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