Picture this – nine dapper little Italian scooters, all decked out in their classic retro glory, crated up and ready for their adventure across the Atlantic Ocean to the USA. These two-wheeled gems may have cut their teeth on the cobblestones of Milan or Roma, or on the A23 travelling down to Brighton, but they’re about to experience the open roads of the USA.
From professional bespoke crating to safe and secure containerised overseas transport, come along for the ride as we guide this scooters squad’s transatlantic journey from Autoshippers to their eagerly awaited new owner Stateside.
A Scooter Collector’s Pride and Joy
Safely secured in custom-built wooden crates, this one-off collection of two-wheeled history would make any scooter enthusiast weak at the knees. The 9 scooters being shipped over to the USA belonged to Garry, a UK scooter collector and enthusiast, but Trevor, a regular customer of Autoshippers, has had his eyes on them for some time. Trevor had previously shipped scooters and scooter memorabilia with Autoshippers from the UK to the USA, including this 1961 Lambretta TV175 in mint condition, but those had been crated and shipped individually on an LCL (less than container load) groupage service.
Amongst the precious cargo are;
- A 1963 125cc Lambretta TV3 in beautiful blue and cream
- A 1956 150cc Lambretta MK 2 LD in Light Green
- A 1958 125cc Lambretta Series 1 LI in white
- A 1958 150cc Lambretta MK 3 LD in white
- A 1971 125cc Lambretta GP200 in yellow
- A 1960 174cc Lambretta TV2 in blue and white
- A 1966 225cc Lambretta SX225/TT225 in red and white
- A 1962 150cc Vespa GS3 in silver
- A 1960 125cc Vespa VS5 in silver
Each scooter has been meticulously refurbished by Garry, with great care taken to source original parts and maintain the pristine glossy painted bodies and bright chrome bodywork to preserve the iconic styling of these legendary motorbikes.
Along with the 9 crates containing the actual scooters, there are also 3 pallets of memorabilia and original spare parts that were being shipped to Trevor from Garry as part of the consignment. These were provided to Autoshippers in boxes and plastic crates, and palletised at our warehouse, and included items such as club badges, books and posters, as well as various original spare parts for the scooters shipped as well as others.
Preparing the Scooter Squad for Shipping
The first step in the journey of these fantastic scooters, was for Autoshippers to collect from Garry to bring them back to our warehouse. We have nationwide specialist motorcycle collection services, so were able to arrange to collect all of the scooters at the same time, using two vans as well as also arranging to pick up the 64 boxes, bags and cartons of memorabilia and spare parts on a separate vehicle.
As the scooters were collected by specialist vans, and not required to be ridden at all, they were drained of any fuel by Garry before our drivers arrived. He also serviced the bikes, checking all electrical systems and mechanical parts. This is not a requirement of the shipping process, more of a “final farewell” from Garry before he hands his scooter collection into the hands of Autoshippers for transport to their new owner in the USA.
Once everything had arrived into the warehouse, a Vehicle Condition Report (VCR) was undertaken on all of the scooters. This is a visual check, to highlight any damages or inconsistencies with the bikes, and is required for the marine insurance policy. This gives peace of mind to both Garry and Trevor in regard to any damages that are incurred during transit, and is part of the handover process from the buyer to the seller.
The VCRs completed, and photographs taken of all the scooters, the next step is to carefully measure and document the dimensions of each individual scooter, so that the crates can be made to measure. Proper crating is essential safely shipping scooters and motorbikes overseas, so the bespoke wooden crates are built to exactly fit the length, width and height specifications of the bikes that they would contain.
The Scooter Crating Process
With the nine vintage scooters prepped and ready, the next crucial step was to pack each one into its own custom built, made to measure, wooden shipping crate. This crate is specifically designed to fully protect the motorcycles during their long journey from the UK to the USA, and the crating process is something that at Autoshippers we have perfected over many years.
A simple, but very necessary step, is to ensure that the correct crate is used for each individual scooter. As no two bikes were exactly alike, with many of them including panniers and other accessories, all of the made to measure crates were different sizes and needed to be matched to the correct scooter before crating could begin.
Once all of the scooter crates were sorted, now came the packing process. This process, which is designed to safely and securely transport any scooter or motorbike overseas, begins with the wood itself. It is imperative that ISPM 15 compliant timber is used, as this is a prerequisite for importing wooden packaged products into many countries, including the USA.
