Money Matters @Home
Are you thinking about buying one of those cool retro Vespa Scooters and save a little money and time on your commute? You might want to reconsider. Do you already own one and can't seem to get it fixed? Here's the story from Crain's
Chicago scooter market in disarray after city's only Vespa dealer goes under
A modish image and $3-a-gallon gas are pushing sales of Vespa motor scooters to record heights in U.S. cities — but not in Chicago.
With the area's only Vespa dealer in bankruptcy, the Italian manufacturer has stopped shipping new scooters here. Vespa of Chicago is selling what's left of its inventory out of a single location in Lincoln Park.
And while the dealer insists it is still open for sales and service, many Chicagoans are having better luck buying Vespas out of town, from dealerships as far away as Downstate Edwardsville.
Meanwhile, local scooter owners say they don't know where to get their Vespas fixed.
Chris Oles bought his scooter in June 2005 from Vespa of Chicago's parent dealership, West Suburban Imports in Maywood. This month, he called to inquire about a 3,000-mile tune-up, only to learn that the dealership had closed."It's like if I bought a Yugo and all of a sudden Yugo went out of business," says Mr. Oles of Chicago, who owns a silver Vespa LX.
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Chicago scooter market in disarray after city's only Vespa dealer goes under
A modish image and $3-a-gallon gas are pushing sales of Vespa motor scooters to record heights in U.S. cities — but not in Chicago.
With the area's only Vespa dealer in bankruptcy, the Italian manufacturer has stopped shipping new scooters here. Vespa of Chicago is selling what's left of its inventory out of a single location in Lincoln Park.
And while the dealer insists it is still open for sales and service, many Chicagoans are having better luck buying Vespas out of town, from dealerships as far away as Downstate Edwardsville.
Meanwhile, local scooter owners say they don't know where to get their Vespas fixed.
Chris Oles bought his scooter in June 2005 from Vespa of Chicago's parent dealership, West Suburban Imports in Maywood. This month, he called to inquire about a 3,000-mile tune-up, only to learn that the dealership had closed."It's like if I bought a Yugo and all of a sudden Yugo went out of business," says Mr. Oles of Chicago, who owns a silver Vespa LX.
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posted by gf at 3:20 AM
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