OH SO SPECIAL
While it wasn’t the first dealer special, the SS180 did bring the concept to a wider market. There were three main protagonists in the field; Andre Baldet with the Mona (which had started with the GS), Eddy Grimstead’s version called the Hurricane, and a lesser-known offering from Arthur Francis labelled the ‘Manhatten’ (see advert below misspelling the New York City borough). The first two were the most well-known, and Eddy Grimstead’s version was the most popular. Regardless, all centred around one thing: the engine with its increased capacity.
It was possible to bore the cylinder out slightly and give a capacity up to 206cc and, with an upjetted carb, gain slightly more top speed and acceleration. These were still the early days of performance enhancements and were based solely on altering the factory components rather than creating specific tuning products; that was still a few years away. This was almost a game of who dared to go the furthest with this type of conversion. As the conversion rendered the factory warranty void, any reliability issues would be the dealer’s responsibility.
While this type of tuning would never become mainstream, it was a way of getting customers through the door. Once the penny dropped that the special was out of reach, the salesman would cut a deal on a less expensive, standard machine. All SS180 dealer specials followed a similar option, with the paint always offered in a two-tone scheme depending on the customer’s choice of colours. The schemes were simplistic yet striking in appearance, with the newly introduced contours and lines of the panel work making them stand out.
Other extras included the obligatory 100mph speedometer, probably because it sounded good, chrome carrier and ball end levers. There was also an option of 12v lighting, but this wasn’t seen much because of the expense. Regardless the SS180 was responsible for showing how the scooter could be modified, certainly when it came to the Vespa.