Registration No: UJT 377S
Frame No: 44974
MOT: Exempt

• The screen-used scooter from the 1979 cult movie Quadrophenia
• No replica, the actual real deal scooter
• Also featured in ‘The Grand Mod Experience’ by Carol Harrison
• Extensive provenance file
• Original Allstyle accessories still attached
• Running well and offered with a V5 for use on the road

The cult status of The Who’s 1979 'rock opera' film Quadrophenia needs no introduction and its appeal grows ever stronger as the years go by. A magical infusion of culture with its distinctive working-class '60s Mod appeal starring predominantly unknown starlets who later largely shot to huge fame including Sting, Toyah Wilcox, Lesley Ash, Phil Daniels, John Altman, Phil Davis and many more in this gritty masterpiece directed by a young Frank Roddam for The Who Films produced by Bill Curbishley and Roy Baird. In a later interview with actor Phil Davis who played 'Chalky' - ‘the ponce’, he recalled how the young actors learned to ride on mopeds as they had no access to the scooters until the filming started.

The comedic, almost tragic, moment when 'Chalky’s' scooter (played by Phil Davis) crashes into some bins when he was run off the road by Rockers, as the Mods were entering Brighton, is one of the many unforgettable highlights of the film (officially known as 'Scene 66 - Road to Brighton' in the film script) - '"It looked good from back there", said Jimmy as they left Chalky lying by the road to fend for himself ' - And this is one of the most endearing features about this scooter. There was only one, unlike Sting's scooter where multiple replacements were waiting in the wings, 'Chalky’s' (Phil Davis) scooter saw real action and had to be patched up multiple times after many takes. It is noticeable how poor some of the continuity was and a keen eye will notice how the headset on 'Chalky’s' scooter changes from a rectangular GP to SX type and back again. The corresponding forks also had to be changed and then back again once more. The same with the mirrors, which also changed positions. In researching this, it is because most of the Brighton scenes were filmed first and the London scenes later. To make the original GP look more period, the SX head set was added and the early '60s prop registration number 'DCB 647'. According to our vendor, it was so damaged in early filming that the old GP's rectangular item had to be put back on. The scene where 'Chalky' rides out of Brighton with ‘Monkey’ (Toyah Wilcox) on the back, we see again the SX head-set, so this was filmed before the aforementioned scene 66 where the main damage occurred. We are delighted to say that the original GP head-set top is still with the scooter and is included in the lot.

How this scooter has survived and is actually still here is another story and involves the vendor being in the right place at the right time - twice! In 1978, the Dorset-based Modrapheniacs Scooter Club was a large and very active club, particularly as this was a very early time in the ‘Mod Revival’. As a club, they headed to the Southend Mod Rally in 1978 and it is here that the first breakthrough happened. 'UJT 377S', a SIL GP150, was purchased the year before by club newcomer Scott Willis. Bill Curbishley and Frank Roddam were at the Southend rally looking for material, extras and scooters for their upcoming film. Four scooters were chosen from the group; 'Jimmy’s' Li150, a Pink GP owned by our vendor (later seen in the film at 'Goldhawk'), a Jet 200 owned by Rob ‘Yob’ Williams and the scooter we present here, 'Chalky’s' White GP150 owned by Scott Willis. They were each paid £300 for the hire of their scooters and were also later invited to work as extras for £20 a day. Our vendor was known as ‘Mod 12’ and is also mentioned in the book ‘Quadrophenia - The Complete Guide, by Layne Patterson’.

The scooters were returned following the filming. Scott Willis was very unhappy with the condition of the scooter which was returned to him with missing side panels and a broken headset amongst other damage. He complained to the film company who subsequently sent him £400, enough to buy a new scooter in 1979! The damaged scooter was then sold to our vendor for £100 and swiftly tidied-up with rattle-can paint. The scooters attended the premiere of Quadrophenia which was held at The Plaza in Regent Street, London on the 16th August 1979 which was attended by The Who - without recently deceased Keith Moon, stars, the cast and crew. Our vendor rode the scooter there! The original entrance ticket, signed at the premiere by Phil Daniels and Bob Geldof, is included with the lot.

One must remember that despite the initial youth appeal during the Mod revival of the early 1980s, the real cult status of the film came many years later. Our vendor removed the accessories and sold the scooter to his friend Phil Cheney, who subsequently sold it to the Blue Diamond Scooter Club in 1983 before being acquired by a lady named Sheryl. It then disappeared until it was seen at a 1994 scooter parts fair on the stand of Bedlam Scooters. Our vendor, being one of the only people who knew what it was, spotted the registration number and bought the scooter back for the second time for what he says were 'nostalgic reasons'. That was the second time he was in the right place at the right time.

Many years later, in 2019, he was contacted by Carol Harrison, producer of all things Mod, including ‘All or Nothing - The Musical’, who was organising a Quadrophenia reunion and the ‘Grand Mod Experience’ for the Cancer Research charity at the August 2019 bank holiday Mod gathering, The Grand Hotel Brighton. He was asked if he would bring 'Chalky’s' scooter to the show to exhibit, which he did. Just prior to the event, the scooter went through South West Scooters in Yeovil, who returned it to its Quadrophenia appearance and attached the original accessories our vendor had kept for all of those years. These included the mirrors, Cuppini rear and front racks, front crash bars and Ulma front bumper which are all the original pieces (although the flyscreen is a similar replacement but with the original fur). As of 2024, the scooter is 'in good running order' and still with its original SIL GP150 engine, which fired-up easily on our visit. It has a current V5 and can be used on the road.

As one of the principal scooters in one of the most important cult films of our times, this scooter and its part in contemporary popular culture, together with the provenance that accompanies, should be of major interest to collectors of rock memorabilia and historical scooters.

https://youtu.be/8e81BDzm6Dw

For more information, please contact:
Paul Diamond
info@vintagescooters.co.uk
07768 313001