ONE FOR THE ROAD
Ocean Colour Scene Themed Vespa
One For The Road is a bespoke Vespa created for Kev and Debbie Mustard, two lifelong Ocean Colour Scene fans who have followed the band around the country to countless gigs.
The concept was inspired by the iconic photography associated with Moseley Shoals, one of the band's most celebrated albums. With the location of the original photographs close to Kev and Debbie's home, recreating those instantly recognisable scenes on the scooter became central to the design.
The finished Vespa went on to grace the front cover of Scootering magazine and won its first Best in Show at the Isle of Wight, beginning a run of awards at custom shows around the country.
The Inspiration
The two side panels were designed to work together as one continuous story. On one side, the band are shown walking away towards the memorial, recreating the famous Moseley Shoals imagery. On the opposite panel they appear facing the viewer, creating the illusion that the four band members have walked straight through the centre of the scooter and emerged on the other side.
Reproducing the second photograph presented a particular challenge. At this scale the four band members' faces are only a few millimetres across, yet they still needed to remain recognisable as individual portraits.
Even the smallest details mattered. Simon Fowler's distinctive purple shirt had to be reproduced accurately — particularly because the shirt itself had a piece of music history attached to it, having reportedly been borrowed from Paul Weller for the original photo shoot.
The concept was inspired by the iconic photography associated with Ocean Colour Scene's Moseley Shoals. The original photographs were taken in Jephson Gardens, Leamington Spa, featuring the distinctive Jephson Memorial — just around the corner from where Kev and Debbie live. That personal connection made recreating the scenes on the scooter an essential part of the design.
FROM PAINTWORK TO THE BAND
One For The Road developed a story of its own after it left the workshop. Kev and Debbie later met Simon Fowler in a local pub and were able to show him the Scootering magazine featuring their Vespa on the front cover.
Debbie also tracked down drummer Oscar Harrison and presented him with the magazine, resulting in a great photograph of Oscar holding the feature dedicated to the scooter inspired by his band.
From its first Best in Show at the Isle of Wight to numerous subsequent custom-show awards, One For The Road became far more than a themed paint job — it brought together the owners' passion for Ocean Colour Scene, the band's history and a unique piece of custom scooter art.
Project Pearl
Vehicle Vespa GS
ArtworkHand Airbrushed
Finish Silver metal flake, colour shift pearl, mother of pearl
Techniques Airbrush, masking & spraying
Artist Dave Dickinson
Established. 1997
Every commission is individually designed and hand painted.
If you have a motorcycle, scooter or helmet you'd like transformed, get in touch to discuss your ideas.
Request a Quote