Mostra Scambio Imola 2024

Mostra Scambio was always on my bucket list, and I have never been to a show like this before. Where else would you find classic Vespa and Lambretta rarities other than back on their home ground. I decided to bite the bullet and contact a well known scooter dealer 'Swiss Tony Scooters', who attends these events throughout the year. I could not be more thankful to Swiss Tony for giving me all the information, as a week later my dad and I booked the travel, accommodation and tickets for the event. Living in Jersey means extra travel arrangements and Imola does not have its own airport, but with flights, trains and taxis arranged, we were on our way. 

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We stayed at a hotel called Hotel Olympia which was a 2 minute walk from the trade show grounds based at the Imola Race Circuit also known as Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. Thankfully, the hotel was also only a 5 minute walk away from the town centre, so restaurants and bars were close by.

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Our first day was spent getting to know Imola. Imola has plenty of historic architecture and is a quiet town. Filled with cobbled streets and homes which look hundreds of years old. That evening we visited the town centre, found a pleasant bar where we could sit outside and watched the world go by.Dinner was pasta made by a local Italian chef. How could that not be good. 

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The next morning my dad and I arrived at the showground. By 10am there were already waves of people waiting for the gates to open. Floods of people poured into the grounds hoping to find a hidden gem. At first glance, all I could see were stalls filled with motorbike and scooter parts, and people bartering over prices. This was only in the first section of stands. Walking through the garages where F1 cars used to be parked, we discovered hundreds of stalls on the main race track as far as the eye could see. On closer inspection there were parts and scooters you would never be able to find in the UK. Imola is a complete gold mine for anything scooter or motorbike related. I have never seen so many Vespa small frame engines, carburettors, exhausts, you name it, it was all there. The Pedalo Piaggio Ciao's were a massive hit at the event as everyone seemed to be buying them. There was so much I could have bought, even if it was not for one of my scooters at home but unfortunately finances and the fact we didn't have a van stopped any major purchases. To be honest it was more about the experience other than bringing anything back with me.

 

It took 7 hours to walk the circuit, due to the fact we stopped at every stall. There were nearly 1,800 stalls at the event, so no wonder it took us 7 hours. An epic first day!

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