ARMANDO PASTORELLI 1929 - 2011

When 22-year-old Armando Pastorelli returned from national service to his native Puglia in Southern Italy, there was no work and few prospects. Like many of his countrymen, he headed to the industrial north where fate secured him a training course at the Innocenti factory in Milan.

Emerging as a mechanic, qualified to work on the still relatively new Lambretta range of scooters, Armando was sent to England in 1952. This was the first year Lambretta scooters were officially imported to the UK and the scale of investment by Lambretta at this point in history was huge as they were engaged in cutthroat competition with their rivals at Piaggio and their Vespa scooters.

Any advantage had to be pressed home and Armando was one in a small number of mechanics sent overseas where dealers would proudly proclaim the presence of factory trained specialists in their workshops. Armando eventually found himself in Sheffield working for Dan Bradbury Motorcycles. By 1958 Armando was married to Brenda, a local girl, and their first son had been born. Scooters were at the height of their popularity and Armando decided to strike out on his own – Armando’s Scooters was born. With a tremendous ethic for hard work Armando’s grew rapidly and for many years also held the Douglas franchise for Vespa in Sheffield. Compulsory purchase of the original premises saw a move to Randall Street in the early 70s. Quadrophenia gave the UK scooter industry a boost in the late 1970s and with only one son old enough to help with this increase in business, Armando’s health began to suffer. By 1988 his sons Giulio and Guido were effectively running the shop and Armando returned to Italy, where he bought an SX150.

Armando maintained an interest in the business, often returning to the UK for the shop’s open days. Armando was a lifelong scooterist and even in old age could be seen out shopping on his Vega.

Although Armando Pastorelli passed away suddenly just before Christmas 2011, his legacy continues to this day.