East London Lambretta and Vespa dealer Eddy Grimstead was one of the best when it came to marketing scooters.
Early on in the 1960s he produced his Lambretta Imperial dealer special, but it was probably the ‘Grimstead Hurricane’ Vespa that became based on the SS180 when that was launched in 1965, which was the most well-known.
Bored out to a 200cc, fitted with an (optimistic but impressive!) 100mph speedometer and finished in a unique two-tone paint scheme, this was a necessary part of being a scooter dealer at the time. Sales were dropping but, like any good businessman, Eddy adapted by selling Honda scooters and mopeds and later on diversifying into the car market too. Eddy sadly passed away earlier this year, but there’s a great interview with Eddy in Scootering magazine back in 2000.
By the late 1960s the Mods had moved on – so naturally, Eddy did too. As can be seen from this advert of his from 1967, he made the decision to try the hippy market, albeit I presume he was aiming at the usual fashion bandwagon jumpers who will buy anything with next season’s colours rather than the penny-less students hitching a lift from one free music festival to another!
Whether these psychedelic scooters took off I don’t know, but I’d be interested to hear from anyone who purchased a Vespa or Lambretta painted like this from Eddy Grimstead back in the 1960s, or indeed who knows anyone who did. Peace man…
I own a lambretta tv175. Registered new in March 1963. I think it was bought new at grimsteads.. anyone know. Cheers