Modern Vespa

According to the Little Tokyo Unblogged blog, Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA/LA) has granted a permit for a new 2500 sq. ft. Vespa shop in downtown LA.

http://blog.littletokyounplugged.org/2009/08/vespa-scooting-into-little-tokyo.html

Interesting choice of location. I bet they got a good deal on the space. Is this really a Vespa dealer or is this a case of mistaken scooter identity?

That will be so cool. I know I'll look for reasons to get parts now

It would be interesting, and in my opinion a good place for a dealership. There are so many people in their 20's-30's living in downtown at this moment so the timing is good.

Curiously...

If this is an actual Vespa dealer, it's a mere 13 miles (in a straight line across the map) from Vespa Sherman Oaks. Does that seem right? Is this a new satellite location?

Also, Vespa has repeatedly shot down attempts to open a shop in more reliably-affluent Pasadena, where there's plenty of demand. Odd they wouldn't grant a dealership up there but would in downtown LA.

ProItalia (carries Ducati, MV Agusta) just started carrying Aprilias again. Piaggio owned. They are in Glendale which is next to Pasadena. Maybe no Pasadena shop cuz PI is going to carry Vespa?

My guess is that past attempts to open So Cal dealers were declined due to exclusivity arrangements with the previous owner of Vespa SO and Newport as he was the first or one of the first in the nation.

I dunno about ProItalia.

Vespa has been denying attempts to open in Pasadena for many years now, going back to when they first returned to the US.

Vespa of CA's old website claims to be the first authorized dealer in the US.

http://www.vespaofca.com/welcome.htm

Though I don't condone this, it is possible that they did have an exclusivity arrangement with Piaggio.

In the early days, a dealer had to pay a six-digit amount to Piaggio to become a dealer. That was dropped in later years, to piss off the first wave of dealers.

If this is, indeed, going to be a Vespa dealer, it only shows that things change and that now it may be time for the second wave to become pissed off...

I sent Proitalia an email asking if they were going to carry Vespa and received two back...

"While we are carrying Aprilia we currently have no plans to carry Vespa. We've tried scooters in the past, and while I love them, they just don't seem to sell to our customers.
Thanks for asking."

"We have no plans or space for Vespa here in Glendale. But I won't say never."

I'd say this is pretty good confirmation that they're opening in this space.



It still seems like an odd location for this. It's a bit off the more heavily trafficked roads downtown. Still, lots of development and lofts in this area so it's coming up.

I think that with the number of new loft owners this may be a good location. to sell Vespa,

That is a really interesting location, could be a very shrewd move.

Unfortunately, I'd have to say that ProItalia isn't really the scooter-type of shop. They were my closest Aprilia dealer for my Scarabeo when I lived in the LA area for 3 years, and really weren't a ton of help. They didn't seem to care much about my scooter unless I was waving cash at them. I visited them more often than I needed to though, because it sure was a fun canyon ride to get to them "the back way." Not suprized at all that they aren't interested in carrying Vespas.

I've moved pretty far from the LA area now, but it is good to hear that there's more and more good scooter shops around there now.

Maybe it will be a warehouse or something for their West Coast operations etc....

I think this is an entirely new operation.

They are mistaken, and it figures he got it wrong. The first Vespa dealer was Scooterville in Anaheim back in the 80s. They werent around then.

Benefit of the Doubt: Unless they are talking about the reintroduction of Vespa.

There are a lot of Modern Vespas in downtown. Im sure the hipsters will start buying more scooters down there.

I have 2 large, nearly lifesize plywood scooter silouhettes in my garage in Temecula, which I personally removed from outside Brewington Scooters (second page of that list) in Lacey WA. when they went belly-up (with landlords permission....nee, giddy encouragement).

Turkman has one too.

Two of my favorite Vespa trinkets....and I have a few.....

They didnt give a dealership to Noho, who wanted to open a shop in Pasadena, because they gave the dealer ship to Temple City, ya for me because they are around the corner from my house.

