’50s BMW Scooter Prototype to Star at 2012 Concours di Motociclette

BMW is entering the scooter market this year with its C600 Sport and C650 GT maxi-scooters, but the German manufacturer almost entered the scooter segment nearly 60 years earlier. In the 1950s, BMW produced a pair of scooter prototypes it called the R10.

The first prototype produced in 1953 was equipped with a 175cc Single producing about 8hp while the 1954 prototype (pictured above) was equipped with a 200cc producing about 10hp. Unlike the successful Vespas of that era the BMW 1954 R10 scooter prototype (pictured here) had a large fairing that served as both leg shield and front fender. The end result however made it look a bit like a cyclops version of Snoopy from Charles Schultz’s “Peanuts” comic strip.

Though the R10 scooter never entered production, BMW is trotting it out for display at the second annual Concours di Motociclette, a side event to the Concours D’Eleganza Villa D’Este, May 25-27 at Lake Como in northern Italy.

Though BMW is organizing the event, the competition portion of the Concours di Motociclette is open to vintage motorcycles from all manufacturers. This year’s competition will feature 30 motorcycles representing five classes, the “Roaring Twenties”, the “Stylish Thirties”, the “Swinging Fifties”, “Start into the Future” (for the 60s onward) and racing motorcycles from across the decades (yes, we realize there’s something missing between the ’30s and ’50s from this BMW-organized event, as most models produced in that period, German or not, were for military purposes).

The BMW R10 scooter will presented as an out-of-competition model. It will be joined by Ernst Henne’s wrold speed record-setting supercharged dustbin-faired BMW R37.

[Source: BMW; R10 photo by Th-photos]

By Dennis Chung