Indonesia the haven for Italy's invention

Indonesia the haven for Italy's invention

Reliability, practicality and now style have made Indonesia home
to more Vespas than anywhere else in the world.

When they were first imported, and for most of their
production, the ability of Vespas to navigate tough roads and
traffic, while loaded with goods and keeping their riders clean
have made them a popular choice.

Now though, the Vespas continued prominence in Indonesia owes
as much to its unique, sleek Italian design and the growing
desire for classic and modified scooters, as it does to its
continuing reliability.

The legend of this international icon began in 1946, as former
airplane producer Enrico Piaggo sought to create a vehicle that
could get around Italy's war-torn roads. One of his employees,
Corradino D'Ascanio, a former helicopter designer, designed a
simple, robust, and economical vehicle that was also comfortable,
elegant and that people, including women, could drive without
getting dirty.

Piaggo named the two wheeled, 98 cc and two stroke engine
powered vehicle Vespa, the Italian for wasp. The popularity of
the scooters grew rapidly in post-war Europe and in 10 years over
a million had been produced.

In Indonesia sales, beginning with importer PT Viola in 1961,
increased rapidly in the 1960s, and in 1968 an important and
lasting relationship was reached between Danmotors Vespa
Indonesia and Piaggo.

In 1970 Dan Danmotors Vespa produced its first Vespas in its
current headquarters on Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan, North Jakarta.
While similar agreements in Indian and Taiwan resulted in lesser
quality copied models, and broken agreements that led to Piaggo
suing some manufacturers, Indonesian-produced Vespas earned a
reputation for quality.

Today, Vespa aficionados and scooter online groups in North
America and Europe rave about the quality of both vintage and
modern Indonesian-produced model.

While the Vespa boom in North America and Europe of the 1960s
was largely fueled by the scooters' association with a youthful,
carefree culture, in Indonesia the popularity and sales of Vespas
grew based on its practicality and affordability.

The same models that were sold to teens as a cool sign of
independence in the West were marketed and sold to Indonesian
families that needed a safe and reliable vehicle to carry
children and goods on rough roads.

Equipped with an extra tire, two luggage compartments, a
comfortable passenger seat, and a mudguard that kept riders clean
on dusty roads, the Vespa was particularly well suited to meet
the expanding needs of Indonesians. Spare vespa parts and
mechanics were available throughout Indonesia, and the scooters
earned a reputation for being cheap and easy to fix.

Riding the fit between the scooter and the needs of its
rapidly developing consumers, the 1980 and 1990s saw Indonesia
become home to more Vespas than anywhere else in the world,
including Italy.

From 1984 to 1997 Danmotors produced about 60,000 units per
year, and employed 800 people at its factory alone, and exported
Vespas to Argentina, Nigeria and Southeast Asia, said R.
Soewandi, current assistant manager of production at Danmotors
Vespa Italindo, and an employee since 1968.

Despite it's widespread popularity during this period, very
few Vespa owners became enthusiasts, who admired the style and
flare of Vespas and whose means of transport became a part of
their lifestyle. The establishment of the Jakarta Vespa Club in
1979 marked the beginning of the trend that is expanding rapidly
in Indonesia in which riders celebrate classic vespas and modify
their own rides.

Throughout production at Danmotors minor mechanical and
electrical improvements have been made as technology improved,
but the frame, shape and two stroke engine of Vespas have
remained constant. Despite their reputation as functional
workhorses, the sales of Vespas plummeted in 1997 due to the
country's economic crisis.

This and growing competition from Japanese competitors have
cut Vespa sales and production dramatically. "We now sell about
6,000 units a year and employ about 185 people," said Danmotors
marketing manager Titus T.P. Sali.

"We can't, and don't compete with Japanese motorbikes. Our
market is specialized."

It is hoping to boost sales soon with the introduction of a
classic-style Vespa, with a round halogen headlamp and classic
simple headbars, that it will launch at the upcoming Gaikindo
Auto Exposition in Jakarta on July 19-July 27.

"Our existing models have been improved and produced for a
while, so we wanted to introduce something new that would remind
people of the classic Vespas," said Titus.

-- Jock Paul