ON THE 2ND OF OCTOBER 1951, SWEDEN’S FIRST VESPA CLUB WAS FOUNDED – IN STOCKHOLM BY HENRIK ”BOLTEN” BOLTENSTERN. LATER, HE WOULD ALSO BECOME THE PRESIDENT OF VESPA CLUB SWEDEN, 1955–1961.
During his time as captain of the ship, the national magazine ”Vespisten” saw it’s light of day in 1956. Henrik, or ”Bolten” as people often called him, was a real fanatic to Vespa motor scooters and a true humorist, determined but also generous. He donated quite a large sum of money – for those times – that would go the the victor of the gymkhana competition but also travel grants to the European championship in reliability on a Vespa.
The old club
A lot happened in the Vespa scene during it’s glory days around 1950ies and 60ies – competitions were being arranged in the capital of Sweden but also in other cities. Please find some old video clips on our YouTube channel – for example Vespa Rallye de Stockholm 1955.
After the most active years, interest faded throughout all of Sweden, Stockholm included, and the club was put to sleep in 1973. Quite many years later, Vespa Club Stockholm was refueled in 2010. The reason for this was an Italian meeting called ”100 Fari Bassi” held at Schloss Seefeld in Germany, where a couple of Vespa riders from Stockholm participated with new, printed banners on their legshields. In 2013 a longer trip was made from Germany via Austria over the Alps towards Italy and a gymkhana competition by the lake of Garda.
Present time
Today Vespa Club Stockholm is, despite the name, more of a network for Vespists in the Stockholm area. There is no club house but the delimitations are clear – on Vespa, in Stockholm!
You might ask yourself, what’s the point of all this? Vespa Club Stockholm’s mission is to keep and maintain the Vespas in the club, spread knowledge between owners and build the historic documentation around the club as well as the vehicle, in ONE place – here at our website. It will take some time, but eventually important places and people that has made an impression, will be presented for future enthusiasts to find.
Help supporting the scooter culture in Sweden by joining the Swedish Scooter Association – members also get the printed Scooteristen Magazine four times a year. Vespa Club Stockholm is affiliated with the national club.
Please follow us on Instagram, where we share from the past and write history as it happens, on the original scooter. The Vespa.