Valuable Classics Part 8: The Vespa – Hunt for the record price
‘Sembra una vespa’ – ‘It looks like a wasp’ is what Enrico Piaggio supposedly said when he first saw the prototype, thus creating the name for the “cult scooter” par excellence.
THE VESPA – V98 models OF THE FIRST AND SECOND SERIES
Whoever discovered the auction announcement in spring 2017 for a 1946 Vespa V98 estimating it between 250.000 – 300.000€ was surely surprised. Can a Vespa be worth that much? No, because the highest bid at the time came to “just” 182.000€. Anyone who thought that an offer this high for a “wasp” was an exception is mistaken. The V98’s successors from the “Faro Basso – Lamp below”-family now all reach almost six-figure amounts.
Be careful though: The year of construction is crucial! From 1946 to the beginning of 1948, Piaggio achieved a production volume of just about 16.000 units, which is the reason why the V98 of the first and second Series is practically not available on the market today.
Evolution of the Vespa – DEVELOPMENTS IN DESIGN AND PRICE
Due to the unexpected success and the franchising to Hoffmann and Messerschmidt the annual production rose to over 70.000 units. For “Faro Basso” models, built since the second half of 1948, amounts of 10.000€ have been paid regularly. From 1954/55 onwards, the headlamp was moved to the steering head, which is still the case in today’s design. This was accompanied by an increase in production volume to well over 100.000 units and an expansion of the model range.
The prices for scooters from 1955 onwards move between 5.000 – 7.000€, depending on the model and condition. By the way, the 150 Super (from 1965), with a production total of around 550.000 units, is one of the most produced scooters, right after the 50N Special (from 1972). Now, has the position of the headlight any influence on the price? Yes definitely, depending on the number of units or market availability.
Price performance data courtesy of:
Photos RUOTE DA SOGNO S.R.L
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