Orix Prina: a legendary Italian scooter brand

Orix is a legendary Italian scooter brand that originated in the years just after World War II. The brand, based in Alessandria, produced elegant scooters between 1949 and 1954 equipped with powerful German ILO engines ranging from 125 to 175 cc. Like Walba, the design was inspired by the first jet planes. These scooters were a paragon of Italian design and were promoted as "the studebaker of scooters".

The Orix, presented at the 1950 Milan Motor Show, made its entry into the booming scooter world and stood out for its original and richly equipped bodywork. With its long body painted in two pastel shades of blue, striking fighter-style side scoops and beautiful chrome trim on the handlebars and headlight (housing all control cables), the Orix took its aesthetic inspiration from the dreams of its time: American cars and fighter jets. After starting with a 125cc, the Orix soon switched to the powerful ILO 175 with 4-speed gearbox. The Orix had direction indicators stylishly built into the rear light.

The Orix was beautiful but so expensive. In 1952, the Orix cost 265000 lire, while the Vespa 125 was worth 168000 lire the same year. Tunin Prina did not have the financial resources to continue the production of its scooters and stopped production after only 100 copies of this beautiful scooter were produced.

Interestingly, there was a connection with the Prina brand, which from 1952 produced scooters in Asti - just 30 kilometres away - under the name Orix-Prina. Although the exact nature of this collaboration is unclear, it suggests that the two brands had a shared vision of the future of mobility in post-war Italy. Currently, only a handful (less than five) are known.

With its stylish designs and reliable engineering, Orix has carved out a small but significant place in the history of the scooter industry.