Auto Alternative, a company that specializes in Piaggio-made motor scooters, opened in September 2005 on Mary St, George Town. Recently Auto Alternative has moved to a new location, on Dorcy Drive, a move that coincided with the company being bought by the Fosters group.

The company has expanded its product range to include Suzuki automobiles, but their continued emphasis on scooters as an alternative to cars still sets it apart from other automotive dealerships.

Lee Arie, Manager at Auto Alternative, is himself an enthusiastic scooter rider, which he believes puts him in a better position to help his customers.

Mr Arie also believes that Auto Alternative can provide its customers with the kind of customer service they would expect from an automobile dealer, which includes the provision of spare parts for the scooters, a feature that Mr Arie believes is lacking in other retailers, who may offer the scooter, but no after-sales support.

“Each new Vespa, Piaggio or Gilera scooter from Auto Alternative comes with a 1-year unlimited mileage warranty and the first scheduled service,” Mr Arie added.

In late 2006, Auto Alternative was purchased by the Foster Group, which Mr Arie believes added to the ability of the company to be able to serve the customer’s interests.

“Joining the Foster Group allowed Auto Alternative to grow its sales, service and parts departments,” Mr Arie said.

Shortly thereafter, Auto Alternative acquired the Suzuki Automotive franchise. Although the Suzuki vehicles are cars, not scooters, Mr Arie sees they too fit in with his companys’ vision, of having just one car per family, instead of two or three; the other vehicles being made up of environmentally-friendly scooters.

It is a vision Mr Arie believes would benefit the Cayman Islands in many ways. One of the obvious ways being that it would ease traffic congestion, making the need for new roads less pressing, and making motorists’ lives less stressful.

Other environmental benefits of buying a scooter of Vespa and Piaggio quality are also apparent, according to Mr Arie. “These scooters are built to last. They are not throw-away scooters,” he said.

“They’re the very best, the original scooter. Piaggio invented the scooter 60 years ago with the Vespas, so they’re really classics, known for their durability and dependability.”

“People buy Piaggio and Vespa understanding their value. After a year or two and they find they want to sell it they can get a good price for it, or they can keep it and know that in 15 or 20 years they can still be riding it; there are people here who have been riding Vespas for 20 or 30 years; they are still using them for their daily commute. If you buy a Piaggio, it is not a throw-away vehicle.”

Mr Arie believes that there is also a safety aspect related to regular scooter maintenance made possible by a reputable dealership, as people who buy his scooters are not tempted to go on riding it if component has worn out.

“There are suppliers out there for bikes that do not have parts distribution and support, as we do, and because of that, people are forced to ride bikes they cannot get replacement parts for,” he said.
The other benefits of riding a scooter include fuel economy.

“How much do you pay for the gas you put in your car each week?

40-50 dollars? He asked.

“I put in four to five dollars a week, and that takes me about 120 miles.”

Another consideration is that scooters avoid traffic congestion. “Also, parking one of these scooters is not an issue. With a scooter, everything’s just so easy,” Mr Arie said.

christopher@caymannetnews.com