The proven crating process includes;
- Construction of a solid base with 3” x 4” runners for added stabilisation
- Securing of the scooter chassis to the base using chocks and high tenacity polyester ratchet straps, all secured using 90mm Hexagonal Head Steel Screws
- Padding of any protruding parts such as handlebars and mirrors with foam
- Addition of the crate walls around the scooter using interlocking wooden slats, secured in place with 70mm Hexagonal Head Steel Screws
- Installation of wooden beams over the top of the scooter, to insure stability and strength of the crate
- Lid of the crate secured in place using 70mm Hexagonal Steel Screws
- Dimensions and gross weight of the crate added for easy identification during loading and unloading
The crating process does take a bit of time, but it is time worth spending to ensure maximum protection for the precious cargo contained within. It is due to this care and attention that we have motorbike (and scooter) shippers returning to Autoshippers time and again to assist with their shipping requirements, just like Trevor on this occasion.
We filmed the crating process for two of these scooters for our YouTube channel:
Coordinating an Overseas Scooter Shipment
Safely Loading the Shipping Container
With the nine vintage scooters expertly crated for maximum protection, and the spare parts and classic scooter memorabilia packed onto ISPM15 wooden pallets, secured in place with stretch wrap and plastic banding, the next step in the journey was to load everything into a 40’ shipping container.
The container was positioned at the Autoshippers loading facility, and a loading ramp is used for ease of loading. This loading ramp is chocked into place, as well as secured to the container using a chain, to ensure that there is limited movement when the forklift truck moves up it with each crate and pallet. The maximum load on the ramp is 7,000kgs, so more than enough to accommodate a forklift truck carrying a wooden crate safely containing a vintage scooter.
The container itself was inspected, checking that the unique number on the container matched all of the paperwork, and that there were no signs of damage, leakage or odours present. If a container is deemed unfit, it is not loaded and is then replaced. Each crate is loaded individually and, even though the crates are robust enough to withstand double stacking, to ensure that there is as little chance as possible of any damages each crate is loaded single stacked in the container.
Additional wooden pallets and rolls of large bubble wrap are used on either side of the crates, to limit the potential of the side-to-side movement whilst in transit and for added protection.
Ocean Freight Transit
After the 40’ container is loaded and sealed, the first part of the seafreight journey could begin, with the trip via road from the Autoshippers warehouse in Bristol to the port of London Gateway. The container is unloaded from the skeleton trailer and recorded onto the port’s logistics system. Autoshippers arranged the export Customs clearance using the new HMRC CDS system for Customs entries. The UK Border Force can use the information on the Customs system to clear the scooters and accessories for export.
The container is moved using the port’s gantry cranes and stacked into the marshalling yard, joining rows of other containers being held pending loading onto vessels bound throughout the world.
This container was booked to Houston in the United States, on a vessel called the Le Havre Express, which is around 300metres long and can carry 6,350 twenty-foot container equivalent units, or TEUs (a 40-foot container is 2 TEUs) Once the Le Havre Express arrived into port, and all UK bound containers that were on board were offloaded, our container was carefully loaded by a crane and secured into place for the onward journey.
After the vessel departed the UK port, the shipping line issued the Bill of Lading to Autoshippers, which is a document that is a contract for the shipping of goods, detailing the shipper and consignee address, as well as the shipping details (including vessel name and container number) and full details of the goods that were shipped. During the voyage across the Atlantic, all shipping documentation was provided to Trevor and the US Customs agent, meaning that everything could be set up in advance of arrival in the USA.
Arrival in the USA and Onward Delivery
US Customs Clearance Process and the 25-Year Rule
Because Autoshippers provided all shipping documentation before the vessel had arrived, our partner in the USA was already aware of the details of the shipment and were able to ensure that Customs clearance could be handled as quickly and as efficiently as possible. They made contact with Trevor, who had used our services previously, and checked all details with him to make the process as smooth as possible.
To clear shipments through Customs in the USA, a licensed broker is required. As Autoshippers partner is fully licensed in the USA we were able to offer Trevor all requirements to ship these classic Lambretta and Vespa scooters from door to door.
As all of these classic scooters are more than 25 years-old, they are exempt from U.S. Safety, Bumper and Emissions Regulations, and do not need any costly modifications to meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission standards. For more details, take a look at our in-depth blog Everything You Need to Know About the 25-Year Rule.
