Look at Life - Scooter Commuter, 1962

Posted by nostalgoteket.se U.K. newsreel. It's a look at the London scooter scene. On display are gorgeous & colorful scooters. There are over 600 Scooter Clubs in England whose members attend scooter rallies all over Europe. A look at a gathering at London's Crystal Palace for a mass scooter rally featuring a grand parade of all the scooters. Also a brief history of the scooter, including a small WWII version that was used by paratroopers; and a look at scooter manufacture and proving grounds.

[@renegade1987]

"It should stand up to mum popping out to the shops on it, even if she is a heavyweight" LOL

[@digbysirchickentf2315]

The guy reading is a bit of a jerk.

[@davegoldspink5354]

😂🤣😂 Classic

[@Geert365]

Mum got translated by automatic translation as mountain (not sure what i myself am hearing). It's mum then i guess, seeing comments below, from i am assuming native English-speaking folks.

[@oliverlarcombe5091]

06:54 the man holding the clipboard is my grandad.

[@Roger.Coleman1949]

These Raleigh Romas are built with women in mind - ' women, no your limits ' !!. Great period film , life was more jolly then !.

[@nemo6686]

Man, know your spelling!

[@Roger.Coleman1949]

@@nemo6686 I know !

[@goodlookinouthomie1757]

But they're man-tested so they should work great.

[@mazdarx-8rotary.97]

@@goodlookinouthomie1757 i pissed myself when i heard that 😂

[@worldofjerrytravis393]

This! I used to own a Series 2 Lambretta. Loved the smell of 25:1 Castrol R and benzine 2 stroke smoke.

[@inregionecaecorum]

I remember when I put too much oil in mine and rode away leaving a cloud of blue smoke behind me.

[@GhostOfDamned]

@@inregionecaecorum tactical smoke screen

[@maskedavenger2578]

Us bikers called them paraffin pisser’s because they belched out clouds of smoke & soot .They were doing well if they could get between two cafes without the piston nipping up or the gear cables stretching .Some of my mates had them ,stuffed with lights & mirrors ,they used to love borrowing my Honda because it never broke down & went around corners without wobbling all over the road .

[@timpriddy73]

Active people.......the future is now backwards

[@asa1973100]

Glamour overload how absolutely stylish does everything look

[@davsato]

women of Britain went through the blitz wearing headscarves, they don't need helmets

[@Maryonpark]

Everything was far more innocent and fun then.

[@DanJamesJames]

I don't understand your justification for such a statement, and what your evidence might be. Could you explain, please?

[@normanscenic]

Dan James ..no.. Health /safety ..no drugs .no stabbing ..no acid in your face ..no mugging for your phone ....no.. isis... no "" bombs" at concerts.. you could even safely walk around at night !!

[@danielladdingford2295]

Dan James are you actually serious? it was much calmer, better mannered, no severe influx of immigrants, the streets were much more peaceful, much less vandalism, no terror attacks, i could go on

[@danielladdingford2295]

Tomas de Torquemada depends on what angle you look at it if you mean to ask "have we benefitted from literally unlimited immigration where a huge percentage just want to smuggle themselves here to claim benefits and not contribute a dime to the economy" id have to resoundingly tell you to fuck right off

[@danielladdingford2295]

Tomas de Torquemada and if "culturally enriched" means terror attacks where innocent people are killed then YOU are part of the problem we have in our country

[@misyd72]

2.42 to 3.10 is George St. Croydon, showing the clocktower of Thrifts warehouse,which was demolished not long after this 1962 film .Also interesting to see before the famous 1970 'threepenny bit' NLA tower was built,which now dominates the view towards East Croydon Station. Another fine and charming Rank Look At Life film!

[@dodgydruid]

Shame they didn't drive on a bit onto Purley Way to old Aggs Lambretta and Trojan three wheeler factory, Innocenti kept suspending his concessions due to Agg's somewhat outrageous advertising campaigns selling the Lambretta e.g. "Free pair of walking boots with every Lambretta sold" which Innocenti were not happy about especially as most Lambretta owners back then got to know the Lammy push up close and personal shaking their fists at the Vespa's just coasting on by all working and stuff lol

[@dodgydruid]

BTW born in Thornton Heath for me sins although a Bromley boy by upbringing.

[@tileajb1]

Love this piece of film, was a teenager in the sixties so remember these well, prior to being a teenager probably when I was about 9 or 10 had one of the pedal scooters seen at the end , Mobo I think was the make.

[@abhilashkhajuria]

Thanks for sharing your experience . Can u tell more about how life was then compared to today ???

