Is Amigo Mobility a Good Mobility Scooter Brand?
Amigo Mobility: The Company That Invented the Category
Every mobility scooter on the market today traces back to one garage in Michigan, in 1968. Amigo Mobility didn’t just enter the scooter market — they created it. Here’s the real story, what they build today, and how they compare to the rest of the field.
Built in a Garage, for One Person Who Needed It
In 1968, Al Thieme built the very first electric mobility scooter in his garage — not as a business idea, but to help a family member who was losing mobility to multiple sclerosis. He named the device “Amigo,” Spanish and Portuguese for “friend,” and the name stuck as the company grew from that one personal solution into an entire industry. Every mobility scooter made since, by any manufacturer, traces its lineage back to that original 1968 design.
Amigo remains family-run today, headquartered in Bridgeport Township, Michigan — Al Thieme still serves as Chairman, with Beth Thieme as President and CEO. That’s more than 55 years of continuous family ownership in an industry where most of the original names have long since been acquired, merged, or sold off.
The Scooters Amigo Builds Today
Amigo’s current lineup is focused entirely on power-operated scooters, each proudly assembled in the USA:
- RT — Amigo’s indoor-focused scooter, with a narrow wheelbase built specifically for tight hallways and doorways, plus 360-degree seat rotation to help with transfers.
- RD — a more versatile model built to handle grass, gravel, sidewalks, and most indoor/outdoor surfaces — owners often describe it as their most all-around unit.
- HD — Amigo’s heavy-duty model for larger-framed users, with a 500 lb weight capacity, a wider seat, and a longer platform than the standard line.
- TravelMate — Amigo’s portability-focused option for travel and transport.
A Feature No Other Manufacturer Offers
Amigo offers something genuinely unique in this category: an optional Shabbat mode, available on the RT and RD models, that makes the scooter halachically approved for Orthodox Jewish Sabbath observance. A toggle switch shifts operation so the rider doesn’t directly activate the throttle — instead, a timing circuit sets the scooter in motion after a short delay, satisfying the “no work” restriction. Every Amigo Shabbat unit is individually inspected and certified by a representative of the Zomet Institute, a real religious-technology authority, not a marketing claim. It’s a small detail, but it reflects a company that’s genuinely paid attention to a specific community’s real needs rather than building one generic product for everyone.
Real Loyalty, Measured in Decades
It’s not unusual to find Amigo owners who’ve stuck with the brand for 25, 30, even 40+ years — a genuinely rare thing in a category where most people replace their equipment every several years. That kind of long-term loyalty is hard to manufacture through marketing; it tends to reflect real, sustained satisfaction with how a product actually performs over the long haul.
Who Amigo Mobility Is Genuinely Best For
If you want a scooter from the company that originated the entire category — with genuine long-term reliability behind the claim, not just marketing — Amigo is a strong choice. Their RT model in particular is worth a close look for anyone dealing with genuinely tight indoor spaces, and the Shabbat option makes them the clear choice for Orthodox Jewish riders who need that specific accommodation.
How Does Amigo Compare to Other US Manufacturers?
Amigo’s strength is deep scooter-specific heritage and genuine USA assembly — worth weighing against other priorities:
- If you also need a power wheelchair from the same brand, Pride Mobility covers both categories under one roof.
- If domestic manufacturing matters to you and you want a smaller, family-scale company similar in spirit to Amigo, PaceSaver is worth comparing.
- If you want a broader scooter lineup with more model variety at different price points, Golden Technologies is a strong alternative.
Already own an Amigo scooter and something’s not working right? EasyMed’s AI Technician is free and can help you figure out what’s going on in a couple of minutes — worth a look before scheduling a service call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who invented the mobility scooter?
Al Thieme built the first electric mobility scooter in his garage in 1968, originally to help a family member with multiple sclerosis. He named it Amigo, and the company he founded is considered the originator of the entire mobility scooter category.
Is Amigo Mobility still family-owned?
Yes. Amigo remains family-run more than 55 years after its founding, headquartered in Bridgeport Township, Michigan. Al Thieme still serves as Chairman, with Beth Thieme as President and CEO.
What are Amigo Mobility’s current scooter models?
Amigo’s current lineup includes the RT (indoor-focused, narrow wheelbase), RD (versatile indoor/outdoor), HD (heavy-duty, 500 lb capacity), and TravelMate (portability-focused). Amigo’s current lineup is scooters, not power wheelchairs.
Does Amigo offer a Shabbat-compliant scooter?
Yes. Amigo’s RT and RD models offer an optional Shabbat mode that makes the scooter halachically approved for Orthodox Jewish Sabbath observance, individually inspected and certified by the Zomet Institute.
Where are Amigo scooters made?
Amigo scooters are proudly assembled in the USA at the company’s Michigan facility.