Author Topic: Strange unidentified 1960s scooter  (Read 4732 times)

Plado

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Strange unidentified 1960s scooter
« on: June 21, 2008, 11:42:53 PM »
I was just watching a vintage Look at Life DVD taken from the London area Odeon Cinemas series that has just been released on DVD, and I noticed an item about a British made Scooter and they said nothing about it's make or name.

It was white (they all were) built in the UK; Designed to be light weight for women to find easier to heave around.

The logo on the side was a kind of bell shape in red.
It could have been automatic gears.  
I was riding around in London on my Douglas 350 Mk IV Sport in the early 1960s and I never saw one like this.  I think I'll upload a still shot from the DVD to see if anyone recognises the make.  It's driving me nuts not knowing what it was.

It wasn't a Triumph Tiger, it's too small.  There was another one even smaller made that were all lavender colour and very puny.   The white scooter you see in this photo was tested by the factory over Tank Assault course somewhere to see if they could self-destruct but they were mighty tough apparently.
The movie shows them stacked up for selling in their hundreds.

Anyone recognise this thing?
Plado.

Offline L.A.B.

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Re: Strange unidentified 1960s scooter
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2008, 12:21:15 AM »
It's a 'Raleigh Roma', or also known as a 'Bianchi Orsetto' as they were actually made in Italy I believe, although the Raleigh version was presumably assembled in the UK?:
 
http://www.nomads.force9.co.uk/ruff.html

http://www.cybermotorcycle.com/gallery/bianchi/Bianchi_Orsetto_1966_Scooter.htm

http://www.vespaforever.net/bianchi.htm
« Last Edit: June 22, 2008, 12:28:29 AM by L.A.B. »
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Offline neracarken

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Re: Strange unidentified 1960s scooter
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2008, 02:31:08 AM »
L.A.B.'s description of the Raleigh would tie in with the registration of the bike. TO is a Nottingham city reg. no. and Raleigh's factory was in Nottingham.

Plado

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Re: Strange unidentified 1960s scooter
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2008, 04:18:54 AM »
Many thanks for this. I knew you'd know on this forum but I didn't think you'd come up with the answer that fast so I have just ordered a book on Popular Scooters and Microcars that I spotted on YouTube and the ROMA is in that book but on the video I could only see that name.  I didn't realise it was a Raleigh.

Amazing. Yes you must be right that in Nottingham they would have assembled them under license.  After all we didn't really have any lasting Scooter making here back then, apart from the Sunbeam and the BSA.  The market was all Italian and German if I remember rightly.
Anyhow thanks very much for settling my frustration I can sleep now !
Best
Plado.