New age Vespa to be a lifestyle product meant for the elite | mydigitalfc.com

New age Vespa to be a lifestyle product meant for the elite | mydigitalfc.com

The iconic new age Vespa in its third coming would be positioned as a premiumly priced scooter, after fifteen years of non-existence on the Indian roads.

Piaggio India, a wholly owned subsidiary of Italy’s Piaggio SpA, will start building the Vespa LX 125 scooter starting early 2012 at a new greenfield factory in Baramati. In the first year, the new plant will be able to build over 100,000 Vespa scooters.

“A Vespa is a Vespa, its not a scooter..the Vespa (to be produced in India) will be designed for the Indian consumers’ tastes, something that offers them iconic value. It is a lifestyle product meant for the elite, for people who like to be distinctly known to possess something unique in nature,” chairman and managing director Piaggio India Ravi Chopra told Financial Chronicle.

Piaggio is working on ensuring that the gearless scooter suits the average short height of the Indian rider, so that their feet can reach the ground easily. It is also meant to suit women wearing floor-length Saris sitting at the rear seat of the scooter. Chopra said it would be too early to talk about the price of the LX 125.

The Vespa is made of a steel frame and sold in major continents Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Asia. “Vespa was first built in 1947 with a steel frame and the Indian one will be no different,” Chopra said when asked how would the company compete with other domestic scooters whose bodies are moulded from plastics and are hence less costly.

Chopra said the scooter market would witness a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13 per cent in the next three years, and about 2.5 million scooters would be required in the market by 2013. India’s scooter sales surged 22 per cent to 1.46 million units in 2009-10, according to SIAM.

Piaggio India already has a facility in Baramati in Maharashtra to manufacture 150,000 petrol and diesel engines for commercial vehicles as well as its Ape range of three and four-wheeled vehicles. Chopra declined to give investment required in the new factory.

The board of Piaggio Spa had in June said it would invest 30 million Euros at establishing a new factory for its Indian unit over the next two years.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, IFC, a member of the World Bank Group said it has granted a loan worth 45 million Euros to allow Piaggio SpA to bring out a variety of new products with improved fuel efficiencies to the Indian market as well as expand its existing factory in Vietnam.

Vespa first entered India in the 1960s through a license manufacturing agreement with the Firodias. Firodias were a part of the Bajaj group at that time. The joint venture agreement expired in 1971 and Bajaj came out with its own Chetak scooter range.

The Vespa made a comeback in India again through a joint venture with LML in 1983 till 1999, when LML bought back Piaggio’s stake in the joint venture company.

Though Bajaj Auto has walked away from the scooter market, Hero Honda, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, TVS Motor Co. and Suzuki Motorcycle India all sell scooters.

PCAS! - Vespa 150 Restoration

PCAS!

By:Bijoy Kumar Y

Prevention of cruelty against scooters? Well, call it whatever you want to call it, I do have a soft corner for old Vespas and Vespas made in India under license from Piaggio. Whoa, that includes scores of Bajaj 150’s/Supers/Chetaks/Cubs; Priya 150’s and even LML Vespas and the odd Vespa PL 170’s. But primarily I am concentrating on rescuing Bajaj 150’s and Priya 150’s that has the look and feel of the original from the 1950-60’s complete with the curvaceous Wasp-ish rear-end that gave it the Vespa tag. What makes me love them – the simplicity of design, the classic origins, the numerous movies and lore and all of the above. Actually, more than anything else a Vespa 150 or a clone is a piece of art in itself. And me, I think of unloved, abandoned examples as blank pieces of canvass that can be used to express my mind. I know, psychedelic scooters are done to death already but what the heck, I have just started!

The process is simple as it happened with Roxanne and Alice – a Bajaj 150 and a Priya 150 that came my way. Identify the scooter, pay a maximum of Rs 4000 for it, then do the essential repair and body work and paint it for another Rs 6000 and you get a piece of art that can do the milk-run.

Roxanne was supposed to be a Lamborghini edition but I couldn’t get the right stickers and hence decided to settle for a checkered-tape that lend the scooter a degree of sportiness. But when Alice was given the matt black and red paint job that was inspired by the black and red that makes up Ferraris I was also determined to get the livery right. So one flank of the scooter pays homage to the Formula One car (F2009) while the other apes the road-going supercar. Painstakingly cut and paste Italian tricolore and a prancing horse (ok, that was a bit blatant but what the heck!) later we had a scooter that, in my eyes, looked just perfect. Cost? Rs 10,000 only including the donor scooter.

Sadly, the scooter is not going to be mine and I felt the tug in my pump when it was time to let her go. Alice will ferry my friend Vishal to the starting points of various half-marathons and training sessions as I embark on the next project that revolves around a theme of WWII aircraft, nose-art (semi-naked women, of course) and overall a riveted look. After that I will start considering an installation art exhibition on Indian Vesp-art!

I am loving it.

