TheScooterScoop

VietNamNet Bridge: “Italian Vespa have long been popular with Vietnamese collectors, creating a busy community throughout the nation.

Old Vespas appear everywhere, from the streets to Internet forums, shops and collections. Throughout Vietnam collectors and sellers are always busy with daily or weekly meetings and deals. Two Vespa festivals were organised in February 2005 in Hue, and early 2006 in Da Lat, where over 200 old Vespas were shown. Vespa clubs are growing, while forums are frequently busy with thousands exchanging information and making deals.

At the Da Lat festival collectors brought with them various Vespas: ACMA, Lambretta, Super, GS, and Standard models. They were divided into two different styles: original condition or adapted, with additions such as novelty horns, colours, and lamps.

Unique styles made the festival more various and colourful, giving collectors more choice and interest. Truong Vinh, Head of Can Tho Vespa group, said: “My group was just established recently. We are all new players. From an event such as this, we have learned many things from experienced collectors. It is very interesting to directly see old Vespas that we usually only see in books or on the Internet.”

Collectors are mostly middle-aged men, such as Le Van Hung, Head of the Da Lat group, who said, “the motorbikes are mostly used as a bridge to make friends, not for business. Without festivals, how would collectors nationwide meet each other?”

According to Hung, collecting is also sometimes a lesson in behaving for new comers. Once, a young collector from HCM City bragged about his Vespa ACMA worth thousands of dollars, while disparaging Vespa PX, which is used by an old man in Can Tho, who just said gently: “When you were an unborn child; we used your motorbike to carry pig’s food.” The young man was taught a lesson about knowledge and attitude, and quit his bragging.

A new rule has gradually developed among collectors: there is no winner in the game; just sentiment and good relations between collectors. Together with making friends, Vespa lovers also conduct social services, such as helping disadvantaged children, organizing charity events, or making visits around country.

During the festival in Da Lat, the collectors jointly visited orphan children at Da Lat’s S.O.S Village, and donated money to them. Nationwide, Vespa fans meet, spend time, and money, and enjoy the motorbike with friends. All in all, the collecting of old Vespas has become a significant game.