Last week, when I was flipping through the Movie Trailer, I was struck by an image. It drilled into my brain, embedded itself like a Icon. But this image is not a piece of art car photography, there are no vintage signs or posters for auction. No, this is a vehicle in itself: A 1957 Zündapp Bella.
Immediately hooked, I turned to Google. This must be just a few combine star color, paint and chrome and soft brown leather, all coming together to triMy eyes see beauty in a crude, artless object. But photo after photo, until I was forced to face the truth: The Zündapp Bella is the most beautiful scooter ever made.
Zündapp was once largest motorcycle manufacturer in Germanybefore its tragic autumn in the eighties and finally a recent resurrection. It started in 1917, but the company’s post-war efforts were the ones that interested me – specifically this gorgeous scooter.
Bella is made for about a decadefrom 1953 to 1964, and imported into the United States by a third party, not Zündapp himself. It sold well enough, around 130,000 units, but newer technology eventually took over as time went on. But design, look of this scooteris timeless.
Look at that front fender, how low is it in the rear front wheel. Long, flat planks so the driver and passengers can rest their weary feet as Bella takes them seriously on their next mission. The wide engine protrudes below the narrow saddle. Ratio should not work, but they do, like a strange inverse valley.
Right now I’m searching for these on eBay, browsing Craigslist, hunting around the country on Facebook Marketplace. I have nowhere to put a scooter in my studio apartment, but I don’t care. Zündapp Bella is too gorgeous, too perfect, to be forever beyond my control. One day, I will have it.