[@Stromboli916]

@@abhilashkhajuria 8 years is a long time but I’m hoping for a response too :(

[@nighthawk6665]

When life was wonderful

[@tomservo5007]

only because we were younger

[@orange70383]

@Ken Roberts stfu

[@gwarlow]

Life is still wonderful. Just stop watching Television News, “reality” shows and get off social media. Ahhhhhhhhhh. Serenity now.

[@MikeLaRock88]

Yup now most people are introverted narcissists

[@RivieraByBuick]

06:15 how can he do that on a such a tiny wheeled scooter? magic..

[@shanedebarra4986]

I thought the same ... what a legend 👍

[@RohanSanjith]

@@shanedebarra4986 ,,,,,MMM

[@TheMijman]

Smaller wheels mean better acceleration. And they had bigger motors than they needed, and weighed nothing. More dangerous, but much better than mopeds now.

[@marty8535]

Andrzej Strzelecki asks: Question here! Why does this soldier at 1:57 has Polish flag? Anyone knows? A: Many Polish armed forces escaped to the UK after the fall of France in 1941 and Polish units were formed in the British Army. Hence the Polish Flag. Polish units in the RAF too. Brave fellows, all of them!

[@BestUserNameUK]

marty It's not a Polish flag, it's a trade patch.

[@johno4521]

Love the way the riding instructor sticks his right hand out - and looks behind as an afterthought 5 seconds later!

[@michaelfisher6354]

No mirrors on the learner scooter. I won't even start with the idea of an instructor yelling in your ear and unbalancing things

[@M3rVsT4H]

@@michaelfisher6354 The look of grim determination on her face. She's got all that going on plus a camera chase car of some description. Probably with a camera the size of a hatchback hanging off it. I swear you could see her telling herself to just breathe..

[@noreworks]

Congestion has such different meaning back then eh

[@ZnenTitan]

that 160 pound cost for a scooter translates to well over 3000 pounds today.

[@gcfcos]

ZnenTitan blimey! That is expensive

[@adamkimmV]

Well, the average car in 60's would've cost £700-£1000 which adjusted for inflation would've been somewhere around £15,000-£20,000. So it'd still be much cheaper than a car. Especially if you account for the running costs.

[@maskedavenger2578]

A brand new Honda C 100 step thru 50cc cub 4 stroke cost only about £91 brand new back in the early 1960’s .It would do 45mph on the flat & up to 53 mph down hill on a good day ,it was also the most reliable vehicle on the planet & would go mega miles on its O• 7 gal tank .The 1972 OHC model only cost £120 new about a decade later .£ 160 was a rip off back then for a small wheeled scooter .Second hand Vespa 150 cc could be had in 1970 for about £15 taxed & tested my mates had them ,I bought Honda’s & never broke down

[@neilfurby555]

Lots of blue smoke....great memories.

[@syedasim8640]

It’s funny people were healthier and skinny back in those days!!

[@tomxsajil6641]

they ate every meal at home

[@SweetyCHa2nel]

Again, the recommendations of KZbin do not cease to amaze)

[@columbmurray1292]

'It should stand up to mum popping down to the shops on it , even if she's a heavyweight.'

[@RohanSanjith]

legend

[@noreworks]

The past is so distant it looks like the future

[@youtubister]

Gotta love the riding lessons :) 7:30 the change-over :)

[@fernandes5986]

This series is marvelouus.

[@UnusSedLeo-w5l]

Nice fumes of smoke. Normal 50 years ago. Now we're in panic when something comes out of an exhaust.

[@markrobinson8539]

+vangestelwijnen The Lambrettas ran on a two stroke mixture of 20:1 or 25:1. Lots of blue smoke - super. Mine would blow smoke rings on a cold winters morning

[@bonkeydollocks1879]

vangestelwijnen to be fair there is probably 600% more traffic today though

[@GhostOfDamned]

Smoke machine

[@davidworsley7969]

Bit of trivia-the airborne scooter was called a Welbike-the civilian version was the Corgi.Triumph brought out the Tina scooter-it was a total flop and was a god part of the reason for Triumph's demise.

[@gerardcollins1767]

funny how all scooters now use that transmission on the tina.

[@davespicer7838]

David Worsley I remember the Tina. A friend had one.

[@miketayse]

20 thumbs down? If you like scooters, how could you not like this?

[@Page-Hendryx]

Rockers....

[@turboslag]

Ah, the good 'ol stink wheel! Lovin that dual control version!

[@dfcvda]

every car, a gem.

[@greybeardmodels]

Great shots at the old Crystal Palace race track

[@lelboy]

That scooter instructor was a bloody menace to the poor learner! Nice vid, though - thanks for sharing.

[@987mattj]

Can't think of a more annoying way to learn

[@ryzzo9299]

06:13 amazing scooter off roading

[@goru426]

Just got my 550cc displacement scooter... love it!

