Meet the Vespa Mechanics Behind Vietnam’s Beloved Scooters

Inside the Garage: Where Vespa Stories Are Born

Tucked behind the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, away from the traffic and neon buzz, there’s a garage unlike any other—a working time capsule where the golden age of the Vespa scooter still hums to life every day. This isn’t just a repair shop. It’s a living museum. Here, our team of passionate Vespa mechanics preserves history, not just with tools and torque, but with stories, memory, and a deep love for the ride.

It all started with Steve—our founder, lovingly known as Vespa Steve—who first fell in love with vintage scooters while exploring Southeast Asia. What began as a restoration hobby grew into a mission to protect a fading legacy. His passion sparked the birth of Vespa Adventures, and today, his vision fuels a workshop where tradition and storytelling are passed from one generation to the next.

Every Vespa you see on our Vespa tours in Vietnam carries more than just guests—it carries the legacy of master craftsmen who’ve rebuilt them with care and reverence. Let’s take you behind the curtain and introduce you to the guardians of this rolling heritage.

Duy: The Master of Two-Stroke Wisdom

With over two decades of experience, Duy has been at the heart of our workshop since Vespa Adventures’ earliest days. His journey started in the 1980s when vintage Vespas were a rare sight in Vietnam. These scooters arrived with French colonists and lingered long after, adopted and adapted through decades of change.

Duy’s hands can diagnose a Vespa problem by feel alone. His expertise in two-stroke engines and traditional Vietnamese metalwork make him the go-to man for restoring authenticity. But more than that, he’s a mentor to the younger generation of Vespa mechanics.

"Duy is excited that he gets to continue his skill. But I think he gets more pleasure sharing his passion with the new generation." – Steve

Want to see Duy in action? Watch this video of him at work inside our garage as he shares the craft and care behind every Vespa he restores.

Minh: The Fabricator Who Rebuilds What No Longer Exists

Minh is the magician you call when there’s no original part to be found. A skilled metalworker, he can replicate parts with stunning accuracy—even from old photographs. During the years of economic embargo, mechanics like Minh had no access to imports. So they got creative. They became fabricators, forging components from whatever they had.

Today, Minh’s custom fabrication keeps our vintage Vespa scooters running safely and beautifully. Whether it’s crafting carburetor brackets or shaping trim, his work is where engineering meets art.

"They became really skilled fabricators because parts weren’t coming in, so they had to fabricate their own. If there were no replacement parts, they made them." – Steve

Tuan: From Garage Apprentice to Tour Guide Extraordinaire

Tuan began as a workshop apprentice, learning to fix Vespas alongside Duy. But soon, he realized that his skill with scooters could also bring stories to life. Today, he’s one of our lead drivers for Vespa tours in Vietnam, offering a unique blend of technical knowledge and cultural insight.

His guests love him not just for his smooth driving and safe navigation, but for the way he weaves Vietnamese history into every ride. Whether explaining how a Vespa made it through wartime Vietnam or why certain paint colors mattered, Tuan makes every tour unforgettable.

"These guys are on the garage. If they don’t have a tour that day, they’re all grinding it out with Duy overseeing them. They become our lead drivers, the mechanics on tour." – Steve

Linh: The Restoration Artisan

Before joining the team, Linh was an artist. And in many ways, she still is. Her focus is the finish—the paint matching, the chrome polishing, the upholstery stitching. She ensures every restored Vespa looks exactly like it did in the 1960s or 1970s.

She studies period-correct visuals to replicate the original color palettes and trims. It’s more than aesthetic. It’s a tribute. Linh ensures every scooter reflects the elegance of its era, down to the last detail.

Hai: The Engine Whisperer

Hai’s specialty is the engine core. While others focus on frames or finishes, Hai dives into carburetors, emissions tuning, and performance upgrades—all while maintaining the classic hum of a vintage Vespa.

His attention to detail ensures our scooters run not just beautifully but reliably. For a scooter built in the ’60s to ride confidently through Saigon traffic today—that’s Hai’s magic at work.

Ben: The Next Generation

Alt Text: Ben learning Vespa mechanicsFile Name: ben-young-vespa-mechanic.jpg

Ben is Steve’s son. He’s also the next chapter in this story. Young, curious, and grounded in Vietnamese-American identity, Ben represents what Vespa Adventures stands for: cross-generational passion for something truly timeless.

Whether hanging in the garage or test riding in the backstreets, Ben is learning the ropes from the masters before him. With a camera in one hand and a wrench in the other, he’s keeping tradition alive—with a modern twist.

Steve: The Vision Behind the Ride

Steve, better known as "Vespa Steve," is the founder and cultural glue of Vespa Adventures. His story began with restoring and exporting scooters, but evolved into something deeper: preserving their stories.

"It’s been a big part of who I am since I’ve been in Southeast Asia. It’s part of my personality. I’m known as 'Vespa Steve' to a lot of people." – Steve

Steve understood that these weren’t just machines. They were memory. Culture. Legacy. And from that vision, Vespa Adventures was born.

The Philosophy That Drives Us

Preserving these Vespa scooters isn’t about nostalgia—it’s about respect. Respect for craftsmanship. Respect for the hands that built them and the streets they rode. That’s why we invest in training apprentices, documenting techniques, and maintaining the ecosystem of mechanical heritage.

Through hands-on mentorship, cross-discipline training, and storytelling, the soul of Vespa lives on. In every restored engine, every custom part, and every tour we offer, you’ll find a piece of this devotion.

Take the Ride of Your Life with Vespa Scooters

Want to meet these masters and experience their handiwork firsthand? Book one of our handcrafted Vespa tours in Vietnam, Thailand, or Cambodia and ride a scooter built with passion and purpose.

• Explore our Vespa tours in Vietnam

• Discover our Vespa tours in Thailand

• Journey through Vespa tours in Cambodia

Immerse yourself in the rich legacy of Vespa heritage and culture, where every curve of a vintage frame, every engine hum, and every handcrafted detail tells a story of resilience, craftsmanship, and the timeless joy of the open road.

Because this isn’t just about scooters. It’s about stories. And yours is waiting to begin.