It’s a Vespa! No, it’s a Lambretta!
No – it’s neither – it’s a Zundapp Bella – brought to you by the German motorcycle maker Zundapp, famous for the KS750 motorcycle and the KS50 moped.
What is the Zundapp Bella?
The Zundapp Bella is a two-stroke scooter Zundapp made between 1953 and 1964, during which Zundapp made about 130,000 of them.
Even though it looks a lot like a Lambretta scooter, the design takes inspiration from a scooter called the Parilla Levriere from the Italian motorcycle maker Parilla.
In terms of engine size, the Bella was available in the 150 and 200 cc range. Later models from the 1960s also came with electric starters as standard.
If you’re interested in seeing more of the 1955 Bella R200 in action, here’s an interview with a proud owner from Manchester on the Men and Motors YouTube channel:
On an interesting note…
The gear shifter on a Zundapp Bella R200 is on the right side of the scooter rather than on the left side.
The Bella Suburbanette – The Special American Model
Between 1953 and 1954, a unique 150cc version of the regular Bella called the “Bella Suburbanette” was made for the American market and imported by the International Motorcycle Company.
Compared with the standard Bella, the Suburbanette had removed most of the body panels covering the engine.
If you happen to have one – hold on to it – supposedly, they only sold 370 Suburbanettes in the United States.
If you’re interested to see what one of these scooters looks like, here’s a video on YouTube that showcases a 1953 model:
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