| The first patents for scooters go back as far | | | | built some very strong and powerful versions |
| as 1921. The Razor scooter was later | | | | and were the first to install electric |
| developed by Gino Tsai in Shanghai, Taiwan | | | | starters. These larger versions were great |
| and became an instant hit with the public. It | | | | for traveling, touring and even racing, but |
| didn't take long for motor scooter popularity | | | | were not as popular as the smaller, cheaper, |
| to expand all over the globe. | | | | more efficient models used for traveling |
| | | | shorter distances around town. |
| Even before 1950 there were as many as | | | | |
| 110,000 scooters on the road in Italy alone. | | | | Vespa began marketing a couple of very |
| It has been just a little over 50 years since | | | | popular gas powered scooters from Piaggio, |
| the Vespa-Douglas Corporation in the UK sold | | | | the GS 125cc and the GS 150cc. These were |
| their first gas scooters. The Douglas | | | | improved versions of the earlier models for |
| corporation was on the verge of bankruptcy | | | | several reasons. The biggest reason is |
| when they first began selling their gas | | | | probably because the heavy gear mechanism |
| scooters. It was a big hit at the 1950 | | | | rods were replaced by smaller and lighter |
| Motorcycle Show and saved the company from | | | | cables. |
| possible financial ruin. | | | | |
| | | | France's Roussey Scooters tried to one-up the |
| From 1950 to 1958 Vespa sold over 125,000 of | | | | Italian competition by coming out with a |
| their gas powered scooters in the UK. Why the | | | | 175cc model. These were very nice vehicles |
| great success? During this period the | | | | and included the first water-cooled engines |
| European countries didn't have a great deal | | | | along with other new features, but because it |
| of money and there was not much gas available | | | | had a pull-start it could not compete with |
| to the public. Due to the scarcity of | | | | the newer models from Italy that were already |
| gasoline and the high gas mileage of the gas | | | | offering versions with electric starts. |
| motor scooter it's popularity quickly | | | | |
| escalated. | | | | As these wonderful vehicles have evolved over |
| | | | the years they have become increasingly more |
| It didn't take long for the Italian models | | | | popular all over the world. Today they are |
| (the Piaggio from Vespa and the Lambretta | | | | everywhere. They are cheap to purchase, |
| from Innocenti) to branch out to other | | | | economical to operate, and are very handy and |
| countries. In France they became so popular | | | | functional. These are not toys and are |
| the French tried to get in on the boom by | | | | genuinely a lot of fun to ride. There are |
| manufacturing their own. By the early to mid | | | | electric, gas powered, foldable, mobility and |
| 1950s the sale of gas scooters climbed to | | | | utility scooters. |
| about 1 million a year in France alone. | | | | |
| | | | The electric types are often used by kids and |
| Other countries wanted to profit from the | | | | teens, but are also popular with the elderly |
| newest craze and tried to climb on the band | | | | and handicapped. Models for the handicapped |
| wagon. While some were successful others were | | | | are usually called mobility scooters. Folding |
| not. Germany began to manufacture larger | | | | varieties can be folded up and conveniently |
| touring models, but this did not satisfy the | | | | stored under desks, in closets or in other |
| public in the way the smaller, cheaper and | | | | tiny areas and utility types are used for |
| more fuel-efficient models from Italy and | | | | many different purposes. They are more |
| France did. These smaller models were | | | | popular than go karts, mini bikes or go |
| extremely popular in the European market. | | | | carts. Scooters, sometimes called mopeds or |
| | | | go peds, are very functional, convenient and |
| Tourist Scooters Manufacturers in Germany | | | | are here to stay. |