The Italians have a knack for building small, fun cars. The Fiat 500 was arguably the most famous of these exercises in miniature motoring. Vespa, better known for their scooters, waded into the microcar market rather unnoticed back in the late 1950s. Conceived by the Piaggio company and built in France, the 400 employed an inline two cylinder, two stroke engine mounted in the rear and featured four-wheel independent suspension with double shock absorbers. With 18 horsepower, the car took about 25 seconds to reach it's top speed of about 50 miles per hour. These weren't the best highway cruisers then, but for someone looking for an efficient, tidy runabout, not much else could compete for the money. This example for sale in Oregon has been owned by the same person for quite some time and is one of a few that exists on these shores.

1960 Vespa 400

1960 Vespa 400 car. Original motor rebuilt. Interior redone original style. New tires original size. Driven in several parades. Nice little driver. Owned about 30 years. Located 20 miles west of Eugene Oregon. Will deliver within 200 miles.

This 400 appears to be a rather untouched example, save for the engine and interior refresh. If this was a perfectly restored example, the $17,000 asking price might be justified. As it stands, a car in this condition will most likely sell for somewhere in the $9,000 to $13,000 range, provided the right buyer comes along.

-Paul