| The first patents for scooters go back as far as | | | | and powerful versions and were the first to install |
| 1921. The Razor scooter was later developed by | | | | electric starters. These larger versions were great |
| Gino Tsai in Shanghai, Taiwan and became an | | | | for traveling, touring and even racing, but were |
| instant hit with the public. It didn't take long for | | | | not as popular as the smaller, cheaper, more |
| motor scooter popularity to expand all over the | | | | efficient models used for traveling shorter |
| globe.Even before 1950 there were as many as | | | | distances around town.Vespa began marketing a |
| 110,000 scooters on the road in Italy alone. It has | | | | couple of very popular gas powered scooters |
| been just a little over 50 years since the | | | | from Piaggio, the GS 125cc and the GS 150cc. |
| Vespa-Douglas Corporation in the UK sold their | | | | These were improved versions of the earlier |
| first gas scooters. The Douglas corporation was | | | | models for several reasons. The biggest reason is |
| on the verge of bankruptcy when they first | | | | probably because the heavy gear mechanism |
| began selling their gas scooters. It was a big hit at | | | | rods were replaced by smaller and lighter |
| the 1950 Motorcycle Show and saved the | | | | cables.France's Roussey Scooters tried to one-up |
| company from possible financial ruin.From 1950 to | | | | the Italian competition by coming out with a 175cc |
| 1958 Vespa sold over 125,000 of their gas | | | | model. These were very nice vehicles and included |
| powered scooters in the UK. Why the great | | | | the first water-cooled engines along with other |
| success? During this period the European countries | | | | new features, but because it had a pull-start it |
| didn't have a great deal of money and there was | | | | could not compete with the newer models from |
| not much gas available to the public. Due to the | | | | Italy that were already offering versions with |
| scarcity of gasoline and the high gas mileage of | | | | electric starts.As these wonderful vehicles have |
| the gas motor scooter it's popularity quickly | | | | evolved over the years they have become |
| escalated.It didn't take long for the Italian models | | | | increasingly more popular all over the world. |
| (the Piaggio from Vespa and the Lambretta from | | | | Today they are everywhere. They are cheap to |
| Innocenti) to branch out to other countries. In | | | | purchase, economical to operate, and are very |
| France they became so popular the French tried | | | | handy and functional. These are not toys and are |
| to get in on the boom by manufacturing their | | | | genuinely a lot of fun to ride. There are electric, |
| own. By the early to mid 1950s the sale of gas | | | | gas powered, foldable, mobility and utility |
| scooters climbed to about 1 million a year in | | | | scooters.The electric types are often used by |
| France alone.Other countries wanted to profit | | | | kids and teens, but are also popular with the |
| from the newest craze and tried to climb on the | | | | elderly and handicapped. Models for the |
| band wagon. While some were successful others | | | | handicapped are usually called mobility scooters. |
| were not. Germany began to manufacture larger | | | | Folding varieties can be folded up and conveniently |
| touring models, but this did not satisfy the public in | | | | stored under desks, in closets or in other tiny |
| the way the smaller, cheaper and more | | | | areas and utility types are used for many |
| fuel-efficient models from Italy and France did. | | | | different purposes. They are more popular than |
| These smaller models were extremely popular in | | | | go karts, mini bikes or go carts. Scooters, |
| the European market.Tourist Scooters | | | | sometimes called mopeds or go peds, are very |
| Manufacturers in Germany built some very strong | | | | functional, convenient and are here to stay. |