Vespa to begin third innings in India by 2012 | Automobile World

Vespa to begin third innings in India by 2012 | Automobile World

Vespa’s Indian re-entry.

The Board of Piaggio has approved a proposal to invest around 30 million euros (Rs 170 crores) over two years to set up a manufacturing plant with an annual capacity of 1.5 lakh units in India. The Italian manufacturer wants to take advantage of the lucrative Indian scooter market, the Indian two-wheeler market being the second largest in the world.
Piaggio also plans to establish boutique showrooms for selling the range of Vespa scooters. Piaggio would first roll out the Vespa LX 125 scooter by the end of 2012. Then would gradually bring in more powerful scooters.
Piaggio is bullish about the Indian scooter market and is hoping to sell around 1.1 lakh units in the first three years and estimating revenues from the scooter business to touch Rs 400 crores in these three years.
Piaggio Vehicles India Pvt Ltd, which is currently manufacturing three- and four-wheeled small LCV’s, is the segment leader in leader in three-wheeled LCV’s. The company’s plant is located in Baramati, Maharashtra and the future Vespa scooters could also be manufactured here in addition to the proposed new factory.

Vespa is about to make its re-entry into the Indian two-wheeler market and its the LX 125 which has been given thecharge of leading Vespa’s attack on the Indian scooter market. The LX 125 is a 125 cc gearless, automatic scooter similar to the Honda Activa, whose engine produces 7.65 kW of max power and 9.6 Nm of max torque.
The Vespa LX 125 will be loaded with features such as a front disc brake and an electric starter. The scooter will be one of the more powerful scooters in the Indian market and hence fuel efficiency will be on the slightly lower side.
The Vespa LX 125 faces a tough job of re-establishing the Vespa brand name in the Indian two-wheeler space and with the presence of established rivals such as the Honda Activa, Honda Aviator, Hero Honda Pleasure and the Suzuki Access. It is not going to be an easy ride for Vespa in the Indian market.

Vespa LX 125 Technical Specifications
Engine and Transmission
Engine: Single-cylinder LEADER 4 stroke with electronic injection
Capacity: 124cc
Power: 7.65 Kw / 8250 rpm
Max Torque: 9.6 Nm / 7250 rpm
Cooling: Forced Air Cooling
Starter: Electric and kick starter
Transmission: Automatic
Suspension, Brakes and Tyres
Front Suspension: Single sided trailing link with hydraulic shock absorber
Rear Suspension: Hydraulic shock absorbers with preload adjuster
Front Brake: 200mm disc brake
Rear Brake: 110mm drum brake
Front Tyre: Tubeless 110/70 – 11?
Rear Tyre: Tubeless 120/70 – 10?
Dimensions and Weight
Length: 1770 mm
Width: 740 mm
Height: 1140 mm
Weight 114kg
Fuel Tank Capacity 8.5 litres

LML Logos and Pictures - http://connect.in.com/lml-ltd/photo-gallery.html

http://connect.in.com/lml-ltd/photo-gallery.html

Viru Sehwag would ride a LML VESPA !! - Interview Excerpts

I have already lost half my hair; I don’t want to lose the rest contemplating who is saying what about my technique.”

It is this simplicity which defines Virender Sehwag on and off the field. After a gruelling practice session at the new look Ferozeshah Kotla before the IPL semi final, we found Viru, as he is affectionately called, in a reflective mood.

Going back in time, his partner in the Kotla journey used to be Ashish Nehra. “After the first Ranji season I bought an LML Vespa. Whoever rode pillion had to handle the heavy kits.”


Viru, who still lugs his own kit bag, says it surprises him how young players ask others to carry their kits.
"You have to respect your equipment. It is this equipment which makes your sporting life."
Well-deserved

Today Viru drives a BMW. “I could have bought it three or four seasons back but I believed I didn’t deserve it then. So I continued driving my Santro. I firmly believe in living a life you deserve notwithstanding your bank-balance. This helps in concentrating on the career.”

It sounds like propagating old world values, but this is the way the Nawab of Najafgarh has become what he is. “I came from a joint family and my father was a grain merchant. My father gave me a free hand till I completed my graduation. After that he expected me to join his business. But before completing graduation, I was playing international cricket. From the beginning I knew that if I continue playing well nobody can stop me. Money would come my way automatically if I excelled at cricket. A semi-urban background or lack of English speaking skills never gave me any complex because these things don’t matter on the ground.” 
Source - http://www.4jat.com/jat_community_article.asp?jat_community=510

400+ Yellow Vespas ! - http://whoridesavespa.com/2006/10/25/400-yellow-vespas/

http://whoridesavespa.com/2006/10/25/400-yellow-vespas/

400+ Yellow Vespas!

by Abet Rana

The first time I saw the first branch of Yellow Cab Pizza in Makati Ave. back in 2001, my wife & I agreed that we have got to try the place. It just had that interesting appeal. When we went in, I’ve instantly assumed that it was a local franchise of a New York-based pizza place. The ‘feel’ of the store is just not local. The unpainted concrete façade, the b&w New York photographs, the big box & big slices and those ‘cute’ yellow delivery scoots. Bearing a name with the word ‘cab’ in a country that calls it a ‘taxi’ also doesn’t help.

