FOUR DAYS OF ADVENTURE, FUN AND LOVE FOR THE MOST FAMOUS TWO-WHEELED VEHICLE IN THE WORLD. THE 2014 EDITION OF VESPA WORLD DAYS IS PLANNED, WHICH WILL BE HELD AT MANTUA

Hasselt (Belgium), 25 June 2013 – The most important Vespa concentration in the world, held in the green village of Hasselt in Belgium from 20 to 23 June, was a record breaking success with the public and registered participants: three thousand Vespa riders participated; 2,300 Vespas were registered; 173 Vespa Clubs participated from 21 nations. The most represented country was naturally Belgium with 722 registered participants, followed by Germany with 408. As always, Italy was also a key player with 318 registered participants. The Bel Paese was also the star of the activities scheduled in the rich programme this year: the Sirmione Vespa Club won the tourist competition Vespa Trophy, while the Rovereto Vespa Club took the wreath in the gimkana race.

The perfect execution of the event is a direct result not only of the strong spirit of brotherhood that has always bound Vespa riders of all ages and all nationalities, but also by the punctual organisation of the host country Vespa Club. The Vespa riders from all over the world enjoyed the hospitality of the Hasselt residents, enthusiastic to welcome such a large, cheerful and peaceful group like the Vespa lovers.

The unforgettable Vespa outings, including the one to the legendary Zolder circuit, had Vespas from all generations in the parade: numerous Vespa GTS 125 Supers participated which is, in Belgium, the best selling two-wheeled vehicle, various 1959 Vespa GS 150s and some Vespa 150 Sidecars dating back to 1955. For the 2013 Concorso d’Eleganza precious models and unique units at the show paraded, as well as some of the earliest Vespas produced, preserved or majestically restored, or the rare Vespa 400, the four-wheeled vehicle built entirely by Piaggio of which only 90 are in existence in Italy.

Just how ingenious Vespa is was demonstrated once again: for a long time it has managed to transcend the common use of an urban commuter, becoming a true cult phenomena, loved and even revered. It is a transversal vehicle, able to excite different generations, at any latitude, in any place on the planet. One specific piece of information represents Vespas ability to reach the heart and ignite the passion of an extremely broad audience: the 74 years that separated the youngest registered participant in Vespa World Days 2013 (born in 2003) and the most senior (born in 1929).

The 'Made in Italy' ambassador to the world, manufactured without interruption from 1946 to the present for a total of more than eighteen million units, succeeded on the occasion of Vespa World Days 2013 in moving spirit and body of enthusiasts hailing not only from opposite corners of Europe, but also from Russia, Macedonia and Malta. In order not to miss out on the event, many travelled over thousands of kilometres of roads astride their classic Vespas, like the Vespa rider who came from St. Petersburg, seventeen hundred kilometres from Hasselt, over two days of travel.

Vespa as a means of daily transportation, Vespa as a philosophy of life, Vespa as a representative of Italian genius in the world; Vespa recognised and loved by all; Vespa as a tireless traveller; Vespa exciting with its timeless lines, Vespa that mobilises different generations, Vespa that strikes directly in the heart. Vespa that unites thousands of enthusiasts, joined by a single love for her.

The long wave of success of the seventh Vespa World Days edition has not stopped and the appointment for 2014 has already been set. The most important Vespa concentration returns to Italy, in splendid Mantua.

www.vespa.com

Recreating the first around the world ride 100 years on  

In northern California, we tilted east through the foothills of the Sierras, with Mount Shasta in the distance covered in snow even in June. Which is where it all started to go horribly wrong for Clancy and Allen.   With the mountains looming, they stopped at the express office in Redding and shipped their 50lb panniers on to Portland, then bought cheap blankets in the General Merchandise store for camping. That sorted, they tanked up with more ice cream, fuel and oil, and set off late in the afternoon for the dreaded road that lay ahead. They didn’t have long to wait: within a few miles out of Redding, they were climbing an endless succession of rocky grades with hairpin bends, then sliding down the other side to be greeted by small but lethal lakes full of boulders.  

Often the road got so steep that they had to dismount and run beside the machines, and as they were sliding down one hair-raising slope with their back wheels locked, they came upon a young couple in a Cadillac stuck fast on a tree stump.  

They got it free, but the hill was so steep the fuel couldn’t make it up to the carburettor, but not to beaten, the resourceful Bob blew into the top of the fuel tank, his face slowly turning the colour of a beetroot, while the driver cranked the starter handle until the engine spluttered then fired into life and settled down into a steady rhythm. The grateful couple gave the riders six eggs, a small can of baked beans, an even smaller can of condensed cream, a little bread, sugar and coffee, and a pail to cook it in, and since by now it was growing dark and they were still in the heart of the mountains, they found a grassy spot near a crystal stream, and while Clancy cooked up a feast in the pail, Bob made a bed of weeds and leaves between the Hendersons, they wrapped themselves in their blankets and, with strange sounds from the woods all around and lightning crackling overhead, finally fell asleep just before the grey light of dawn woke them again.

