Vespa and Lambretta exhibition in Blaubeuren
In just a few hours, the small town of Blaubeuren in Baden-Württemberg will have one more attraction to look forward to for its almost 13,000 inhabitants and hopefully many visitors. The Vespa club "Vespagioia" is opening a Vespa and Lambretta exhibition right in the town centre. In a shop that it has renovated itself, Vespagioia not only presents classic scooters, but also photos and films. We spoke to Heiko Ruepp about the exhibition and the club. A regional TV station has produced a short film about the whole story short film film about the whole story.
Hi Heiko, on 23 November you are opening your "showroom" in Blaubeuren, near Ulm. You are the scooter club "Vespagioia". Could you briefly introduce yourselves?
The club was founded in 2017 with the idea of doing things together, Screws on scooters and having fun. It all started with four people, but now the core group consists of ten members, including three women. The name "Vespagioia" is made up of the words "Vespa" (self-explanatory 😄) and "Gioia", which means "fun/joy" - in other words, joy and fun with the Vespa.
When and how did you come up with the idea of renting this shop in the city centre and using it for yourselves?
The idea had been in my head for a long time, but I hadn't been able to realise it yet. Now was the right time, as a shop in Blaubeuren - formerly "Wollschacht" (a clothing shop) - had been empty for some time. I asked the town hall directly and got the green Light. I then presented the idea to our group and everyone was immediately in favour of implementing the project together. It would have been impossible on our own, but as a strong group we managed it. Everyone got involved and the result is a really beautiful exhibition.
The shop is very centrally located, right in the heart of Blaubeuren, right next to the church - so it's easy to find.
What can be seen from the outside through the shop window?
The house has large windows that also go round the corner. You can see every Vespa, the Lambretta and two Apen bikes from outside. We've also hung photos of our trips and activities in the windows so that passers-by can see who we are, what we do and that we're a great bunch, even outside of opening hours.
There's also a Café Ape in the exhibition, which is run by a small Italian café called "Il Gusto" (50 metres away) - but not as part of the exhibition. We asked them if they would like to join in, as a co-operation was obvious, and they were immediately on board.
And what do you experience when you walk in? When are you even open?
When you walk in, you immediately feel the Vespa flair. It smells of petrol and Oil, which reinforces the authentic feeling. There are lots of photos on the walls that encourage you to linger and chat. The Vespas on display can be admired at your leisure, and our YouTube films are shown on a projector next to the small Ape.
The opening will take place on 23 November at 11:00 Clock. We will be available to answer questions until 17:00 Clock. After that, we plan to open on Sundays between 14:00 and 16:00, and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 12:00 - or by appointment. Anyone who would like to can contact us so that we can also make the exhibition accessible outside these times. The exhibition is planned to run until March.
What kind of vehicles are in the shop? How old are they?
On display are: 2 x Vespa V50, a VBB, VNB, Sprint Veloce, 2 x PX, VBA, a Lambretta, MV GT160, Ape 601 and Ape 50. The vehicles date from 1959 to 1984.
What are your plans for the future?
We hope to use this campaign to find premises that we can use as a "club room" in the long term. Other ideas are also already in the starting blocks, but are not yet ready to be finalised. For 2025, we are planning to choose destinations together again that we would like to visit with our Vespas. Of course, there will also be a small but nice roll-up next year.
If you would like to find out more about us, you can find us under "Vespagioia" on Facebook and Instagram. On our YouTube channel there are also videos of our rides. We look forward to new subscribers, followers and, of course, positive comments on our activities.
Video: Vespagoia visits SIP Scootershop
