Thanks to the ubiquitous nature of the popular Italian machine, every scooter that ever came along gets labeled “Vespa,” like every copy machine is named “Xerox.” Truth is, scooters kept the lights on at every motorcycle manufacturer from Aermacchi to Zundapp in the 1950s and 1960s. Ducati got in on the act, and so can you, with this 1966 Ducati100 Brio, listed here on eBay in New Hampton, Iowa.
There’s not a lot to say about the Brio’s design, other than it’s a reverse-engineered Lambretta Cento. Side panels come off in nearly the same manner, and the front fender and headset are almost a direct copy.
What’s interesting here is the engine: Instead of Vespa’s cleverly designed two-stroke engine and transmission unit, on the 100 Brio, you’ll find a direct replacement for the Ducati Piuma and Cadet, though the Brio uses a cast-aluminum shroud to keep the cylinder cool in the lack of wind inside the bodywork.
This example has a fairly interesting history, in that it was won at the 1966 Iowa State Fair, ridden for a bit and put away from 1972 to 2006. The seller notes that the original title and parts book come with the scooter, as well. The seller claims a restoration and repaint in 2007, and that the bike runs and rides well. The excellent photos in the listing show a bike in very nice condition, with the exception of a missing taillamp lens (looks like standard issue 1960s era CEV), a cracked lens on the CEV speedometer, a missing flywheel cover (which could be an issue if it directs cool air into the cylinder shroud) and a missing gasket for the engine cover.
At press time, the scooter was only bid up to $910, which should give some indication of how popular these scooters are. In his book The Ducati Story, Ian Falloon can barely hide his disgust that Ducati ever built something as pedestrian as a scooter, calling it “uninspired,” and noting that its predecessor, the Cruiser, was “disastrous.”
On the scooter enthusiast side, you’ll find plenty of people willing to lay out money for Vespas and Lambrettas, but not a lot of love for the 100 Brio. Any kind of parts would be in much shorter supply than those for the ubiquitous Vespa, and with just 100cc on tap, the best you’ll see is 35 mph with a tailwind.
That said, if the bidding stays low, this could be a fun addition to a Ducati collector’s garage, or just the ticket for someone looking to complete a collection of all the various and sundry Italian two-stroke scooters from the 1960s. It’d be worth the laughs to ride it to an Italian bike show, pop the engine cover off and watch as all the Ducatisti try and figure out how a Ducati engine found its way into your Vespa.
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I’m a scooter nut and I’ve only ever seen one of these, in the collection of one of the most avid and talented scooter restorers in the country. Given the people he knows, the knowledge resources he has acquired over the years, when he told me parts were tough to find, it meant something more to me than if an average person said it.
These are handsome scooters, along the lines of a Lambretta LD. If the price ends up right, the new owner could call up Clauss Studios to find a tail lamp lens and some of the other parts.
I think you guys missed the best photo. The color Polaroid of the family sitting on the bike is awesome.
First the Harley-Davidson scooter a few weeks ago, now we find that Ducati made one too! Crazy…if this were in New York I’d buy it just to ride around wearing Ducati racing leathers.
How come I never won anything that cool at a state fair? I guess it’s probably not a Desmo……..
This is an amazing find of an once unloved but now highly desirable scoot. I predict bidding will go fairly high, unfortunately for me.
I’m just trying to figure out why Ducati even made a two-stroke engine, since they had a lovely OHV single of about that size already. At least that would have set them apart from the smoky ringading crowd …
This thing is not without charm, though. If I could afford it I’d love to have a collection of my favorite Ducatis, all of them the smaller ones, and I’d have to have this.
I’ve seen a few of these. Most notably one that was driven somewhat regularly in San Francisco, and another very clean un-restored example in Berkeley. This was most certainly not Ducati’s finest hour. The styling is pedestrian, and the performance is not anywhere close to what was on offer from the market-leader Vespa and Lambrettas. By ’66 the worldwide market for scooters was on the wane. Heck, five years later and Lambretta bowed out entirely. Too little too late would aptly describe this scooter.
Never knew that Ducati got into the Scooter game. Not very inspired styling, even if it’s based on a Lambretta. Most Lambrettas of this vintage I’ve seen are much nicer looking. I’d probably rather have a cool Lambretta. But it IS a Ducati.
Ducati made this?!? My Monster is now for sale – I cant stand the shame…
what are you kidding?
The Ducati Cruiser -sp. was a gorgeous bike!
I have a Brio 100 and an interested in trading some parts.
I owned one of these. It was fun to blow other scooterists minds, but in the end I could never keep up and sold it. The ebay sale will not go very high. I’ve seen one or two other Brios (they also made a 50cc) on ebay and the price never got that high.
I personally like the 1952 Ducati Cruiser, which they only made for one year.
http://www.motorpasionmoto.com/scooter/ducati-cruiser-el-otro-scooter-italiano
Hey Todd, I’ve also got a Brio (100/25) Would be interested in chatting with you about parts etc