Vespa

Tod's Launches Leather Motorcycle Helmets

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Cars & Autos

A set of super stylish leather motorcycle / Vespa helmets is the latest luxe offering from Italian label Tod's, famed for its iconic driving loafers, shoes and chic bags. Featuring a microfiber lining, stainless steel hardware and flip-up plexiglass eye shields, the helmets are priced at about $1,000 and come in glove soft, saddle stitched black, white and vacchetta leather. The helmets are made by hand entirely in Italy, in a painstaking process ensuring their quality and durability, and adhere to rigorous road-going safety standards in a marriage of timeless style and contemporary luxury. Tod's has been expanding its offerings of late and also recently introduced its first line of sunglasses. Meanwhile, the firm's dapper owner Diego Della Valle just published a book titled Italian Touch extolling the virtues of the stylish lifestyle embodied by the brand.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Diego Della Valle, DiegoDellaValle, helmet, Italian fashion, ItalianFashion, Italy, motorcycle, Tods, Vespa

Stylish Recycling: Vespa Chair by Bel & Bel

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Cars & Autos, Green

Vespa Chair by Bel & Bel - Click above for image gallery

As much as we appreciate the style of vintage Vespa scooters, there's no debate that the old Italian air-cooled, two-stroke, single cylinder engines are extremely damaging to the air we breathe. Even though it's environmentally responsible, it still seems like such a shame to let all those pretty Italian scooters go to waste, which is one reason why we like electric scooter conversions like this one.

Another option for older scooters, especially ones that have no real shot at becoming roadworthy again, is to turn them into office furniture, as seen above. Not interested in doing the work yourself? We don't blame you. Fortunately, there's at least one company that will do the job for you.

Design studio Bel & Bel is now turning out these Vespa chairs that convert the leg shields from older Vespas into fashionable and usable art. From the looks of it, color choices for both the external structure and the actual seating surfaces abound, so there shouldn't be any problem coordinating the tone for your specific office.

Gallery: Vespa Chair by Bel & Bel

[Source: Bel & Bel via Motorcycle.com]

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Tags: bel bel, bel y bel, BelBel, BelYBel, vespa, vespa chair, vespa furniture, VespaChair, VespaFurniture

The New Vespa GTS 300 Super

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Classic Italian scooter maker Vespa just unveiled its newest and most powerful model at the New York Motorcycle Show. The sporty GTS 300 Super (above) can hit speeds of up to 80 mph, and gets about 70 miles to the gallon. Available in either black or white, the new Vespa (which means "wasp" in Italian) will sell for $6,199 beginning in March. Along with a souped-up engine and extra large wheels, the GTS 300 Super features sporty touches like a side grill on the rear engine panel, a red spring on the front shock, two-tone alloy rims, a black-rimmed headlight and chrome air intake. Vespa, founded in 1946, has featured in many stylish films from Roman Holiday and La Dolce Vita to Quadrophenia.

Tags: Dolce Vita, DolceVita, Italy, La Dolce Vita, LaDolceVita, Quadrophenia, Roman Holiday, RomanHoliday, Scooter, Vespa

Vespa Hybrid Scooter

by Dakota Smith (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Blog Retro Thing reports that Vespa is testing two different hybrid/gasoline scooters in Milan, including the Vespa LX 50 pictured here. According to the site, the scooter can charge its batteries from the gasoline motor, while the electrical battery can be charged via a standard European plug outlet. The combination of the gas and electricity reduces gasoline consumption by up to 20 percent. Plus, via the hybrid feature, the bike can operate in the electric-only mode in such areas such as tunnels, where fumes would be bothersome. Here's the official company release, translated (not always so easily) to English.

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Tags: Hybrid, Vespa