Beautifully restored subcompact car!

Piaggio presented the Vespa 400, a modern convertible saloon that was designed as competition for the Isetta and the Goggo, at the Paris Motor Show 1957. The Fiat 500 was launched at the same time, so the company decided to restrict production of the Vespa 400 to France and focus on that particular market. A number of modifications were introduced to the cars in 1959, the most obvious of them being sliding windows on the doors. Of the 30,076 cars produced, a few went to Italy and Germany, while 1,700 made their way to the United States.

This Vespa was licensed in France on 25 April 1959, as shown in a copy of the Carte Gris. Manufactured in early 1959, it is still the original model, albeit with the “Luxe” features. Accompanied by photographs, the extensive restoration documents clearly show how much effort was invested in this small car. It took passion and a tidy amount of euros to bring this subcompact into its current dapper condition. Today, the Vespa 400s should be seen as pretty and nevertheless individual alternatives to their more standard counterparts, with the folding top as a particularly attractive feature. A subcompact car is more than just nice, and it’s truly fantastic if someone has put a lot of money into its restoration: in this case for the new owner especially!

VIN: 017185, mileage: 51,978 km (read), displacement: 394 cc/R2, power: 14 hp, colour: white/black (synthetic leather), gearbox: 3-speed, papers: German papers to obtain licensing & a French Carte Gris (cancelled)