Douglas was a British motorcycle manufacturer from 1907 to 1957, based in Kingswood, Bristol. When its own production came to an end, the company continued as an importer: it brought Vespa scooters into the United Kingdom and later imported and assembled Gilera motorcycles.
Douglas Vespa at a glance
| Make | Douglas, Kingswood, Bristol, England |
|---|---|
| Company founded | 1882, by William and Edwin Douglas |
| Sales of Douglas motorcycles | 1907–1957 |
| Known for | horizontally opposed twin-cylinder motorcycles |
| Own production ended | 1957, under Westinghouse ownership |
| After 1957 | imported Vespa scooters into the UK |
| Later | imported and assembled Gilera motorcycles |
There is no Wikipedia page for a Douglas Vespa model. The English Wikipedia article on the Douglas company says only that Douglas imported Vespa scooters into the UK after 1957 and later imported and assembled Gilera; this article states no more than that (one source).
History of the Douglas Vespa
Douglas made motorcycles in Bristol from 1907 to 1957 and was especially known for its horizontally opposed twin-cylinder engines and for speedway machines. The company had been founded in 1882 as the Douglas Engineering Company by William and Edwin Douglas, moved from blacksmithing into foundry work, and took over the manufacturing rights of Joseph Barter’s Light Motors in 1907.
In 1955 the 350 cc Dragonfly was the last model the firm made. The Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company bought Douglas out, and production of Douglas motorcycles ended in 1957. The name did not disappear from the British market, however: Douglas continued to import Vespa scooters into the UK, and later imported and assembled Gilera motorcycles.
This page collects Douglas’s Vespa connection rather than a Douglas-built model, because Douglas did not manufacture the scooter itself — it acted as the British importer after its own motorcycle production had finished.
Design and features
- British importer: Douglas brought Vespa scooters into the UK after 1957.
- Continuity after 1957: the firm stayed in the motorcycle trade after its own production ended.
- Gilera as well: Douglas later imported and assembled Gilera motorcycles.
Douglas Vespa versions
- Vespa import: Douglas as the British importer of Vespa scooters.
- Gilera import and assembly: the later activity of the same company.
For Douglas’s own machines see the Douglas EW. The rest of the marque is in the Douglas collection.
Sources
- Douglas (motorcycles), English Wikipedia: company history and the Vespa and Gilera import business
