As Chinese-made motorbikes flood Pakistan's roads, fans of vintage Vespa scooters are scrambling to find spare parts and preserve models that hark back to a bygone era.
The Vespas Of Pakistan
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Vespa parts inside a restoration shop in Islamabad. Vespa means "wasp" in Italian, a name reportedly adopted thanks to the scooters' thin waist and antenna-like handlebars.
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Members of a Vespa riders' club gather at sunrise in Lahore. Piaggio's classic Italian two-wheeler was the ultimate status symbol for Pakistani bike aficionados in the 1960s and 70s when
only a handful of people could afford the elegant machines.
only a handful of people could afford the elegant machines.
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A restorer (center) chats with customers while applying an undercoat to a Vespa panel.
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Engine parts and tools cover the engine restoration table at a Vespa restoration and repair workshop in Islamabad.