Atomic Fireball Genuine Stella Scooter #107 Comes Home

So like a hundred years ago (okay, maybe it was 10) my friend Joni got an Atomic Fireball Genuine Stella scooter for Easter. She claimed the Easter Bunny brought it. Which is a fabulous image in itself: giant fluffy bunny ripping around the alleys of Seattle on a collectible two-stroke scooter with a flame job.

From the Genuine website:

Ferrara Pan Candies and Genuine Scooters present: Atomic Fireball Stella!

They’re here and going fast (and will go fast for you as well!) so contact your Genuine Dealer and put a deposit down soon! The Atomic Fireball Stella features a racing-style seat, yellow powdercoated rims, red powdercoated hubs, custom flame graphics, “raised” gearing for higher top speeds, Fireball mudflap, new grips, a coin tray, and more… It’s the hottest scooter on the block!

I mean, the coin tray even comes filled with Fireball candies for the love of God.

We dubbed the new scooter “Arson” and she rode him quite a bit that following summer. I lusted after that scooter with a ferocity I only experienced with the Frankenstella when we were  young.

There were 150 of these Atomic Fireball Stellas made in 2005, so there are a few floating around that hit the market every few months, sometimes even within driving-distance. So I started a Fireball fund in case my stars aligned and I had both access and means.

When my funding threshold was reached, I told Joni. In a cruel twist of fate, she revealed that she’d sold Arson that morning to a fellow in Idaho.

Timing has never been my forte.

I moped a bit over the loss of Arson. But the following spring I received an email from the fellow who purchased Arson. He discovered Scooter Lust while looking for information on the Atomic Fireball Stella and he wrote to see if I was interested in buying the Fireball back. Was I?! The stack of bills nestled in my mattress says yes.

But fate twisted cruelly again and this particular fellow decided to keep the scooter and not sell it after all. Something about his kids pitching a fit when they found out he listed it.

I continued to monitor my various sources of Fireball scooter classifieds over the next year hoping for one in the Pacific Northwest. Nada. Until I pulled up an ad for Arson — MY Arson — on Boise Craigslist. WTF? Really? So I email this guy and tell him I want the damn scooter but I need two weeks to get the rest of the money. He tells me it’s urgent he unload this thing — the very same scooter he refused to sell me for the past two years — so he can’t wait.

A week later the ad is taken down so I assume Arson is gone.

Another scooting season passes and I’m back on the classifieds search for an Atomic Fireball Stella (slightly saddened because it won’t be Arson, but oh well). When what I’m sure is Arson shows up on scoot.net. I know it’s him because the photo posted in the ad is one I took in Joni’s back yard.

THIS GUY! I’m at the end of my rope with this guy. I tell him I’m coming to pick up the damn scooter and if he sells it to anyone else he’s going to regret that decision for the rest of his brief and painful life.

So I present you: Arson!

God, this machine just curls my little toes. I mean, look at it!!!


Don’t you just love a happy ending?

[ featured photo credit: Frank Kuzmanich. Who’s an amazing photographer, especially if he can make me look like a superhero! }

About kristin

I launched Scooter Lust in 2008 to fill the void of all-inclusive scootering sites. I've been riding for 22 years and I have a degree in journalism. I create all the content on this site. I'm so happy you're here! Read more about me, leave a comment or contact me.

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6 comments

  1. Great story! Had me wanting one by the time I finished!

  2. Hi Kristin- very nice website, great information! For years waiting at the Seattle metro bus stops in downtown I would see these Vespas & Stellas around, I sure love those scooters, one time I saw one parked around Westlake & went by for a closer look. Right then I wished to have one but I’m in my 50’s and had less practice riding my bicycle. Anyway to get started I decided to purchase an electric Vespa lookalike bike. I’m worried about spilling, would you recommend me to practice first on my bicycle or just take a chance and practice on this 20mph max ebike? Thanks again! – Ron

  3. My brother just bought one of those atomic fireball with all the flames. I have never seen one before. Can anyone tell me anything about it? Is it worth anything? I know that there was only 150 made. It was No.84 I think. Please tell me all you know about it!!!

  4. Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I definitely enjoyed reading it,
    you are a great author. I will remember to bookmark your blog and
    will often come back in the foreseeable future. I want to encourage yourself to continue your great work, have
    a nice afternoon!

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