In February 2019, I found a DaytonAlbatross Continental Twin in SouthYorkshire (the one with the Villiers Mark 2T 250 two-stroke twin-engine, reputed to be capable of 70mph). It ran well, but cosmetically it was challenged; not rough, but not a good paint job from a previous restoration. It also had issues with the centre stand and footboards, so I decided to strip it down – and that was when the wallet winced!
Luckily, I was able to call on a skilled friend, Darren English, to work his magic on the damaged and mis-shaped footboards, and also to make a new stand from the dimensioned photos that I’d managed to obtain.
Darren and his boss also put me in touch with a first-class chromer who does triple plating.
BLAST TO THE PAST
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Vespa On A Vindaloo (And A Few Beers, Too)!
Over time my sanity has been tested by Vespas, including the PX125,PX150, LML150, a T5, a T5 Classic and PX200.
Simon's DKR Capella 175cc
It’s probably fair to say that in the 1950s most British scooters were well short of the styling and panache of their Latin rivals, but this all changed in 1960 with the launch of the DKR Capella - a sleek Villiers-powered two-stroke which period road testers described as being ‘the most beautiful small-wheeler ever made by a British manufacturer’.
Mark's Model B And Sidecar
You don't see many early Lambretta and Tittarelli sidecar outfits, so when you come across someone who owns two the same matching colour – wow!
Mark's 1980s Classic Custom
Revisiting one of the UK’s best-known custom scooters from the 1980s, which still remains in the possession of its original owner.
Barry's Dayton Albatross Continental Twin
In my younger days, as well as motorcycles, I had a Vespa 90 and a Vespa 90SS, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I returned to scootering (after having several classic cars) with a 1965 Vespa VBB, but I had always hankered after a Dayton Albatross since I was about 12 or 13. Last year I decided to finally fulfil that dream…
Iso Milano (Diva) De Luxe 150
Bristol’s Carole Nash Classic MotorCycle Show always brings out rarities and the 2016 event was no exception with a host of unusual scooters on display. Rubbing handlebars with an IWL Berlin, and a rare Coswio Jika Pandora on the Vintage Motor Scooter Club stand was one with a curvy Latin lovely adorning the legshields.
Tabby's Indian GP200
To see it within a crowded scooter compound or lined up at the side of the road at a busy rally, you’d possibly not pay Tabby’s Indian GP200 too much attention or perhaps even feel it was worth a second glance. But that’s precisely where you would be wrong...
Have records will travel
How many DJs do you know who would travel to a music gig on their trusty 2-Tone Vespa PX with a huge box of rare vinyl records strapped on the back?
Model (D) behaviour!
Visitors to the Newark Scooter World halls couldn’t fail to notice the line-up of machines being shown by Martin Robinson.
Rob's Heinkel Tourist
After receiving another phone call from bike collector Rob Carter of Barton upon Humber, Rich realised it would be something special of superb quality and condition; so he decided to investigate.
JACKS OF ALL TRADES: MASTERS OF ALL FUN
Middleweight naked bikes and good times
ELVA HAS LEFT THE BUILDING
NO WINDSHIELD? NO PROBLEM. MCLAREN’S 804-HP HYPERCAR WON’T MUSS YOUR HAIR. BUT AT $1.7 MILLION, IT WILL LIGHTEN YOUR WALLET.
VW GOLF GTI
Staying relevant while not breaking with tradition is a tricky balance for car makers to strike, as we reveal in our final report
Skoda Fabia
New small hatchback distils Skoda’s common-sense ethos into a handy package On sale Late 2021 Price from £15,000 (est)
The greatest of Es?
Both of these trendy small electric cars have as much wow factor now as when new, and you can save around £5000 by buying them at a year old
Pack up, go! Met Office issues ‘danger to life' alert as storm batters staycationers
TOURISTS trying to enjoy the great outdoors were dramatically told to flee for their lives as the might of Storm Evert roared in, bringing stair-rod rain and 70mph winds.
Top-end stuff!
With all the lockdown nonsense, it’s time for Allen to get on with the motor build of his splendid Kawasaki Super Six.
Bachmann ‘Bubble Car'
Pressed Steel Class 121 single car DMUs are the latest brand-new ‘OO’ gauge models to arrive from Bachmann. Employing its new low profile drive mechanism to clear the passenger compartment for seats and fittings, the Class 121 builds on the success of Bachmann’s new approach to multiple unit modelling first introduced in the Class 158 and Class 159.
Our friends' ELECTRIC
With MG’s ZS EV starting to hit the UK roads, we put one to the test to experience the reality of living with an electric MG.
Little Or Large?
They may look reasonably similar and share the same name, but how close are learner-legal bikes to their big brutish papas? We sent Carl on his way with a Tuono V4 and a Tuono 125 to find out…