Vespa Reviews

Especially LOTS of great colour photos, including ones of various models with some specifications (up to modern models), and extracts from vintage Vespa calendars and advertising as well as photos of muddy messy scooter scrambling! The text is also very interesting and gives a history of the development of the Vespa scooter. The only thing I did not like about it was the use of American spelling (it's an Italian book), but I coped with that. I think anyone who has a Vespa should own this book (I have two Vespas).

This book is great. The book covers how vespa have grown over the past fifty years. With over 90 pictures of fully restored books, this book will open your eyes about vespas

The title of the book is decieving for while the archival pictures are quiant, this is not a diffinative historical picture filled book on the Vespa. It's a pictorial book about the Douglas Motorcycle companies relationship with Vespa, nothing else. There are basic attempts to detail what happened in the two companies history and the models that were produced but it isn't what the title makes it out to be. Buy it if you just want to know more triva, not for hard core data like you would want to know on specific models Vespa made and when they made them.

This really is a great book with wonderful pictures. The title is very misleading in terms that it is in no way a definitive history of Vespa.

It is however a very valuable resource on the Vespa in the UK and Douglas motorcycles. If you already have an interest and other resources on the Vespa history at large, and a passing interest in the socio-economic conditions in the UK in relation to the rise and fall of British motorcycle companies (a stretch, but I certainly do), the book is a must have.

Some time is spent on the earlier Vespa clubs in the late 40s and early 50s, as well as detailed information on UK-only modifications and offerings well into the 1960s. Several pictures offer insight into Vespa production facilities and methods.

For those who don't know of Eric Brockway- this man was not only the honorary vespa club of Britain president for many years (sadly passed away but not forgotten!) he was also managing director of Douglas motorcycles during the years they imported and built Vespas in Bristol. Eric knew more about vespa (pre p-range and after) than anyone I've ever met or heard of- a lovely man with a wealth of hands-on experience. The book is well worth the price and no Vespa (or motorcycle/motor-scooter) book collection would be complete without it.

I found this manual a great resource when replacing the front fender on my 1979 p125x. Though some of the technical names for the simplest of parts was slightly difficult to decifer, the pictures and helpful hints the manual gave led me through this first-time disassembly of my Vespa. A great buy ...

People trying to artsy about their memories of Vespa's, it's a non-electric yawn machine...pass it by.

Yes, boring guy is right. If you've never been on a real vespa, or is you've only driven one on the freeway in Houston, this may be boring, but anyone who's ever taken to the road on a proper bike will love the photos alone. It chronicals a lifestyle and trying to advertise for something that everyone's already doing is easy. Indispensibly cool when trying to explain to people what you ride.

I don't know what that other review is all about. If you own a vespa you'll love this. TONS of old ads, calendars, factory shots etc give a great overview of the vespa legend.

There arent very many Vespa scooter repair manuals out there that are in english. So why not get this one?

As an owner of several Vespa Scooters, I was looking forward to another source of information. This book does a decent job of covering the basics, and even shows some of the makeshift tools that we have all made before. Unfortunately, that's about all you'll get. As you wade through the British style of writing, you'll realise you just spent 5 minutes(trying to read British english, not because Americans are slow) and 2 paragraphs explaining how to remove a sparkplug. If you want specifics (especially on U.S. models, batteries and turn signals must be taboo in Europe), there are much better reference books in the same price range.