Rumi: from Formichino to Bol d'Or successes
Rumi started producing scooters in 1953 and conquered Europe with models like the Formichino. Read more about Rumi's success and impact on the scooter industry in the 1950s.
Rumi Formichino
Italy
1956
Donnino Rumi
made machines for the textile industry in Bergamo but during World War II produced copper castings for the Italian navy.
From 1949 onwards, they started focusing on motorbike production. They were typical two-stroke models with 123cc horizontal parallel-twin engines developed by Pietro Vassena but improved by Luigi Salmaggi as early as 1950.
Rumi its scooter production in 1953 with the ambition to rival the popular Lambretta and Vespa in the European market. The first model, the Rumi Formichino - ant in Italian - , was made of cast aluminium, but proved too expensive for mass production. Therefore, the cheaper Formichino E was introduced, this version had a tubular steel frame with steel panels and mudguards, making it a sturdier but more affordable alternative.
In 1956, the Formichino was modernised with a two-piece rear frame and tool storage under the saddle. All models were equipped with a 125cc two-cylinder two-stroke engine, previously used in Rumi's motorbikes, but with lower power to make the scooter more accessible. The Model E did not find much acceptance, but the original Formichino gained much more attention, especially in France and Britain, where its success was further enhanced by its performance in racing. The Formichino's victory in the prestigious Bol d'Or race three times in a row generated a lot of media attention.
This success led to the production of the Bol d'Or version, with dual carburettor, which attracted sportier riders. Despite Rumi's growing popularity, sales figures were eventually overshadowed by the rise of new models from Lambretta and Vespa in the early 1960s. As a result, Rumi increasingly disappeared from view of the general public, and production ceased in 1960.
Although production ceased, there remained a lot of interest in Rumi scooters in the UK. Sales outlets continued to offer new and used models until 1965, when the lack of parts made it difficult to continue sales. Today, only about 60 Rumi's are still known in the UK. In Belgium, the Rumi was distributed under the name Djinn Sarolea.