[@syedasim8640]

Hell yes 👍

[@fender200]

What a wonderful video.

[@reccerat4446]

Still got two, the shapes are pure Italian art at is best.

[@dodgydruid]

Me as well, 1958 Li and 1985 MK1 T5 hehe both are in my living room as too pricey to leave outside where common ppl might nick 'em lol

[@normanscenic]

0,42 ..Vespa GS ..i had one loved it

[@johnbenton4488]

Notice the absence of crash helmets - even when under instruction or racing. The mind boggles!

[@cgisarecrap]

Eeh, tha dunt want crash 'elmits lad, they're for nancies. Tha want to fall off an' get thi' 'eah smashed to a pulp like a man.

[@dfcvda]

happend to me

[@CB1000FP1]

started riding motorcycles in 1969 never wore a crash helmet till they made us in 1973

[@tedf1471]

My first Scooter cost me 50p (10 shillings) I picked an odd ball, a 250cc twin Triumph Tigress, very smooth, no smoke!

[@sergeykopylov652]

I want one of these!!!

[@nexischan]

6:30 dude can ride like a pro

[@Davidnumber23]

how we used to be even madder

[@mrmeathead2107]

Great film

[@heywoodjablome2280]

whew! what a getaway! love it!

[@MOLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]

Great video.

[@chazbarclay]

"...man tested" Good.

[@johnniescarlett]

Love it!!

[@sandeeppoojary7586]

Bangalore is really required those kind of portable scooters to avoid hectic traffic.

[@ronaldspencer547]

Lol. The Corgie miniature scooter from WWII unfolds like my Chinese e bike!

[@gwarlow]

7:34 Love that relay exchange. Too funny.

[@OhFishyFish]

I wonder why scooters never caught up in Britain as much as in some European countries. Spanish or Italian cities are full of those things.

[@pklongutoobe]

Might have something to do with the weather...

[@ZnenTitan]

Yah, who wants to ride a scooter in the snow?

[@_B.M_]

It's cos we have Jeremy Clarkson. Powerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

[@OhFishyFish]

@@pklongutoobe Amsterdam has 50 more rainy days than Edinburgh and everyone there cycles...

[@steverushforth7009]

@@OhFishyFish Flat

[@1upon2wheels]

Nice, quaint, scootering!

[@Spongebag44]

Fantastic video, thanks for uploading :-)

[@TheFlorisJ]

5:24 and this technology is still used today on modern scooters, snowmobiles etc.

[@solunasunrise]

waht a freakin prank , look at the guy testing the scooter ... its all a blue sky and a shining sun ... he cannot be in britain :P ^^

The weather is nice in Britain occasionally.

[@Volfmech]

"Its jammed today and everyday" *Almost 60 years on* Oh yeah, still jammed...

[@HaoNguyen-ni3po]

top quality scooters of the world come from england,

[@columbmurray]

You could park up with just the key turned off and when you came back it would still be there !

[@McIntyreBible]

1:25, I had no idea that the Allies had something like that in WWII!

[@ADMIRALSCORNER]

Happy days!

[@amenhotepavoskin1307]

Noisy stinkers, that's what they were. I ride an electric Vespa-style scooter now and it flies like an angel. No noise, no pollution, pure joy and efficiency.

[@TheLondonCyclist]

When england was English and everything was higher quality and full of common sense. Even the police were top quality.

[@jfsssp]

Cool club scenes- kind of pre-Mod era?

[@joerlee454]

Amazing 1962s skuter

[@Jon_Flys_RC]

I love you the video encourages Lane splitting 😂

[@jamesbrown-gg7dd]

It is nice to know that they were tested by men before letting the pretty little girlies on them. how considerate! hardly a helmet in sight not even on the instructor. Harringay stadium is now a supermarket

[@borderlands6606]

Nice Panhard on the left at 0:56. Lincoln's Inn?

[@sandwichbar8226]

PL17

[@samsum3738]

I half expected to see Tony Hancock walking along somewhere .

[@inkey2]

I wonder what a genuine WW2 military Corgi is worth today?

[@chilgozanikal409]

KZbin Recommend Me After 9 Years Ago:

[@mickd6942]

A motor scooter can weave in and out of traffic , no wonder so many get flattened, never seen scooters ridden over terrain like that test track , they almost predicted the commuter electric scooter lol just without the motor , interesting video.

[@tomservo56954]

All those Mods in training....

[@ben1822]

Germany Who invented the scooter? Scooters were first invented in Germany in 1817 when Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun created a two-wheeled ride.

