Description
National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
Viewing: Tuesday 28th October from 1pm
Auction: Wednesday 29th October from 9am
Location: National Motorcycle Museum, Coventry Road, Bickenhill, Solihull B92 0EJ
1969 Vespa SS90 Evocation
Replica of Elizabeth Smolens IOM SS90 Racer
Estimate
£4, 000 - £5, 000
Registration No: RFG 305G
Frame No: V5A1T 259237
MOT: Exempt
Faithful replica produced for a museum and book project
Built by leading experts Supersprint Restorations
Registered with V5C
The Vespa SS90 made between 1965 and 1971 is a much sought after model by collectors due to its extreme rarity and only just over 5000 were produced. Most of these have been lost to the ravages of time and overly ambitious riders. The SS90 was developed as a sporting variant of the small frame Vespas. With a dummy fuel tank, a centrally located spare wheel, narrower more aerodynamic fairing and a pad on top of the dummy tank riders could crouch low behind the headlight to reduce drag at higher speeds.
We present here a well thought out replica not just of an SS90 but an actual specific one. It is of the famous black SS90 owned by Elizabeth Smolen as seen at several of the 1960s Isle of Man Scooter Week races and which can be found in many archives of this events. We do supply some pictures here of here back in the day on the scooter for historical reference. The story of Elizabeth Smolen is an astonishing tale of an extraordinary woman. Caged behind the Iron Curtain in 1950s Poland against her will she devised an escape plan involving joining the International motorcycle racing team during which on a race in Germany she escaped and lay low for almost a year until she could be extradited to Britain to join her father who had served with the British during WW2. Smolens was highly regarded as the winner of the Scooter Queen award female racer winning the Isle of Man Scooter week 3 years in a row. She also ran Elizabeth Smolen official Vespa dealer for Wirral, Merseyside.
Our vendor commissioned Mark Hodges of Supersprint Restorations arguably the leading engineers on the SS90 in the UK, to build it. Using a correct period 1969 Vespa 50 small frame and matching engine it was built to Primavera 125 spec also using a 19mm carburettor and SS90 style FACO exhaust. The body was adapted using SRs specialist SS90 knowledge to replicate the design and parts of an SS90 faithfully. It has 12v Mallosi Vespower ignition. It was then painted by Auto Care Exclusive of Ellesmere Port to the colours of Smolens SS90 and is also supplied with the correct racing number decals. Also supplied is a matching period Davida yellow helmet in superb condition. Our vendor tells us it was very quick when tested before it entered the museums. Displayed at the Wirral Museum of Transport and the Williamson Art Gallery. This has now come to a close and the scooter is now on the private market.
** Bidding will take place live at the venue, online via our H&H website, by telephone and commission - T&Cs apply**
Parking and entry into the auction is free for auction attendees with a catalogue, available at the door.
Catalogues can be purchased for £20 (admits 2 people).
