CHEQUEBOOK SCOOTERING
Recently the term ‘chequebook scootering’ has been heavily debated on social media. Does it really exist though, or is it just a myth?
I think there is a certain degree of envy by some who are less bothered about the scooter that has been created than they are by how much money the owner has to spend on it.
During the 1980s scooter scene there was a surge in the number of custom scooters being built. It didn’t matter whether it was a Vespa or a Lambretta, the competition was so intense. The more owners wanted to outdo each other the more money was spent. The rivalry was fierce but it was natural and healthy in developing the custom side of the scooter scene. This was the decade where we first started to see commission scooters built to order. It was also the first time that chequebook scootering was mentioned. What did it mean though and why was the phrase bandied around?
At a time when you could buy a good second hand scooter for a few hundred pounds to see some of the high-end custom scooters costing several thousand certainly raised a few eyebrows. It must be remembered though that some of the work being produced was exemplary. Not just the paintwork but the chroming or engraving, most done to the highest standard possible. The skilled craftsmen producing the work were professionals in their own right so their time was always going to come at a price.
No one ever questioned the standard of the scooters being produced and I’m pretty sure anyone who was there at a rally or show stood in awe looking at each and every one. What started to bother a certain element of the scootering community was that the owner’s only contribution to these magnificent creations was that they funded them. While it might have looked that way, this didn’t mean that it was entirely true. These creations required several skills already mentioned and there was no way one person would be able to do them all. A custom scooter always requires the input of several people and always will. It might be that part of the problem was the amount of money being spent. To some, it seemed excessive and to a certain extent, those that were spending were seen to be careless.
Did it matter though? It was their money and they had earned it so it was up to them how they decided to use it. The fact that they chose to spend it customising a scooter at least meant they were putting investment back into the dealers that as scooterists we all needed one way or another. Another thing to remember – although huge sums were being spent it didn’t raise the price of scooters in general. Far from it as many of these machines lost money when sold on.
So now it brings us up to the present and gone are the days when a custom scooter cost a few grand. It’s quite easy for it to be in the tens of thousands with some owners having several built. So yet again the term ‘chequebook scootering’ raises its ugly head. If a person owns a scooter whether it is a Vespa or a Lambretta they most likely have a vision of how they want it to be, their dream scooter. So they pay someone to do the paintwork, the engine, chrome and engraving, fabrication and finally the person who rebuilds it. One fact remains – the idea came from the person who owned it, and that was not paid for. The initial idea is the most important part of the process. Even if you do most of the building yourself but pay someone to do the paint then surely that in a way is partly ‘chequebook scootering’?
I think there is a certain degree of envy by some who are less bothered about the scooter that has been created than they are by how much money the owner has to spend on it. Does it really matter? As long as people keep investing in the scene, that is what really matters. Over the last four decades, there have been some iconic custom scooters built, undoubtedly some costing more than others. Without them though the scene would have been a lot less exciting. So next time you’re looking at a custom scooter whose owner had no physical hand in creating, remember that without them it would have never happened. Chequebook scootering, it’s all a myth in my opinion.