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Scooter

The scooter became a popular mode of transportation shortly after World War II. While there are earlier two-wheeled vehicles that exhibit some of the traits of a scooter, the version that we recognize was first developed in post war Europe and Japan. The end of the war saw many military airplane manufacturers out of business, and to survive many of them began focusing on making scooters and motorcycles.

In Japan, companies such as Fuji Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi were among the first to make a scooter. Some of these early scooters were able to go faster than 60mph and had many advanced features such as an electric start and automatic transmission. In 1958, Honda introduced the Super Cub, which went on to become the best selling motorized vehicle of all time.

The Piaggio Vespa was first introduced to Europeans in 1946. Using technology developed by European aircraft manufacturers during the war, the Vespa had a rather sleek design, handlebar gearshift mechanism, and a single-armed fork design. Other scooter makers were to follow Piaggio, including Lambretta and Puch.

 

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