The German GS160
Piaggio, having designed and realised a desirable method of personal transport – the Vespa – decided to share their expertise by developing a business model that allowed the granting of licences to suitable manufacturers in countries outside Italy.
Probably the most famous licence granted in the minds of UK enthusiasts was the one to the Douglas motorcycle company in Bristol; but other countries across the world also reaped the benefit of Piaggio’s design genius – Germany was a case in point.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GERMAN VESPA
Piaggio first granted a licence to the Hoffman Company in 1949; but by 1954, they were in financial difficulties caused by the costs of developing a motorcycle engine, so Piaggio revoked their licence on the grounds that the Hoffman Company was bankrupt. The licence then went to the Messerschmitt Company, previously of dubious fame for being a military aircraft manufacturer during the Second World War. This resulted in the formation of the Vespa-Messerschmitt GmbH Company in 1955, that was to both build and market the German Vespas. The resultant production of the Messerschmitt GS150s, among other models, gained a cachet for excellence in the UK when the Messerschmitt GS150s were briefly imported by Douglas to the UK to offset supply problems from the Italian parent factory. By the end of 1957, Piaggio had another change of direction and, still using the Messerschmitt production line in Augsburg, had taken their German distribution ‘in house' under the umbrella company of Vespa GmbH.
THE GS160
Demand for scooters by the end of the Fifties, however, was falling for the German Vespa and the remaining GS150s were being heavily discounted to promote sales. Despite this, in 1962, production of the new Vespa model, the GS160, began with what now seems like an element of misplaced optimism.
In September 1962, the new GS160 was announced with great fanfare to the German market as a ‘sports model for the sports focused scooter rider' at the ‘Internationale Fahrrad- und Motorradausstellung' (International Bicycle and Motorcycle Exhibition – IFMA) show in Frankfurt. The new GS was given the model title of GS/4 (Type 382) – the preceding model designations of GS/1 to GS/3 being the earlier German production GSI50s.
The actual manufacture at the German Augsburg factory consisted of assembling body panels supplied by the Italian parent with detailed changes to the design specifications to suit both German legal regulations and the use of local suppliers for ancillary parts.
In 1962, only a disappointing 1955 units of the GS160 were assembled, followed by just 506 in the following year. Sales were so bad, in fact, that the 160 was available for purchase for a number of subsequent years due to lack of immediate demand.
Because of this factor the SS180 was never to be produced in Germany. In fact, despite GS160 production ending in October 1963, the 160 was available for sale up to 1968 when the imported Vespa Rally became available for the German market. The reason for the sales slump was quite simple – cars were becoming more reasonably priced for anyone looking for a relatively cheap form of transport, just as happened somewhat later in the UK.
PRODUCTION FRAME NUMBERING SERIES 1962: VSB1T 500001 – VSB1T 501955 1963: VSB1T 501956 – VSB1T 502461
THE GERMAN 160 VARIANT
The German 160 production was of the model that was to later become known as the ‘Series 1 GS160' with its unique storage compartment between the back of the dual seat and the top of the rear light – dubbed the ‘butty box' in the UK, as there was just about enough room in this tiny ‘glovebox' recess for a small tool roll and a round of sandwiches.
The visible differences between the German scooter and its Italian stablemate are:
1: An alternative white tone body colour. This was a close match to the Italian Grey White or Tuscany White (Douglas description) finish and was christened Alabaster White. This white was also used on the wheel rims and the steerer fork leg. The hubs, following the Italian practice, were painted silver (Aluminio).
2: Direction or turn indicators were fitted, as motorcycles over 125cc were required to have these installed by law in Germany from 1962. The GS indicators consisted of amber-coloured gems built into redesigned side panel embellishers with a hand control operated from a switch located on the lefthand side of the headset, but integral with the gear change. This was a similar design concept to that of the dip switch/horn on the right-hand side of the headset. All these items were manufactured by Hella.
3: A bi-coloured Denfeld dual seat (available in black and white, blue and white, or red and white) with a built-in bag hook/clasp on the ‘nose' of the seat, rather than the similar Italian spec fixture situated above the choke control and fixed to the chassis.
4: Lighting – a distinctive chrome plastic Hella rear light unit with an amber stop light gem and a running light gem in red was fitted. The headlamp was also a Hella product.
5: A VDO speedo of a similar shape and design to that of the Italian Veglia type.
6: A Hella horn.