Vespas made in NZ

snakebike
Offline

Posted: Fri, 19/06/2009 - 20:07

for you savy historian types what is the cack on this. Is there any truth to this, I heard that Vespa were assembled or puched out here in NZ in the 60's. I assume in Auckland and they were Supers from what I here. Had no vin numbers on the bodies. Anyone know more about this. Where, when, how, why?

Scoot NZ

scootnz
Offline

Posted: Sat, 20/06/2009 - 07:00

A Scoot NZ issue from last year has a story from the former manager of Airco, who assembled Vespa in a factory in Newmarket in the 1960's. Let me find it...

__________________________

Jess in Wellington

http://www.scootnz.co.nz

CEO Jack Christie

scootnz
Offline

Posted: Sat, 20/06/2009 - 07:06

I was CEO of D J Eyre & Co. Ltd from December 1954 to March 1960. They were importers and wholesalers of refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and food mixers, under the “Airco” brand name.

In 1956 Douglas Motorcycles, who held the British Empire distribution rights for Vespa, offered us the NZ franchise, which was accepted.
At the time I believe Douglas were receiving the machines in CKD form from Italy, and assembling in Britain for local sale and export under the Empire preferential tariff.

Dean Eyre, my business partner, was MP for North Shore and Minister of Industry & Commerce during this period.

Retail resellers were appointed initially in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch & Dunedin, where we assisted in establishing Vespa Scooter Clubs for rallies and gymkhana, competing for trophies, which we supplied.
In November 1957 there was a change of government, with imports being controlled by “Import License” restrictions. In the case of Vespa we had to provide a 20% local content value, and achieved this by bringing the machines in from Piaggio direct in CKD form (local labour assembly), and manufacturing windscreens and carriers, as well as using tyres made by Dunlop. We qualified for our percentage! The machines were shipped from Italy to our assembly factory in Durham Lane, Auckland. The Factory Manager was the late Ray Marett, who became very frustrated if the Italians left parts out of a shipment, and they had to be airfreighted….it happened often!

Editors note: Dean Eyre senior died in June 2007.

PS I just missed out interviewing Dean Eyre senior - got in touch with his son just a few weeks before his father died.

__________________________

Jess in Wellington

http://www.scootnz.co.nz

so how long did they do this for

snakebike
Offline

Posted: Sat, 20/06/2009 - 09:12

so the story about them punching chasis here is not the case or did this happen later and were they just assembling the Douglas or did the Super ever get assembled here. do you know? I guess all these groovy old fiberglass windscreens came from that goverments term which would have been until at least 1961-62. You mentioned this guy was CEO until 1960 did they continue doing this afterwards? Do you know.

Yes they kept on assembling

scootnz
Offline

Posted: Sat, 20/06/2009 - 10:23

Yes they kept on assembling vespa after Jack Christie left Airco.

This is an interesting post from the International Scooterist BBS:

link here: http://www.scooterbbs.com/board/DCForumID1/45152.html

Kia Ora.

I've just read some of the posts about NZ SS50/90's that have found their way to various parts of the world and there seems to be some question over their provenance due to a lack of a VIN or frame/chassis number so I thought I'd shed some light on the question (and probably stir up more questions...we'll see). I've had over a dozen SS90/50's in my possession over the last 25 years or so (still got half a dozen in the back shed in various states of disrepair) from back when I paid NZ$50.00 - NZ$90.00 each.

Piaggio never "dumped" SS90/50's here. That seems to be some myth constructed in the absence of understanding the NZ economy of the time.

Up until 1984 NZ had a heavily regulated, central government controlled economy, (on reflection) and in short it was a democratic, benevolently communist environment. As such import licencing was very strictly controlled to protect local manufactures and markets.

Airco, an Auckland based company held the NZ licence to import Piaggio/Douglas Vespa scooters in CKD (completely knocked down) form which they assembled and distributed. The licencing regulations required that a certain amount of local materials/manufacturing/labour/etc went into any imported product to further support/protect NZ businesses and markets. Airco made the seats locally which they badged after themselves and assembled the frames which were stamped with their manufacturing number code. They were then distributed and sold as Vespas to a waiting list of buyers...new, foreign made anything always sold at a huge premium (tariff loading) and had an air of exclusivity.

Models available over time were early wide-bodies, early Douglas Vespa 125 variants, GS160, SS50/90's, Douglas Sportique 150, Super 150, SS180 and Rally 200 and some other models from time to time along with the odd, VERY expensive, privately imported machine (and you needed a very large stash of foreign funds to get passed the authorities).

SS90/50's were imported in CKD kits as part of the model line without dummy tanks, etc. because the extra cost to a buyer for these features, could not be justified in the market-place when the machine was quite expensive anyway. NZ was/is along way, away for importing and NZ's by nature back then, were pretty austere and stoic, not easily given over to overt showiness....my how times change.

They were available in an almost Henry Ford rainbow of colour options...Roma Red, Peacock Blue and White.

NZ never had a VIN system back then (pre golbalisation/Americanisation). Vehicles were registered at the Post Office by chassis/frame number and engine number. Registration had nothing to do with a certificate of ownership (no one ever had such a document), it merely documented vehicle information as cover for a Government tax. Airco stamped the frames with a manufacturing number (4 digits) on the frame which became by default the frame number. I had one SS with no frame number at all (probably a replaced frame at some stage) but the rego paper had a frame number recorded. It wasn't until the late 80's that NZ adopted the VIN system, registration papers became obsolete and everything became computerised to the global standard.

Some had lugs to take a dummy tank (50's and 90's) and some didn't, but none ever had the tank fitted. The seats always hinged at the back. I did have a SS50 with a metric (KPH) speedo...all the others were calibrated in MPH (the NZ system back in the '60's).

__________________________

Jess in Wellington

http://www.scootnz.co.nz

that is very interesting

snakebike
Offline

Posted: Sat, 20/06/2009 - 12:03

that is very interesting Jess, I found that 4 digit chassi number on my Super they stamped it on the engine side under the pod not in the usual spot at the bottom of the tool box side pod. You know what would be another great story to follow up. Some guy has got a mold for an aerodinamic cover that fits on top of old large frame Vespas like the one that Piaggio made up to break some speed record back whenever which now sits in their museum in Pontederra. It is a familliar bike and is painted silver and red I am sure you know it. The mold is in or just outside of Auckland. I would love to see some pics of it and find out if any covers were ever produced and how and why this mold got here. Who knows it may be the original. The fellow that used to own the scooter shop up from Scooter World on Great North rd has it/had it. That shop is shut down and I can;t remember his name but I know he has a place in Port Waikato and used to have a restaurant in Auckland, somebody will know his name, I know he has an old flat black Bajaj that he rode to Wahiki Island on a run and this is where he told me about it. From what I understand he has quite a collection of old rats and I assume other interesting things sitting in his shed.