From Milan to Manila

Scootering in the Philippines has a rich history that spans more than five decades. Thanks to proximity and quality of its products Japan was an early participant in the country’s motorcycle industry, and it will come as no surprise that the ubiquitous Honda Cub can still be seen almost everywhere. By the 1970s, the Big Four (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki) had gained a solid foothold; however a few years before the Japanese boom, the Philippines had fallen in love with Italian style. In the late 1960s, Lambretta had a dealership in Manila (the capital). Sadly, this dealership closed in 1972, the same year the Italian factory closed, but it had shuttled enough scooters from Milan to Manila to plant the seed for the Philippines’ thriving and resilient classic European