Love for classic cars

(Baonghean) - Despite having made an appointment beforehand, I had to wait a while before I could sit down and chat with Mr. Tran Minh - a specialist in restoring vintage Vespa scooters, after he finished delivering a Vespa Sprint 150 to a customer...

In the small space of a motorcycle repair shop at 189 Phan Dinh Phung Street (Vinh City), the story revolves around Minh's endless passion for vintage Vespas. His family has a long history of repairing motorcycles, passed down from father to son, but it wasn't until the early 2000s that he truly had the opportunity to work with vintage Vespas. That was the time when imported motorcycles from Taiwan, South Korea, and China, with their competitive prices, dominated most of the domestic motorcycle market. As a skilled mechanic, he was only familiar with repairing modern motorcycles and had never considered repairing a vintage Vespa. His encounter with this special type of motorcycle came about by chance. One morning, an elderly customer brought his motorcycle to his shop for repair. Seeing a vintage Vespa for the first time, both Minh and his son shook their heads and refused, as they had never repaired this type of vehicle before. Disappointed, the old customer left after saying, "What incompetent mechanics!"

Mr. Tran Minh repairs vintage Vespa scooters.

“At that time, I felt incredibly hurt. I was considered a skilled mechanic, yet I was stumped by a Vespa?” – Mr. Tran Minh recalled. In the days that followed, partly out of professional pride and partly out of curiosity, he was determined to “decipher” that particular model. After much research and asking fellow mechanics, he secretly sold his beloved Wave motorcycle without his parents' knowledge, taking 12 million dong as travel expenses to Da Nang to “learn from a master.” Three months of arduous journey, overcoming many difficulties and uncertainties, but with the dedicated guidance of his “master,” coupled with his quick wit, intelligence, and existing knowledge of mechanics, Mr. Minh confidently disassembled, assembled, and repaired vintage Vespas. And his passion for this type of motorcycle had been building up ever since.

To date, Mr. Tran Minh has owned many vintage Vespas, and he can't remember how many he has personally "diagnosed" in and around Vinh City. Vespas are a unique type of vehicle, completely different from modern models in terms of structure and operation, making repairs even more difficult. "Most of these bikes have been used for decades, and there are many different models, generations, and designs, so the technical specifications are very different, making it difficult to handle due to a lack of spare parts. These parts are no longer manufactured domestically, so I had to search online, ask around in motorcycle clubs, and put in a lot of effort to gather addresses of suppliers of spare parts from abroad," Mr. Minh shared.

So, from a mechanic who had never seen a vintage Vespa before, Minh became a skilled "doctor" specializing in "surgery and treatment" for this type of scooter. His reputation spread, and many Vespa enthusiasts in Vinh City sought him out for repairs, but more importantly, to share their passion. This also laid the foundation for the establishment of the Thanh Vinh Vespa Club. Not only is he skilled, but Minh is also very enthusiastic, always ready to help his teammates when their bikes break down on the road, regardless of the time of day or night. Ngo Long, a member, shared: "Entrusting my bike to Minh gives me peace of mind because he has high-level skills and, most importantly, a strong sense of responsibility and enthusiasm for his work. Those qualities have built the Tran Minh Vespa brand."

Lost in conversation, they suddenly heard the crisp sound of a Vespa engine revving nearby. It turned out to be Nga, Minh's wife. Their meeting was also thanks to a Vespa. Nga happily recalled, "Back then, when he came to my house on this 'vespa,' my neighbors and I hated it because of its loud noise. So every time he came, he had to turn off the engine from afar and walk in. But over time, without hearing that distinctive 'whirring' sound, we started to miss both the scooter and its owner!" Their love grew stronger along with their shared love for vintage scooters. On their wedding day, he rode her on his vintage Vespa, followed by more than 20 other men also riding Vespas, creating a unique wedding procession that caused a sensation in Vinh City.

The conversation was getting lively when Tran Minh's phone rang. It turned out it was time for the group's meeting. "Today, we're planning a 'road trip,' because we've accepted an invitation from the Quang Binh Vespa Club to participate in the 'Back to the Roots' program, donating gifts to disadvantaged families," Tran Minh shared. He and his friends want to affirm that the enduring vitality of classic Vespas lies not only in the unique features of the bikes themselves, but more importantly, in the harmony between passion and community-oriented public service activities. That's what creates the lasting life and meaning of the love for Vespas!

Hoang Vu

Vinh City