‘Be Different’ says the 1960s advert by Glanfield Baldet Ltd of Northampton, in an attempt to win the business of aspiring scooterists near and far of the time. And ‘different’ was certainly the approach taken by proprietor, Andre Baldet. Famed for his exploits on two-wheels to promote the Vespa scooters in his showroom, Baldet not only competed successfully in scooter events like the Isle of Man Scooter Week and Scoot to Scotland, but he also created his own endurance events, and rode great distance both in the UK and abroad too. 
But while all the riding proved the worth of the Vespa and gained plenty of coverage in the press, it didn’t necessarily bring customers specifically into the Baldet showroom.
So he needed a cherry on the proverbial cake. This was the ‘special edition’ scooters he created, the ‘Arc-En-Ciel’ Vespas (French for rainbow) featuring a paint scheme unique to Baldet, plus various accessories and upgrades depending on model and customer requirements – along with their budget of course! Whether a basic Vespa Sportique model, or top of the range GS or SS180, it didn’t matter, Baldet could make it stand out in the crowd for you.
After scooters Baldet continued in the motor trade around the Northampton area, becoming as successful selling cars as he was powered-two-wheelers. This was no doubt helped by the fact he knew what customers wanted, and for those desiring something special on four wheels Baldet was able to offer that too…
* ScooterNova is an independent scooter magazine, published in the UK by scooterists for scooterists. Available in all good scooter shops, on subscription and via mail-order, the brand new edition 22 was published on 1 November 2020. For more information and to visit our online shop, please go to www.scooternova.com
