikes their own--from the British Mods of the 1960s and 1980s to fans in America, Japan, and their Italian homeland.

The book features twenty celebrated bikes, including such classics as the Vespa 150 GS and the Lambretta Li 150 Series 3. Various scooter stars, such as Enrico Piaggio and Georges Monneret, are celebrated in new and archival interviews and much of the story is told through original documentation, reviews, and news reports.

176 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2015

Reviews

[Alex C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have hardly seen any other books covering this topic, so this was a welcome purchase! Do be aware that this does have a strong emphasis on style as in a fashion choice, and less so with styling during the design process. This would obviously cover Vespa pretty often, but I wish there was more mention of other models thrown in. Certain paragraphs mentioned scooter designes that were a failure for one reason or another and I wish pictures had been included of these, since that would very much be part of how we've come to today's designs.

There were also some proofreading issues; pages 118 and 134 have almost the same exact sets of paragraphs.

Fun and informative read nonetheless!

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the section on the Cushman, from its early models, the Airborne dropped in WWII with paratroopers, to the specials made for service clubs that made parades so special. Notes on other manufacturers & models, failed & successfull, were interesting in their own right.