THIS MONTH... in 2023
Looking for a project, a tail light lens for an Italian bike or just weekend entertainment? Milan’s Mostra Scambio is worth a trip. But be prepared to bust your luggage allowance on the way back...
APPARENTLY THE TERM ‘Autojumble’ was first used in 1967 for the bring and buy sale that’s now an annual fixture at Beaulieu. Now they’re an established part of the classic scene, albeit one that’s declined in quality and significance in the UK since the advent of eBay. They’re called Mostra Scambio d’Epoca in Italy – it translates as Vintage Exchange Exhibition – and the event held at Milan every autumn is fantastic.
Obviously, you wont find many British bike parts at an Italian jumble, but equally the number of stalls selling household cleaning products and fudge is much less than the typical UK affair.
November’s Milan event takes place at the Novegro Exhibition Park – and the huge site, with indoor and outdoor spaces, is stuffed with interest and temptation. From bins full of brake levers and reproduction CEV tail light lenses to immaculately restored Moto Guzzi singles.
It’s a cornucopia of the more obscure Italian brands, too. Never seen a Capriolo? An FM scooter with a cast aluminium frame? A Ducati minibike? A Segale Kawasaki? A Benelli Six café racer? They, or other equally unusual machinery, are all here.
The stuff that’s for sale reflects the story of the Italian motorcycle market and, as you’d expect, there are lots of mopeds and scooters from the 1970s and ’80s, and quite a few post-1980 Japanese bikes too – but the surprise for a first-timer is the amount of off-road machines from the 1970s and ’80s. There are plenty of Fantics, Aprilias and SWMs, but it’s not just Italians. You’ll see rows of gleaming KTMs, or ratty Bultacos and Ossas that are ripe for restoration.
Of the older stuff, the Guzzi singles are most popular, but there are surprises too. Like vintage Harleys or the odd Brit. But don’t expect ridiculous bargains, especially with the Euro hovering around 1.15 to the pound. The vendors know what they’ve got and what it’s worth, but you are duty bound to haggle.
Best of all is that the Novegro Exhibition Park is a 20-minute walk from Milan’s Linate airport, so you can literally make a flying visit. Book early and you can get there and back from Heathrow for £126 return – and you can do it in a day. Though better to make a weekend of it and enjoy Milan, too.
Unfortunately, a Moto Guzzi Falcone would bust the British Airways hold luggage allowance. But if you do succumb to temptation, you’ll need to go looking around the car park for British-registered vans and start pleading. And if you plan to buy a complete bike, read the NOVA (Notification of Vehicle Arriv
