Invest in a Vespa

Vespa's range of sleek, colourful and stylish scooters are guaranteed head-turners and petrol-savvy buys.

If you have R55 000 or more to spare, then invest in a Vespa.

The premium brand of scooters offers a wide range of compact rides in a variety of colours. The engines on the scooters vary too, allowing one to go for a more powerful or toned down ride. The Vespa is a sure head-turner, owing to its sleek body and quality metal.

The finish on the body work is finely done, adding to the scooter's "va va voom factor." For those looking to add some excitement to their lives, then the Vespa will surely come in handy as it effortlessly glides through traffic. The Italian brand is very practical too, owing to its petrol-saving engine. If green fans are in a tizz by now there's no need to worry – Vespa has that covered too.

The scooters emit little carbon fumes, cementing Vespa's environment-loving status. If you are close to ordering your next birthday gift, then the fact that a Vespa is a major time saver should wow you even more. Vespas are time effective, doing 45km in 20 minutes, faster than public and private transport.

Although one would need to dig deep to purchase the nifty Vespa, it is definitely a worthwile investment seeing as it costs less to maintain long term and is considered an appreciating asset.

According to Andy Reid, Vespa Director, who only drives a Vespa by the way, owning one is a way of life. Reid cites powerhouse businesswoman Wendy Luhabe as one of his clients.

"Wendy has been taking lessons with us for a while now. She is interested in purchasing a Vespa and we offer free scooter riding lessons," said Reid.

Vespa is the only scooter brand which offers interested persons free lessons in riding a scooter. In addition, the company will book and facilitate a motorbike learners licence.

On what will endear people to the scooters, Reid said it would have to be the traffic factor. "It's freedom, time and money effective. For someone like me who runs a business and needs to be in different places for meetings it's practical. The other day I had a meeting in Alberton. I left Sandton and arrived in Alberton in 20 minutes."

However, Reid highlights that the biggest drawcard of owning a Vespa is the petrol cost or lack there of. Reid calculates that a person who drives 65km to work and back daily will roughly spend R2 700 a month based on the current petrol price. With a Vespa, he says, that amount is reduced by R2 066, as one would spend only about R581 on the scooter.

Reid also touches on the lifestyle that owning a Vespa brings. In the early Sixties, Vespas were made mainly for war veterans who wanted to get around without much hassle. This changed when more people started buying into the brand, and the Vespa was seen as a luxury and romantic item to own.

Although not keen to divulge how many scooters are moved from showroom floors each month, Reid adds the company is doing extremely well. The South African market has shown a lot of passion for the company, ensuring its competitive advantage over the current scooter market.

Five Vespa facts

• Vespa is the safest and most technologically advanced two-wheeler in the world. The strong and robust monocoque chassis provides ultimate protection for the rider’s legs and ensures a safe and comfortable ride.
• The belt-driven automatic transmission makes a Vespa absolutely effortless to drive. Intelligent Vespa Technology reads the conditions of the road and automatically changes the engine to rear-wheel-drive ratio, thereby allowing the driver the freedom to stay focused on the road ahead.
• There are four models, each with its own unique specifications.
• The Vespa brand incorporates stylish living, as it has its own brand of watches, bags, jackets and hats.
• The company has been in existence for over 50 years, managing to remain relevant from one generation to the next.