I wonder it they over saturatiting the LA area?

Vespa Sherman Oaks (I love Drew)
Vespa Long Beach
Vespa South Bay
Temple City Motorsports aka San Gaberial Vespa
Browns in Pomona

Just a thought.

After thought, how many of these work on 2 strokes?

Nice Matt.

Shoot a photo of them, I would love to see those.

Ride Safe

Manny

Vespa of CA (Sherman Oaks) was the first Vespa boutique when Vespa was re-introduced to the US.

8) I liked the Santa Monica store, but they werent the most knowledgable when I went in there (just before they closed the store).

VOC did have "right of first refusal" in which the original owner was supposed to approve every dealer opening in the state. This didn't last very long before piaggio stopped asking. I speculatr it was because VOC was originally supposed to open shops all throughout the state, but the owner lost interest and didn't expand like originally planned. I found really old post cards in the back storage area with the addresses of the four shops (SO, SM, NB, SD) showing the colors of the ET's that were available at the time, and at the bottom, it said "new locations opening soon in Santa Barbara and Carmel". We all know that never happened.

Oh yeah, and concerning this new shop, back in the VOC days we almost opened a satellite shop downtown. There was a building owner that adamantly wanted a Vespa dealer in his space. We even met with the real estate people to begin the workings. I am curious if it is the same guy.

If they can get it going during these times with great service, parts and prices. Keep it up! More Vespas in So Cal!

I get the feeling this is someone new because this is a different space and they went through CRALA to get their permit. I'm still very curious as to who's behind this. Not to diminish what Drew and the VSO gang do, but LA is probably one of the easiest markets to sell Vespas in. The big questions with a new dealer:
How good will the customer service be?
How skilled and knowledgeable will their techs be? There are a finite number of good, Vespa-certified techs in the area.

SDG has shown that a relative Vespa newbie can become a successful dealer in a relatively short period of time. The Little Tokyo dealer will have to hit the ground running.

Time to open a business in Little Tokyo!

"The Façade Improvement and Business Loan Programs provide financial
assistance to neighborhood serving commercial retail establishments, cultural and entertainment uses. The Facade Improvement Program offers grants up to $25,000 per storefront. The Business Loan Program provides matching loans up to $250,000 to property owners and business tenants toward both interior and exterior improvements. $10,000 in architectural services provided by a preselected pool of design firms."

I'm sure help is close by


http://www.motorcycle.com/news/piaggio-opens-new-west-coast-facility-88059.html

Weird, I haven't seen any scoots downtown...
Just motos.

Vespa of Long Beach works on the old 2 strokes.

Vespa of Long Beach ROCKS!!!!!!

I used to work downtown and go there frequently. I see some, usually MVs or Buddys, a few Chinese scoots. I don't know if the owners live downtown or work there; don't see too many at night.

I do think it could be a good area but there's still not a sufficient population downtown to support a dealership so they'll have to pull in customers from other areas. Only a one hour ride from downtown LA!

Not sure about Vespa SO, but NoHo Scooters works on them as does Greasy.

When Ive been downtown for Kings games, Ive seen a couple red scoots, GTS (female rider) & LX. A yellow scoot and a dark blue GT/GTS crusing around. Plus an old clubmates wifes friends both have LX150s.

Maybe they were just passing through?

Here you go Manny, look through the rest of the junk in my garage to see!

These, and another P200E hung on Brewington Scooters on Pacific Ave in Lacey Washington for years and years. I've had them since '96 or '97.

I wanted to put them on the outside my house in Temecula...the neighbors didn't really warm up to it

Those Rock!!! Too bad you cant make vynyl copies for walls and sell them on the net. Im your first customer.

Thanks Matt for taking the photos

manny

Nice memorabilia Matt!

Why not?

I dont own them and I dont have the cash to do it. But I like the idea, the wife wouldnt.

So is this place open yet?