At 5am, tired and hungry, they fired up the Hendersons and set off on roads which, impossibly, were even worse than the day before. A ferry carried them across the raging Pitt River, and halfway up the next mountain, Clancy’s Henderson ground to a halt with a dry and slipping clutch. He greased it with oil from his tank, but the clutch was so worn and the track so steep that he could only push the Henderson up it in the fierce sun, stopping when he was so exhausted he couldn’t hold the bike upright and resting until he could try again.  

It took him 20 attempts and two exhausting hours to get up that one hill, and there were a dozen more beyond. “If ever a man was bitter against motorcycling, it was I and then,” he wept, but when he had the strength to lift his head, realised for the first time the extraordinary beauty around them. Compared to that, we had it easy as we swooped along silky tarmac through a landscape of pine-clad mountains and rushing rivers and across the state border into the alpine glories of Oregon, filled yet again with respect and admiration for Clancy and Allen getting through this landscape on what were basically mule trails.

Shortly after passing a prairie schooner with a prospector, his wife, small son and dog aboard, they encountered the worst section yet: the 12 miles of Cow Creek Canyon which Clancy described grimly as like an endless frozen pig pen as steep as a roof and littered with logs, rocks and ruts. Arriving in Roseburg as darkness fell, they collapsed into the first inn they could find, and emerged to find that someone had stolen Clancy’s gloves. The next day, the road was so bad, and the scenery so glorious, that as Clancy put it perfectly, a poet would have been in heaven, and a motorcyclist in hell. When they finally rolled into Portland at 11.30 at night, their misery was compounded by the sight of the crowds going home from the last night of the annual Rose Festival, which they had been looking forward to all the way from San Francisco.  

Cow Creek Canyon, Clancy’s endless frozen pig pen, which we rode with local bike journalist Bart Madson, was now a perfect motorcycling road, twisting and turning under the dappled trees, over the railroad tracks and past a river sparkling in the sun. Greeted by the paved streets, electric lights and tuxedo-clad waiters of Wallace, Idaho, Clancy and Allen decided that the Wild West only existed any more in movies, only to have their certainty overturned the very next night when they arrived in Missoula, Montana, to find a posse in hot pursuit for a gang of desperadoes who had shot at their landlady, stolen the sheriff’s six-shooter and terrorised the town before heading for the hills. Wincing at the outrageous bill the next morning, they rode off into a thunderstorm so bad that by dark they had only covered 20 miles and were forced to spend the night in the shack of prospector Isam Cox, who rustled up a feast of bacon, beans and coffee for the exhausted but grateful duo.

In Wallace, we found the electric lights were still working and the streets still paved, but the brothel had closed in 1988 and was now in a museum. The girls had left in such a hurry that they’d left their clothes behind, and by the looks of it they didn’t have much to wear but a few skimpy under things, poor dears. "Greg, want to phone the hotel tonight and confirm our reservation?” said Richard as we put on our helmets. “No need. Dr G’s from the Crow tribe, and they’ve already got a reservation,” I said.   Laugh? I thought they’d never start.

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In the centenary year of the production of William Morris, Lord Nuffield’s first motor car, the Heritage Motor Centre has teamed up with the National Trust to help preserve another car that played a part in his life story

A modest Wolseley Eight dating from 1946 that his wife, Lady Nuffield, used as her every-day transport is about to receive attention in the Museum’s vehicle workshop.  The Wolseley normally resides in a small garage beside Nuffield Place, Lord and Lady Nuffield’s home near Henley-on-Thames.  Nuffield Place was taken on by the National Trust in 2012.

Laura Gangadeen, House Manager at Nuffield Place said “We wanted to get Lady Nuffield’s Wolseley back in running order to help us promote the work that we are doing at the house, the home of William Morris and his wife for almost 30 years. We are delighted that the team at the HMC are able to help us out with the project.”

Stephen Laing, Curator at the Heritage Motor Centre added “We are pleased to be able to assist the National Trust with the refurbishment of Lady Nuffield’s car. The extensive Morris collection here at the HMC very much complements Nuffield Place.  In particular, in the Museum we have William Morris’ own Wolseley Eight, almost identical to his wife’s car, which he used to travel back and forward to work at Cowley.”

The car has now arrived at the Heritage Motor Centre and work will soon start to check it over and give it a mechanical overhaul.  The Centre is giving its time on the project free-of-charge and will also advise on the future upkeep of the Wolseley.  Once the work is completed, the car will return to its home as a regular feature at Nuffield Place.

Nuffield Place home to William Morris, Lord Nuffield is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00 – 16:00.

To find out more information please visit

www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk

Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the cafe, having originally opened in 1938, Ace Cafe London will form an integral part of the 3rd annual Mulafest, held from Thursday 27th - Sunday 30th June at Feria de Madrid, Spain.    

This unique four-day "urban trends" festival and event, brings together an array of apparently diverse interests, from bikes and workshops, to music, art and tattoo, all of which combine to produce an exciting and exhilarating mix of retro and the avant garde!  

