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