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WESCOM to Exclusively Finance Vespa Scooters for Southern California

15 November 2000

WESCOM Credit Union to Exclusively Finance Vespa Scooters for Southern California; Vespa Rides Scooter Trend and Re-Enters U.S. Market After 20 Years

    PASADENA, Calif.--Nov. 14, 2000--After nearly 20 years of being unavailable to U.S. markets, new models of the Vespa(R) scooters will appear for the first time in the United States at the grand opening of the new Vespa boutique dealership in Sherman Oaks, Calif., on Wednesday.
    Distribution for the new Vespa in Southern California will be provided by Autoland and lending will be offered exclusively through WESCOM Credit Union, one of the nation's largest credit unions with 20 locations in Southern California.
    "WESCOM is thrilled to be part of this very exciting relaunch as we prepare to be the exclusive lender for Vespa in the Southern California market," said Joe Schaeffer, senior vice president of Planning and Development for WESCOM.
    "In over 50 years, Vespa has collected a following of millions all over the world, so nothing could give us more satisfaction than to make this sleek Italian vehicle available to Southern California residents by providing them with complete financing options," added Schaeffer.
    WESCOM is offering 100 percent financing for the vehicles to its members. Like Vespa, WESCOM is repositioning its services and is broadening its membership requirements to include anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Both companies are committed to providing an extraordinary level of service to their customers.
    "We are extremely proud to have been selected as Autoland's partner in selling Vespa scooters to the public in Southern California," said Schaeffer. "Vespa and WESCOM both share a half-century history of providing quality services, and our relationship with Autoland and Vespa marks a valuable enhancement to the services our members already enjoy."
    The Vespa ET2 and ET4 models have been modified from European models to meet U.S. emission standards and will be manufactured exclusively for North American markets. Pricing for the new American models ranges from $2950 to $3950.