Once all paperwork was inspected and validated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the container passed any inspection that was required and all Customs duties and taxes were paid, the shipment received final clearance to leave the US port facility for delivery to Trevor for offload.
Unloading the Crated Scooters and Delivery
With the Customs process complete the container could be transported from the port to Trevor’s preferred warehouse, where the individual crated scooters could be offloaded from the container using a Fork Lift truck. As the final delivery was required using a different vehicle rather than whilst loaded inside the container, to maintain the safe and secure delivery process to door the crates were left intact and the final delivery made before the scooters were unpacked from them.
Trevor’s team then very carefully unpacked the scooters from their protective wooden enclosures, as well as breaking down the boxes and plastic crates of spares and memorabilia from their pallets, and checked everything for damages and losses (of which there were none!) competing another Vehicle Condition Report just like the one that was completed before crating.
The crates needed to be individually disassembled layer-by-layer, in reverse to the packing process. All added padding, strapping and chocking were carefully removed and the scooters wheeled off the wooden base into Trevor’s storage facility. As the crates were so durable, they are suitable to be saved and used again if the scooters need further transport for shows and rallies. What superb value for money, and great for the environment.
The Enduring Allure of Classic Scooters
Lambretta and Vespa’s Origins and Cultural Impact
The sleek, stylish collection of Lambrettas and Vespas that now belonged to Trevor in the USA are more than just motorcycles, they are icons of Italian design from the post-war era. Born in 1947, the ubiquitous Vespa (“Wasp” in Italian) were Piaggio’s answer to providing affordable transportation on the roadways of Italy.
Just months later, Lambretta launched a competitor to Vespa’s scooter line, featuring a sturdier tubular frame and a more powerful engine and by the 1950s and 60s both makers had become lifestyle brands enjoyed by trendy Italian youths enjoying their prosperity. The scooters rise paralleled Italy’s own revival into a modern industrial power and models such as the iconic Vespa 150 GS and Lambretta Li series captured global imagination with their timelessly curvaceous, minimalist forms. Their classic designs remain universally recognised symbols of 20th Century Italian cool.
The 60’s Scooter Craze in the UK
Although Lambrettas and Vespas originated in Italy, some of their biggest cultural impacts were felt in the United Kingdom in the 1960’s where they became intertwined with the youth motorscooter subcultures of the era. Affordable, stylish and nimble, scooters like those in Trevor’s new collection represented freedom, as well as rebellion, for post-war British teens.
In the early 1960’s two rival youth subcultures emerged, the dapper mods who favoured Italian scooters and the leather clad rockers who preferred motorcycles. Both subcultures had their own “uniforms” which included different hairstyles, clothing styles and, of course, choice of wheels.
The mods adorned their Lambretta and Vespa scooters with mirrors, customised seats and excessive chrome to exemplify their modern, fashion-conscious images, with the rockers sporting the more traditional, anti-establishment biker looks. Both groups would descend on British seaside towns, famously Brighton for example, during holiday periods in 1964-66, descending into notorious brawls.
Beyond these clashes, scooters cemented themselves as cultural icons in 60’s Britain through movies, music, fashion and celebrities and perhaps no other consumer product defined 60’s British culture more than these sleek, zippy Italian scooters.
Autoshippers – Over 25 Years of Scooter Shipping Experience
Whether you are a vintage scooter collector, just like Trevor in the USA, an enthusiast acquiring your first classic Lambretta or Vespa, or simply someone who appreciates automotive history and design, the team at Autoshippers understand the care and expertise required to ship these iconic two-wheeled time machines safely and securely.
From the precise measurement of each bike to ensure the made-to-measure custom crating, to coordinating the international shipping process, no detail is overlooked when you trust your prized scooter to us for shipping overseas. We will handle all aspects of the packing and logistics process whilst keeping you updated every step of the way.
For a free quote, simply complete the form that you can find on every page of our website or contact our knowledgeable and dedicated sales team by phone on +44 117 982 8123 / 0800 389 0784 , by e-mail on sales@autoshippers.co.uk or by completing our contact form found on our website.
You can have full confidence in Autoshippers to safely deliver your prized ride from the UK to anywhere in the world, we will treat your vintage two-wheeled treasure just like the rolling piece of history that it is.
