Beschrijving
H&H Classic Auction @ National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
15th November, 2023 11:00
1964 Vespa GS160
Part of 'Salvage Hunter' Drew Pritchard's personal collection
Estimate
£3, 500 - £4, 500
Registration No: YHH 279B
Frame No: VSB1T 0056348
Engine No: VSB1M 0056686
CC: 160
MOT: Exempt
Everyone?s favourite Vespa from the 1960s
Imported from a dry Sicilian climate in 2019
Standard trim supplied with a current V5C
The first Vespas, designed by aeronautical engineer Corradino D'Ascanio, were produced by Piaggio in Italy in 1946 and proved to be an immediate success, helping the country to get back on its feet after the devastation of WW2. Upon seeing the MP6 prototype for the first time, boss Enrico Piaggio exclaimed "It looks like a wasp!" effectively naming his new scooter on the spot. The post-war demand for the scooters was so great that licensing agreements were signed with various companies around the world, with the Douglas motorcycle company becoming the UK partner. Never a particularly happy relationship, by the early 1960s most Vespas sold in the UK were manufactured in Italy with the classic curvaceous steel-bodied scooter becoming one of the style icons of the decade. In an unbroken production run starting in 1946 and ending with the PX Disc range in 2017 over 10 million scooters have been sold making it one of the most popular motor vehicles ever produced. The GS160 was the top of the range Vespa in the 1960s and became a favourite with style conscious 'Mods' in the day. More expensive, but performing better than the standard go to work models, it became one of the design classics of the swinging sixties and even featured in films such as George Lucas? 1973 hot rod culture movie ?American Graffiti?, where an identical GS to the one offered featured in the first few minutes.
This GS160 has been part of 'Salvage Hunter' Drew Pritchard?s personal collection of iconic vehicles for the last few years. Drew has been dealing in architectural salvage and antiques for 33 years and is one of the UK's best-known antique dealers, presenting the popular TV series ?Salvage Hunters? that sees him travel up and down the country locating and preserving Britain?s rarest antiques. Now in its sixteenth series, the show can be seen on Discovery UK?s Quest channel along with his former series, ?Salvage Hunters Classic Cars? and ?Salvage Hunters The Restorers?. The scooter was imported from Sicily and registered in the UK in 2019 and is presented in original trim apart from having had a respray, not run for a while it will need some recommissioning before use. It's rare to find a GS that has not been heavily modified over the years and this iconic model comes supplied with some original Italian documentation and a current V5C.
