The Vento Zip is a small scooter from the range of Vento, a brand sold by Vento Motorcycles, Inc., an American company whose vehicles reached Mexico, the United States, Russia and other markets. The name Vento means “wind” in Italian, although the company itself was American.
Vento Zip at a glance
| Model | Vento Zip |
|---|---|
| Brand | Vento |
| Company | Vento Motorcycles, Inc., United States |
| Name meaning | “wind” in Italian |
| Products of the brand | motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and off-road vehicles |
| Assembly plant | Laredo, Texas, opened in 1998 |
| Headquarters by 2006 | San Diego, California |
| Support centre by 2006 | Melbourne, Florida |
| Dealers in the USA | more than 175 in more than 30 states |
| Outlets worldwide | more than 300 |
| US sales, FY2003 | 17,840 units |
| Model page | no dedicated Wikipedia article; facts from the brand page |
based on one source: there is no dedicated Wikipedia page for the Zip, so the article draws on the Vento manufacturer article.
History of the Vento Zip
A brand built on imported components
Vento assembled its machines rather than making them from scratch. In 1998 an assembly and quality-control plant opened in Laredo, Texas, where components brought in from outside were put together and checked before sale. The Zip and the rest of the range went through that system.
San Diego and Melbourne
By 2006 the company was described as having its headquarters in San Diego, California, its assembly and quality-control work in Laredo, and a marketing, product development and dealer-support centre in Melbourne, Florida. Product design, development and customer support were handled from San Diego.
Scooters in the sales figures
Vento’s sales organisation covered more than 175 dealers in more than 30 American states and more than 300 outlets worldwide. In the 2003 financial year the company sold 17,840 units in the United States, and 77,600 Vento motorcycles were sold in Chile, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Russia combined, a figure that included highway motorcycles, scooters, utility vehicles and ATVs. Small-displacement two-wheelers were the brand’s strongest suit: in Mexico it sold more of them than Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and Kawasaki together.
Design and features
- A scooter in a wide range: Vento sold motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and off-road vehicles, and the Zip belongs to the two-wheeled, small-displacement part of that range.
- American assembly: machines were put together and quality-checked at the Laredo plant from 1998.
- Wide distribution: more than 300 outlets worldwide and a strong position in Mexico.
- Italian-sounding name: “vento” is Italian for wind.
Vento Zip versions
- Zip: the small scooter described on this page.
- Other Vento scooters: the brand’s scooter line sat alongside its motorcycles and ATVs (see the links below).
Other small Vento machines are described in the articles on the Vento Phantom and the Vento Triton. The whole range is listed in the Vento collection.
Video: Vento Zip Li
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Vento (motorcycle manufacturer), English Wikipedia: brand, plant, sales, product range