The Ace Cafe London "Ace Corner" stand, display and presence will showcase and feature two legendary and iconic classic British motorcycles, a Brough Superior, known as the Rolls Royce of motorcycles, and a Triton, favourite of the Ton Up Boys and Rockers of the 1950's and 60's.  

In addition to the Ace Cafe, Rockers and StoMoCo items, and along with products from the Isle of Man TT "Red Rider" supporters, Red Torpedo, "Gear with Grit" will be available together with a limited selection from the authentic and original Sailor Jerry clothing range.  

Debuting with Ace at Mulafest, will be the critically acclaimed seminal book "Ace Times - Speed thrills and tea spills, a cafe and a culture" by author Mick Duckworth and the all new Ace 75th anniversary CD album, "Ace Cafe The Rock n' Roll Years 1956-62", featuring 28 British and American recordings released in the UK in those legendary years on single, EP and LP - the tracks are rebellious, wild and frantic!  

www.mulafest.com
www.brough-superior.com
www.redtorpedo.com
www.sailorjerry.com
www.ace-cafe-london.com

with Brazilian subsidiary operational and new

Volkswagen Argentina S.A. trade agreement presented in Buenos Aires

·         Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, inaugurates new Ducati show room in Sau Paulo

·         Ricardo Susini, Managing Director of Ducati do Brasil, presents current range, branch marketing and industrial programmes

·         CKD production continues at the assembly factory in Manaus with DAFRA th

·         In Buenos Aires, at the 6 Salon Internacional del Automovil, Volkswagen Argentina S.A. announce trade agreement for the distribution of Ducati motorcycles in Argentina

 Sau Paulo (Brazil) / Buenos Aires (Argentina), 20 June 2013 – After inaugurating the new “Ducati do Brasil” subsidiary in October 2012, Ducati’s programme for expansion and growth in the South American nations continues. The Italian motorcycle manufacturer has become directly responsible for all management aspects of Ducati products in Brazil including distribution and assistance.

Led by Managing Director, Ricardo Susini, and assisted by Marco Truzzi as Service & After Sales Manager, Ducati now controls the new branch based in Sau Paulo. The inauguration of the new show room in the prestigious Avenida Faria Lima of Sau Paulo was an opportunity for Ducati’s attending management to meet the press, including Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, Roberto Righi, Distributor Sales Director DMH, and Riccardo Susini, Managing Director of Ducati do Brasil. The company and new subsidiary confirmed the strategy presented nine months ago regarding their development and growth plans for Brazil, third market overall for medium-to-high capacity motorcycle sales.

The co-operation agreement with DAFRA Ltda for CKD assembly of Ducati motorcycles in Brazil is also confirmed. The Manaus factory is now fully operational with both Diavel and Monster 796 models being assembled, ready for delivery to a market evolving at a fast pace. Brazil is a country in which Ducati is set to have an increasingly important and strategic role, consolidating the positive trend of international growth which has been a feature of this iconic motorcycle brand in recent years.

“The Brazilian motorcycle market is one of the most interesting in the world, the third in size for medium-to high-capacity motorcycles,” declared Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. during the press conference. “Nine months ago we made some promises and today we are here in Sau Paulo to confirm our commitment and share with all the Ducatisti present in Brazil our plans for development and growth in this important market. The inauguration of the show room and presentation of the first motorcycles assembled at the Manaus factory confirm our commitment to our Brazilian clients. Our aim is to guarantee the very best service possible in terms of sales and after-sales as well as consolidating on the strategic importance of this market for Ducati.”

The day after the Sau Paulo inauguration, the Ducati CEO travelled to Buenos Aires for the 6 Salon Internacional del Automovil in Buenos Aires. During the event, Volkswagen Argentina S.A. presented an important trade agreement to import Ducati motorcycles into the South American country. From September 2013, motorcycles will be distributed to Ducati dealers present in Argentina via the Volkswagen Group subsidiary, underlining the development and growth plans the Bologna-based firm also has for this region.

Speaking from Buenos Aires, Claudio Domenicali said: “As further confirmation of our interest in the South American market and our desire to make the most of its great potential, we have an agreement with Volkswagen Argentina who, from September 2013, will import Ducati motorcycles and distribute them via our network of Ducati dealers, which is set to expand in the medium term. It is an important step which also highlights the synergies and opportunities for development that has become available to our brand by becoming a part of the Audi group.”

Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A – An Audi Group Company

Founded in 1926, Ducati has been producing sport-inspired motorcycles since 1946. Their motorcycles are characterised by “Desmodromic” performance engines, innovative design and avant-garde technology. Covering several market segments, Ducati's range of motorcycles are divided into model families which include: Diavel, Hypermotard, Monster, Multistrada, Streetfighter and Superbike.  These authentic icons of “made in Italy” are sold in over 80 countries around the world, with concentration on the European, North-American and Asia Pacific markets. Ducati competes in both the World Superbike Championship and, with an official team, the World MotoGP Championship. In Superbike Ducati has won 17 Manufacturers' titles and 14 Riders' titles and in 2011 passed the historic milestone of 300 race victories. Ducati have participated in MotoGP since 2003, and took both the Manufacturers' and Riders' titles in 2007.