L'Italo-Americano

F un yet function- a l , s t y l i s h y e t sexy. You can't g e t m u c h m o r e I t a l i a n t h a n a Vespa. N o w s c o o t e r l o v e r s i n Western Washington have t h e i n s i d e t r a c k w h e n i t comes to buying the latest V e s p a m o d e l s , t h a n k s t o S o u t h S o u n d Scooters in Tacoma – the state's only official Vespa and Piaggio dealership and authorized service center. Store owner and Vespa enthusiast Mark Helgen believes the Pacific North- west is the perfect spot for scooters. Not only does this corner of the country wel- come 16 hours of daylight during the summer months, but its mild climate and low humidity make for perfect r i d i n g w e a t h e r . H a v i n g stunning scenery, from the Cascade Mountains to Puget Sound, doesn't hurt either. "Riding a Vespa allows you to concentrate on the world around you," Helgen told KING-5 TV recently. "It's not so much hard-core riding like you would get on a motorcycle where you are shifting gears and focusing on the machine." The shop, which opened t h i s s p r i n g , i s l o c a t e d a t 1938 Market Street in Taco- ma's Brewery District. Hel- gen spent about five months r e n o v a t i n g t h e b u i l d i n g , which had been home to a fabrication business. So far, scooter sales are brisk. "We just hit our fifth month in business and we are exceeding our sales fore- cast," said Helgen, noting that South Sound Scooters j u s t d e l i v e r e d i t s 1 0 0 t h scooter. What colors res- onate with Northwestern- ers? His response: "The new V e r d e R e l a x e d , a m i n t y green color, is very popular with our customers. It gives o f f a M i a m i B e a c h v i b e . A l w a y s a s t r o n g s e l l e r i s white, which gives you that clean, classic look, and of course, red." E u r o p e a n s h a v e a l o n g history and appreciation of t h e b r a n d , b u t H e l g e n t h i n k s N o r t h w e s t c o n - sumers still need a bit more education to understand the benefits of owning a scoot- er. For example, a scooter makes great sense given the current economic and hous- ing situation. Tacoma, like much of the West Coast, is experiencing a surge in con- dos and apartment develop- ments, which means park- ing is at a premium. "Northwesterners need to understand the joy you can get from a simple commute on a scooter," said Helgen. "It's a more personal style of transportation, not to men- tion it is low cost, low main- tenance, and uses less gas. What's not to like?" The Vespa can get up to 80 miles on a gallon of gas. C u r r e n t l y , S o u t h S o u n d S c o o t e r s i s o n l y c a r r y i n g g a s - p o w e r e d m o d e l s b u t Helgen hopes to begin offer- ing electric scooters soon. Unfortunately, Helgen's many months of planning a n d p r e p a r a t i o n f o r t h e l a u n c h o f h i s d e a l e r s h i p were dampened during the grand opening weekend. A U - H a u l v a n c r a s h e d through the storefront dur- i n g t h e w e e h o u r s o f t h e morning. During the smash- a n d - g r a b i n c i d e n t , o n e scooter was stolen and two others were slightly dam- aged. But rebounding is what the brand is all about. Vespa was launched in 1946 in the Tuscan town of Pontedera, n e a r P i s a , b y a c o m p a n y called Piaggio. During the war, Piaggio had built fight- e r p l a n e s , b u t c o m p a n y owner Enrico Piaggio was looking for new products to build during peace time. D e s p i t e c r u s h i n g p o s t - war poverty, bumpy rural roads, and cities dotted with r u b b l e , P i a g g i o b e l i e v e d that Italians still needed an e c o n o m i c a l a n d r e l i a b l e means of transport. Said to b e i n s p i r e d b y t h e t i n y American-built motorcycles dropped by air to support the Allies during World War II, the industrialist decided to keep his factory open and h i s w o r k e r s e m p l o y e d b y c r e a t i n g a t w o - w h e e l e d scooter. The prototype featured small wheels, a large well- padded seat, an enclosed e n g i n e a n d – t h i s b e i n g Italy – a tall shield at the front to keep dust and mud from getting on the rider's clothes. When he observed the final product, Piaggio l o o k e d a t i t s d i s t i n c t i v e body shape, listened to the buzz of the engine, and pro- c l a i m e d : I t l o o k s l i k e a w a s p ! ( S e m b r a u n a vespa!) The name stuck. By 1956, more than one m i l l i o n V e s p a s h a d b e e n sold in Europe, just 11 years a f t e r t h e f i r s t m o d e l w a s introduced. Even the Vati- can was impressed: the one- millionth Vespa received an official blessing from Pope Pius XII, who thought they were a great way for people to get to Mass on time. With its popularity and innovative design, the color- f u l l i t t l e s c o o t e r s t a r t e d a p p e a r i n g i n m a g a z i n e s alongside models wearing elegant outfits. Soon photos of handsome men zipping along narrow Italian streets — with or without beautiful women seated behind them — created a style that is still in vogue today. I n 1 9 5 3 , V e s p a g o t a n enormous boost when Hol- lywood gave it a supporting r o l e i n t h e p o p u l a r f i l m R o m a n H o l i d a y , starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. Who can forget the scenes of them riding around Rome on a Vespa, laughing, flirting, and looking stylish as well. The scooter has been fea- tured in more recent films, too, such as The Talented Mr. Ripley and American Graffiti. Even Disney-owned Pixar got on board. The plot of last year's full-length ani- mated film Luca revolved around two boys in a sea- side town scheming to win t h e P o r t o r o s s o C u p , t h e grand prize in a local bicycle race. With their winnings, they would buy a Vespa. I f o w n i n g a V e s p a h a s long been a dream, Helgen will be happy to make it a reality. A new Vespa runs around $8,000 plus freight a n d p r e p . H i s s h o p a l s o handles previously owned scooters, takes trades, and offers consignment sales. South Sound Scooters: purveyors of Italian style and fun RITA CIPALLA Since it opened five months ago, South Sound Scooters has sold more than 100 scooters to area residents (Photo: South Sound Scooters) SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano

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