What makes a dealer special so unique?
The dealer special has been a major part of scooter business since the 1960s. What is it that makes them stand out from the crowd?
The dealer special has been a major part of scooter business since the 1960s. What is it that makes them stand out from the crowd?
Ever since dealers first started selling the scooter there has always been competition to outdo each other regarding sales. It’s only natural in business to try and beat the opposition. If there was a gimmick or sales promotion to gain an advantage, then that option would be taken up immediately. The problem was that most of the time this would mean slashing the price of a certain model and in the long run, though more machines would be sold, the profit was no greater. The only real way forward was to offer something no one else had in an attempt to lure potential customers into the shop. By doing so the price didn’t need to be reduced, keeping margins up.
Race to be first
The first real attempt at a Vespa dealer special was by Glanfield Baldet with the Mona in the mid-1960s. It was mainly
based around the paint more than anything else but, heavily promoted, it created a lot of attention for the company. Hot on their heels was Eddy Grimstead from London with the Hurricane, based on the Vespa SS180. This was a deliberate cash-in on the Mod look, but the idea worked. He also offered the Lambretta by way of the Imperial and was the first dealer to offer a special using both brands. We all know about the Arthur Francis S Type which was also going down a storm at the same time. So too the
Supertune, which was more sports and racing oriented.
There were other lesser-known attempts at a dealer special back in the 1960s such as the Super Legere and those offered by PJ Oakley. Many had varied success but by the end of the decade, with a decline in two-wheeled sales – not forgetting the demise of the Lambretta – the dealer special faded into obscurity. It was a shame for this to happen but the tide of change throughout the industry dictated the circumstances. What these companies had done is shown just how lucrative and important the dealer special could be. If the was a resurgence, a lot could be learned from what they had achieved.
Seen through the eye of a Lens
Ray Kemp kept the legacy of the AF dealer special alive through the lean times of the 1970s with his take on the S Type. Now produced in metal flake and available in several engine sizes, including the 250cc version, this was what helped his business survive at the time. As the resurgence in scooter ownership began to grow towards the end of the decade, Lens of Shipley, the Yorkshire-based Vespa dealer, started customising new Rally 200 models, soon followed by the PX. This gave them great publicity and helped reignite the spark for the dealer special.
The likes of Ron Harvey with the Dyrospeed and Reghams with the Dominator soon began to appear. With the scooter scene rapidly growing and an influx of teenagers keen to have the best scooter, specials like these became heavily in demand. Scooterists at the time would be in awe if one pulled up at a rally or meeting. Why not – these were brightly styled and good-looking machines built around the idea of making an instant impact. At the time there were many home-grown custom scooters being built to a high standard but the kudos a dealer special carried somehow made it very desirable.
Everlasting
There was one dealer special that started production in the early 1980s that would have one of the biggest influences of all, so much so that it continues to be produced to this very day. It is none other than the Armandos dealer special, based around the Vespa. With its distinctive paint scheme and high-spec engine, it proved to be a winner from the outset. Though it has had many tweaks and variants over the years, the standard design has never really changed – proving that if you produce a winning formula then you don’t change it too much for it to continue. Along with the AF S Type, these have to be the longestrunning dealer specials ever produced within the scooter scene.
Understanding why both have such continued success is simple to explain. Both were produced during what was a golden time in scooter customising. They had designs that were well-liked and always looked good on the eye. Because the scene is controlled by nostalgia, when it comes to scooter designs both of them allow people to hark back to those days. One that is produced now may have very modern paint or the latest engine spec but it has that retro look because people remember them from back then. Also because the basic design hasn’t changed the memories of when they first appeared all those years ago can still be seen in modern-day ones. In a way, it’s almost the design of the paintwork that is more important than the scooter itself.
Limitations
If the dealer special does have an Achilles heel it’s in its limitations. This is perhaps what over the years has stopped hundreds appearing – the problem being it’s designed specifically around what a dealer wants. For example, they may have a certain type of cylinder kit or, in today’s scene, engine that they specifically use. Using a cylinder kit from another manufacturer or one that they don’t usually
stock probably isn’t going to happen. The paint design and layout can’t alter too much either as it’s what makes the scooter so iconic in the first place. If it’s constantly changed then it starts to make it complicated to keep up with. Many of them are also fitted with aftermarket parts and that dealer may only use certain manufacturers for this, limiting the choice.
All of this sum of parts is the makeup of a certain dealer special but it is the idea of that shop or business. The problem lies with the customer wanting to use an item that is outside of what a certain dealer special is based around. That has been the stumbling block for a long time with the customer in some cases not buying one because it doesn’t have a certain item they wish for fitted. In a way, it makes the dealer special unique and most that buy them are happy with the overall specification. Once they leave the shop that doesn’t mean the customer can’t swap or add what they want, which quite often does happen. It’s a small price to pay and to an extent a compromise in getting the ultimate dealer special – something that is created by the shop but slightly altered by the customer afterwards.
Paying homage
Another thing the dealer special has created is the lookalike or reproduction. There are countless tributes to the S Type out there, produced on a constant basis. Spotting one that has actually come from AF Rayspeed is almost impossible. Then there are the tributes to specials that are no longer produced. Many new tributes to the Supertune appear on a regular basis, even though the last ones were built decades ago. It’s a testament to how good they actually were that owners still want to replicate them.
Just how accurate does a reproduction need to be, though? Does it only require a similar paint job and perhaps some lettering on the side panels, or should it be an exact replica right down to the last detail of how the original was built? That is debatable and depends on how much of a purist someone is. Getting the exact specification isn’t always easy, certainly from those built long ago. Similarly, many of the parts are just not available any more, so some sort of compromise is inevitable. The reality is that it doesn’t matter too much and keeping the legacy alive of such scooters is what is more important.
Continuation
In the future, the dealer special will no doubt continue. The ones already mentioned will always survive because they have built up such a strong reputation. There will, of course, be new ones based around both the Vespa and Lambretta – not just with traditional models but many from the new ones, certainly for the Vespa. Some may be short-lived while others will gain in stature, with new scooter businesses seeing them as a way of getting a foothold in the market and a way of free promotion.
Dealer specials have been around for almost 60 years now. They may not be as prolific as they once were and many may be consigned to the history books. One thing is for certain though: over that time they have been an important part of the scooter scene. I wonder what will be the next one to be unveiled?