Vendor supplied photos

Highlights

Handsome paintwork
Extensive refurbishment around 5 years ago
Stored indoors for the last 5 years
Extremely low mileage engine

The Appeal

Named after the Italian word for Wasp, the Vespa was the most potent symbol of Italy’s post-war boom. Piaggio was quick to turn its attention to get a battered Italy moving once more, where mobility meets chic, in proper Italian fashion. Introducing an easier to ride vehicle than a motorbike, it made navigating the war-torn roads a whole lot easier, and it made for easier repairs should someone pop a tyre thanks to the wheel being mounted to aircraft-inspired supporting arms rather than conventional forks. The beloved little Vespa was such a hit, that within the first ten years of its launch in 1946, a million scooters had been manufactured.

This example is presented in handsome condition, which has benefitted from an extensive refurbishment from a previous owner. After the refurbishment was completed, the car was then sold on to the most recent owner around 5 years ago, where it would be kept in his living room as a decoration piece and admired daily. The Vespa remains impeccably well kept to this day, and reportedly was outfitted with a brand new engine at the time of refurbishment and has only covered around 30 kilometres since!

The History and Paperwork

First registered in the UK on the 1st of May 2017
Presumably originally kept in Italy as is the case with most Vespas of this era
Completely refurbished sometime around 2018
V5C present and correct, ready for transfer of ownership
The keeper tells us that history and paperwork is rather thin on the ground for this Piaggio

The Condition

Beautifully presented in two-tone silver and red paintwork, with only very small blemishes to be noticed upon close inspection.
Brightwork all appears to be in good overall condition with some areas showing signs of age
Headlamp in excellent shape, no blemishes or cracks to be seen with lovely surrounding brightwork trim
Original Vespa badge up front in lovely condition, with the Piaggio emblem front and centre on the red trim
Both wheels appear in lovely condition with only very minor signs of use
Both leather seats are in great shape with no real signs of use, no rips or tears are noticed and the stitching all appears to be in tact
Handlebards in great shape with a fully functional gauge, and hand grips appear to be well cared for with no unwelcome damage preset
Footrests all appear to be in good shape with no damage to the rubber or the brightwork end caps, and the central rubber mat appears in good shape too
Rear engine covers show good paintwork with some small marks present on the right side around the vents, and another on the left side at the front of the red portion
Rear lights in good working order with nice lenses, the surrounding brightwork housing does show some signs of age and patina
Small rear bumper bar looks to be in excellent condition

The Mechanics

150cc two-stroke, single cylinder petrol engine, reportedly with only around 30 kilometres driven and in impeccable mechanical condition
4-speed manual transmission with grip-shift, reportedly in excellent condition with no known issues at present
Front suspension is a mono-shock design with a trailing arm for easy maintenance, and the rear is a coil spring with a damper. The suspension proves to be excellent in use with no unwelcome clunks or unusual feedback
Drum brakes are reportedly in good order, though from lack of use over the years it would be advisable to give them a check over
Tyres look in good shape however again, with the lack of use they should be checked and replaced if required

Summary

The Vespa has Italy at its heart. Not only is it a driveable piece of fashion, it’s an important part of automotive history with meaningful beginnings. Having been stored in a living room for the last 5 years, it truly is a piece of art on wheels which has been lovingly admired on a daily basis. A waste, some may say, but admiration is more forgiving on the charming scooter than daily use. An example worthy of many more years of appreciation.

BEFORE YOU BUY

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