Brothers will open region’s only Vespa dealership

Peter Caschera was 6 years old when he rode on his first Vespa scooter, zooming through the streets of Sora in central Italy. His aunt was driving.

That experience in the homeland of Caschera’s father began a love affair with the Italian-made scooters. A decade later, Caschera got his first Vespa: a red Sears Allstate model from 1959. Four other Vespas followed.

By Wednesday, the 21-year-old Caschera had an inventory of 23 Vespas, many of which were on display at Anca’s Foreign Auto Parts, the Erie Boulevard shop co-owned by his father, Rocco. From there, Peter Caschera and his brother, Guiseppe, next month will launch the Capital Region’s only Vespa dealership: Vespa Schenectady.

“They’re so much more than something to ride. They’re pieces of art. They’re beautiful to look at,” said Peter Caschera, a Rotterdam native who will graduate Saturday from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The international business student’s senior thesis project is titled, “A Survey of Vespas Past, Present and Future in the USA.”

Even if consumers do not share Peter Caschera’s adoration for the Vespa, the brothers hope rising gasoline prices will make consumers more inclined to hop on the scooters that can get up to 80 miles per gallon.

The basic Vespa S 150 model gets that gas mileage, weighs 243 pounds and costs less than $4,100. The larger Vespa GTS 250 model gets up to 70 mpg, weighs 326 pounds and costs less than $6,000. The single-cylinder, four-stroke scooters have maximum speeds between 59 miles per hour and 76 mph.

“They’re really good with gas mileage, and with the skyrocketing gas prices there should be a huge market for these,” said Guiseppe Caschera, 19.

The Piaggio Group — Vespa’s parent in Pisa, Italy — on Wednesday reported a 3.2 percent Vespa sales volume increase to 22,500 during the first quarter, compared with a year earlier. However, Vespa’s net sales — impacted by the stronger euro — fell 6.4 percent to 42.2 million euros ($65.3 million),

During the first quarter, 3.9 percent of Piaggio’s business originated in its America market, where it sold 4,300 vehicles. Seventy-three percent of its business stems from Europe.

Many Vespas are somewhat new to roads stateside. In 2001, Piaggio reintroduced the Vespa in the United States after a 20-year hiatus. In 1981, competitive pressures from Japanese scooter manufacturers such as Honda Motor Co. and more stringent pollution requirements prompted the Italian manufacturer to pull out of the U.S.

About two years after Vespa’s U.S. reintroduction, Kara DePaula opened Vespa Saratoga dealership on Division Street in Saratoga Springs. But that business closed a few years later and DePaula now works in the sales department at her parents’ DePaula Chevrolet in Albany. She did not return a call Wednesday seeking comment.

In Schenectady, the Caschera brothers will test the market for Vespas and other Piaggio two- and three-wheel vehicles at Anca’s. They will relocate to a new location if the business takes off. But for now, their Vespa Schenectady is providing another new feature at Anca’s.

Anca’s moniker is a combination of the beginning letters of co-owner Angelo Caschera’s first and last name. Angelo Caschera emigrated to New York from Italy in 1972 and his brother, Rocco, followed him a year later.

Anca’s was initially a gasoline station and three-garage auto repair shop. Angelo and Rocco Caschera acquired it in 1980 from the Morrette family, which owns Morrette’s King Steak House across the street.

Over the last 28 years, the building has received three additions, bringing its total size to 16,000 square feet. The former garage space is doubling as a showroom for both Anca’s and Vespa Schenectady.

Categories: Business