It was only recently, while having a chat with our friends from Yabang Pinoy, when I learned that Yellow Cab Pizza is a 100% Filipino-owned company. The assumptions I had about the store is a product of a good market positioning and a great understanding of the Filipino psyche. I hate being swayed by any marketing gimmicks but their’s just hit me where I least expected it (subconscious) and I didn’t know that I already fell for it the moment I decided to my first visit. I have to say, it’s just pure marketing genius!

Delivery with pizzazz

by: Aida Sevilla Mendoza | Inq7.net Roadtrip

The following is a business success story in which motor vehicles, two-wheeled as well as four-wheeled, played-and continue to play-a starring role.

It is about a pizza parlor that was established in 2001 by Mr. E.P., a Filipino entrepreneur. Today, Yellow Cab Pizza has 54 stores across the country, as far north in Baguio City and as far south as Davao. Not bad for an all-Filipino enterprise that was opened only five years ago in competition with famous, well-established global brands such as Shakey’s, Pizza Hut and Wendy’s.

Different

What makes Yellow Cab Pizza different from other pizza chains, both local and international, is the pizzazz of its delivery system. When you order pizza from Yellow Cab, it is delivered to you via a 150 cc Vespa, the prestigious Italian motor scooter. Other pizza brands use less glamorous transportation, usually Japanese motorcycles such as the Kawasaki 100 cc.

Yellow Cab has 400 Vespas-all painted yellow, of course-across the country to deliver its products on time. Aside from 400 Vespas, Yellow Cab has a 2002 model Chrysler PT Cruiser, painted in the same bright yellow color, that is used for special occasions such as at the grand opening of a store, motorcades, car shows and sponsorship events.

Image builder

Mr. E.P. acquired the PT Cruiser for P1.5 million in 2004 from Kevin Limjoco, C! Magazine’s editor-at-large. “The PT Cruiser is meant to build the image of Yellow Cab,” Mr E.P. said in an interview. “The character of the car is what I wanted to portray-young, hip, retro, very much like the Vespa design.” It helps that the PT Cruiser is not sold in the Philippines and is rarely seen on Philippine roads, thus contributing to the eye-catching mystique of the Yellow Cab brand. Only young people-students and models-get to drive the PT Cruiser, Mr. E.P. revealed. He himself does not drive it.

It is actually logical for Yellow Cab Pizza to own and parade a yellow automobile from America, since the pizza business was named after the ubiquitous yellow taxicabs in New York City. But while the cabs in New York are big, full-size, 6 or 8-cylinder passenger sedans, the PT Cruiser is a compact hatchback with a 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder twin cam engine producing 150 peak horsepower.Boost sales

Together with the Chrysler 300 C executive sedan, the PT Cruiser is credited with boosting sales of the Chrysler division of DaimlerChrysler in the first five years of the 2000s. The PT Cruiser has been consistently recommended by Consumer Reports for four years now mainly because of its reliability and versatile interior. The rear seats can be removed and the front passenger seat folded flat to increase cargo space.

With 400 Vespas at hand, Yellow Cab may well be the company with the largest number of Vespas in the world. Ninety percent of the Vespa fleet was purchased brand-new with the remaining 10 percent acquired secondhand. Mr. E.P. said that the average price of a new Vespa is P80,000 (compared to the P60,000 retail price of a 100 cc Kawasaki) while a used Vespa costs around P50,000. Mr. E.P. sources the Vespas from Italy, where the original Piaggio Vespa is manufactured and from India, where the scooter is produced by LML. There is a Vespa distributor in Metro Manila that sells both. Seventy percent of the Yellow Cab fleet are Piaggio Vespas and the rest, LML Vespas.

Mr. E.P. says that the Vespa has been a part of his life since he was a child. His father rode a Vespa in the 1950s and 1960s and when the Vespa returned to Manila in the 1990s, Mr. E.P. bought one and rode it to work in Makati almost daily. At one time, he even rode his Vespa all the way to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.

Rolling stock

When he was organizing Yellow Cab Pizza, Mr. E.P. saw that the Vespa has a lot of paintable surfaces for advertisements. Perhaps this is one reason he chose the Vespa for Yellow Cab’s rolling stock. Another reason could be the Vespa’s durability. Mr. E.P. says that the Vespa is less prone to break down since the spindle coming from the transmission is attached to the wheel and motion is not transferred by a chain.

In any case, choosing the Vespa and the PT Cruiser to distinguish the Yellow Cab brand was a stroke of marketing genius. Now the question is: When will CATS Motors Inc., the Philippine distributor of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep, make the PT Cruiser available here?

LML / vespa - polini - Chamber(TuningExhaust)

LML VESPA with POLINI CHAMBER - Tuning Exhaust....