[@albertomartinezalvarado9162]

excelente video

[@sanjaysukhadia7746]

Now it's electric scooters in 2021

[@moimayamahaetmesnounours]

5:37 1962 : 45 miles/hour 2021 : 45 km/hour

[@АлександрПарфенов-п8е]

Super!!!

[@grahampalmer9337]

The Piaggio Vespa; predating the Lambretta; was built in this country, under license, by Douglas in Weston Supermare(?) The 1st 'scooters' included the Kingston, a death trap of a thing, devised to get people mobile, & kick start an ailing economy after WW1; & ended up spawning such things as the Crab (a 3 wheel cross between car & m/c & side car!) - & Raleigh's equivalent that went on to become the Regal/Robin/Rialto(!)

[@dodgydruid]

Douglas made the awesome 152L2, a 125cc totally British built Vespa utilising much from the Super and Sprint, in the late 80's I earned myself a bit of a following when I turned up at mod do's on the '61 reg 152L2 which to be fair gave broken down old skips a run for their money but it still made it to various rallies and all over SE England, caught fire in Lowestoft, borrowed some wire off a mate and jury rigged the old beast driving it back to south London still smoke coming from the battery box (nice and warm too)

[@tejinder868]

Amazing History. Camera should have invented much earlier

[@gcfcos]

Looks like they had the same trouble with traffic even then!

[@lablackzed]

Wonderful day's.

[@MrPoupard]

Never mind the scooters the cars on display here are jaw dropping. At 6.10 does anyone know the name of the British factory?

[@gerardcollins1767]

sure that is a raleigh roma assembly line so probably nottingham also made 2 models of moped .

[@plumberman4u]

Designed with "WOMEN" in mind, BUT It's "MAN" tested. 😂🤣

[@DJD8RR]

Bravoooooo 🙌

[@Big7ScooterClub]

Why is there no fat people around LOL

[@TheLondonCyclist]

'Cause there was no influence from the United States back then. When TVd were invented and people had access to the world, they started following different cultures and diets.

[@orange70383]

It's a scooter commuter that'll vibe your pooter.

[@Hashterix]

If you rode something like that round a park today you'd get nicked.

[@workonesabs]

Yep, no helmets... Strangely, the non-powered scooters are popular again, now, every kid has them. Sort of made a comeback.

[@vanillaexplosion99]

No helmets in the state I live in today and guess what? We are still alive.

[@nelutu6506]

Sudden death...Rome,Italy.

[@bonkeydollocks1879]

Even if she is a heavyweight lol

[@colshythecomedian]

Why has no one invented a "Corgi" with a side car though??

[@cliffordda]

love it,

[@merklereenactment]

well they never had KFC , ,Take out and pre packed foods !, hence the healthy physique's Meat a Veg, and a milk shake if you was lucky :) .. I love this video, makes you wish you were there in those days.

[@paperchain1232]

Chris Collins Hi so do I life in Britain may be rich but it's crap compared with the60s when our country was ours 💝

[@gerardcollins1767]

wimpy bars and corner cafes,

[@annother3350]

And garlic was yet to be discovered. I couldn't have lived back then

[@Pan1man4]

@@annother3350 Vesta Beef Curry and Rice in a small box that was Dads special meal 😃😂

[@annother3350]

@@Pan1man4 My mum was given a curry recipe by an Asian lady in the 60s and she bought all the spices from specialist shops and cherished this recipe for years. Except one day she copied the recipe for her friend and mistook Garlic Bulbs for cloves. Due to my mum, her friend put 5 whole Garlic Bulbs in the curry!!!

[@MountainDaughter]

Absolutely no helmets

[@yokbe33]

2.45 scooter name ?

[@Bisley56]

Wot! No Rumi's?

[@modelcars9493]

I Love this time❤️💙😍🤩

[@bobburro3642]

06:50 even if shes a heavyweight! what ever do you mean?

[@inkey2]

OMG.....I love that ww2 "corgi"........thats awsome. They actually dropped those from planes? AWSOME

[@thegoblins4380]

What do you think they are up to @ 4:44 ?

[@jtbowen-hitchings1968]

Who wrote the theme music?

[@pumpkinhill4570]

5:28 But here come the Hondas!

[@inkey2]

I think the "porky-ness" of Americans is not so much related to "fast food" as it is to too many forms of entertainment that require little or no movement. The USA has had fast food for a long time....but we have only recently turned into fatties. When I was young children spent every moment they could outside playing....sports, etc. I personally spent a minimum average of 15 hours a week on my much loved genuine English Raleigh bicycle

[@ZnenTitan]

inkey2 Yeah, but there was also the fact that you went to say, McDonald's as a real treat, maybe once a month, not every day.

[@robertoc2485]

Great point. I was born in 61 and we were always outside playing. Just a bottle of water and a football!