On the Radar: Sears Allstate Vespa 125

So these three manufacturers employed three very different design philosophies. The Vespa chassis was essentially a steel monocoque with the drivetrain suspended from it. The steel legshield/footrest was welded to the structure to provide more rigidity. So the Vespa could be considered an invertebrate — like a crustacean — getting its strength from its exoskeleton. Similarly, the Lambretta can be thought of as a vertebrate with its strength coming from its steel tube spine, with the drivetrain, suspension and bodywork attached thereto.

Rumi’s first attempt at a scooter echoed some of the Vespa’s features, like a pressed-steel monocoque frame (the Scoiattolo, or squirrel), but used motorcycle-sized wheels. Their next design was unique. The frame consisted of a rear section housing the fully enclosed final drive and single-sided swingarm. The engine/gearbox was a stressed member connecting this to a front enclosure, which contained the fuel tank, headlight and electrics. Both sections of the frame, swingarm, front fender and even the muffler were cast from aluminum alloy. No less unusual was the engine — a 125cc 2-stroke twin!

Though the early “handlebar” Vespas were instantly recognizable, the early Lambrettas looked more like the American scooters of the day (like the Mustang or Cushman) with abbreviated bodywork and exposed engine — a far cry from the sleek, fully enclosed Li Series of the late ’50s and ’60s. Along the way, though, the shaft drive was replaced by a fully enclosed chain. Purists consider the 3-speed, shaft-drive series D model of 1951-56 to be the last real Lambretta.

As the Amazon of its day, Sears sold everything from soup to nuts from its mail-order catalog and brick-and-mortar stores. So it was no surprise that motorcycles from Cushman, Gilera and Puch were added, all sold under one of Sears’ brands, but the Vespas were always their “deluxe” models. They were introduced as the “Super Cruisaire” and were sold from 1952 to 1967 under the Allstate brand.

The Allstate Vespas were typically stripped-down versions of the European-market models. They were often sold without a speedometer, lacking a lock on the glove box, and even omitting a brake light. Allstate Vespas never got damping on their front suspension, just springs — an omission that ScooterLounge.com called “downright dangerous,” while also noting that the 1950s “handlebar” models were “really too slow to be ridden on today’s streets,” and that the later large-frame VNBs were only “slightly better.” The lighting also came in for criticism — though the Allstates pioneered the handlebar-mounted headlight, which became standard on all Vespas.

By 1967, the last year for Sears Vespas, the European models had become considerably more sophisticated with engines up to 180cc (Allstates were always 125cc), dual seats, cables hidden within the bodywork and refreshed styling. The scooter boom was a bust by then. The Allstate branding was dropped for the Sears Vespas in 1967.

Contenders: similar scooters for a slow ride

1958-65 Lambretta 125 LI Series 1-3

• Claimed power: 5.5hp @ 5,200rpm
• Top speed: 43mph
• Engine: 123cc (52mm x 58mm) air-cooled, 2-stroke single piston port
• Transmission: 4-speed, multi-plate clutch, chain final drive
• Weight (dry): 229lb
• Price then/now: $400 (est.)/ $3,000-$5,000

The first Lambretta, the Model A, was built around a fan-cooled, 2-stroke engine driving a 3-speed transmission by shaft to the rear wheel. Changes during this time were mostly cosmetic, culminating with the Model LD of 1951-58, which hid most of the workings behind distinctive molded side panels.

Major reengineering in the late 1950s introduced the Series 1 model LI 125 and 150cc, and the TV 175cc. The shaft final drive and torsion bar rear suspension were abandoned, replaced by a fully enclosed chain and coil spring, with the engine mounted horizontally. A fourth gear was added and bodywork became sleeker. A further revision for 1959 moved the headlight from the legshields to a neat handlebar cowling, so the headlight followed the scooter’s front wheel –the LI series 2.

Although Lambrettas were sold under the Riverside brand by Montgomery Wards, they were also distributed directly by Innocenti Corp. in New York. It seems likely that the first Riverside Lambrettas were the LI Series 3 from 1961 — essentially the LI Series 2 with slicker ’60s styling. The Series 1-3 Lambretta LIs are sturdy and reliable, though the 125s, like their Vespa equivalents, are pretty slow. The 150cc versions are more practical as well as the TV 175 Series 2-3 and the TV 200 of 1962-63. But these are rare and command high prices — if you can find one!

1954-61 Moto Rumi 125 Formichino

• Claimed power: 6.5hp @ 6,000rpm
• Top speed: 53mph
• Engine: 125cc (42mm x 45mm) air-cooled, 2-stroke twin, deflector pistons
• Transmission: 4-speed, multi-plate clutch, chain final drive
• Weight (dry): 220lb
• Price then/now: $230 (est.)/ $5,000-$6,500

Designer and artist Donnino Rumi took a radical approach to the Formichino. About the only elements in common with Vespas and Lambrettas were small wheels. Rumi crammed the electrics inside a headlight casing, which also held the steel gas tank, while forming the front half of the frame. The rear housing covered the back wheel, supported the single-sided swingarm and enclosed the drive chain. The unit construction engine and transmission joined the two main frame components.

The engine was no less radical: a horizontal 2-cylinder parallel-twin 2-stroke with four gears, a single Dell’Orto carburetor and the muffler under the floorboards. Remarkably, the two frame sections, the headlight cowl, front fender, swingarm and muffler were all cast in light alloy.

The engine offered tuning potential, and Formichinos were quite successful in racing, winning the scooter class of the Bol d’Or 24-hour race in 1958-60. Rumi released a Bol d’Or replica with dual downdraft carbs, chrome-plated alloy cylinder barrels and alloy heads. A Tipo Sport (sport type) was also available, essentially similar to the Bol d’Or but with a single 22mm carb. Both had 10-inch wheels instead of the base model’s 8-inch.

Formichinos were sold in small numbers in the U.S., and also imported from Argentina, where they were made under license. Parts are hard to come by in the U.S. though they can often be ordered from Europe. If buying a Sport or Bol d’Or, watch for broken piston rings or cylinder damage around the exhaust ports.