The images of an bee piaggio boat that moves on the waves in front of the Scilla coast are depopulating on the net. The project born from the idea of a Calabrian craftsman who is making everyone dreams has its roots very far away.
In 1965, in the United Kingdom, the Lambretta Concessonaires made a singular amphibian scooter, a Lambretta J125 modified to face both the road and the water. Designed as a demonstration piece, the vehicle was equipped with a rotating shovel connected to the rear hub for propulsion in water and a small rudder for the direction. The most famous demonstration saw him descend directly into the Thames, attracting the attention of the public and printing.
Although the project was partly inspired by the desire to experience means capable of overcoming natural obstacles without dedicated infrastructures, there is no evidence of concrete military use. Rare and expensive, this curious amphibious machine remained a prototype, becoming a symbol of the era in which engineering and fantasy met to give life to hybrid solutions. The adventure of the scooter ended with an unexpected sinking during a public demonstration, increasing his fame of mechanical legend.
Two eras, same philosophy
Sixty years later, on the crystal clear waters of Scilla, in Calabria, the craftsman Massimiliano Macrì – known as Maxgeko – has given life to the amphibious spirit in a popular and creative version. Using a Cross 50 Piaggio, historic motorcarro born in 1948, installed two surf tables such as floating and a system of lateral propellers to allow the means to navigate, even in reverse.
His creation does not arise from a functional need, but from a playful and visionary idea: to combine craftsmanship, irony and love for the territory. The images and videos of the curious vehicle have gone around the web, transforming it into a viral phenomenon, while remaining a craft vehicle not approved for official navigation.
If the 1965 amphibious scooter represented an attempt to demonstrate the potential of a hybrid vehicle capable of dealing with different environments, the floating bee of 2025 is a tribute to the art of the Italian invention. Two stories far in time, but united by the same intuition: do not stop in front of an obstacle, not even when this is the sea.
@Massimilianomacri70 #calabria #aspromonte #Ape I would like to thank the ancient catonese seafaring in particular the president Luigi Stilo, for giving me the opportunity to navigate the Menta dam
♬ I went to one hundred per hour – Gianni Morandi
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