Vespa 400 - Finally saw one at the Auto Museum in Sacramento
Post Reply    Forum -> Not-So-Modern
Author Message
biffnix
Hooked
GTV-300ie Touring
Joined: 12 Aug 2016
Posts: 340
Location: Bishop, CA
Wed May 15, 2019 12:21 pm quote
Vespa 400 car, (1958, I think) at the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento

I've always wanted to see one up close and personal. It's a tiny little thing, and boasts a whopping 14 horsepower engine. Top speed is a blazing 50-55mph, and takes 25 seconds to get there...

But, it's an adorable car. My wife thought so, anyway. I'll bet it's a kick to drive.

Anyway, I thought it was interesting enough to snap some photos, and share it with y'all.
Sacto Monkeyboy
Addicted
GTS 300 Super
Joined: 13 Sep 2017
Posts: 998
Location: West Sacramento, CA
Wed May 15, 2019 1:10 pm quote
PM next time you plan on coming to town!
biffnix
Hooked
GTV-300ie Touring
Joined: 12 Aug 2016
Posts: 340
Location: Bishop, CA
Wed May 15, 2019 2:15 pm quote
Sacto Monkeyboy wrote:
PM next time you plan on coming to town!
Will do. My wife got tix to Antiques Roadshow, so we went to that (it was at the Crocker Art Museum), and after we got done with that, we hit the Auto Museum. Had to pick up our daughter returning home from college the next morning in Reno, so it was a whirlwind trip. Maybe next time.
wbdvt
Addicted
2016 Sprint S 150 (his), 2016 Sprint 150 Blu Gaiola (hers), 2006 GTS 250 Excalibur Gray (hers), 2006 GTS 250 Black (his), 2012 GTS 300 Daring Plum (he
Joined: 21 Oct 2016
Posts: 947
Location: Vermont
Thu May 16, 2019 3:27 am quote
Thanks for posting the pics. What an adorable car!
Allens
Hooked
Looking
Joined: 18 Feb 2019
Posts: 189
Location: Tampa
Thu May 16, 2019 7:53 am quote
The ragtop is handy because your head is going to be sticking out!
Moto64
Addicted
'64 Motovespa 150S (177) , '66 Allstate SF, '64 VBB, '66 180SS
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 786
Location: S.Salem, NY
Thu May 16, 2019 2:28 pm quote
There was on at a local car thing recently that was in the bed of a 1/2 ton pickup. It fit in there, but with no room to spare
Ginch
Veni, Vidi, Posti
74 Super, 75 Super, PX project, LML off-roader and new to 2018, '66 Blue Badge Smallframe
Joined: 30 Nov 2011
Posts: 8054
Location: Victoria, Australia
Fri May 17, 2019 4:53 pm quote
My friend had one, this a picture from when he sold it a few months ago. He had to be careful where he took it because it was so slow.

Goetz 400 sold.jpg

chandlerman
Ossessionato
76 Sprint V, 63 GL, 62 VBB, 05 Stella
Joined: 16 Jun 2011
Posts: 2965
Location: Nashville
Fri May 17, 2019 5:17 pm quote
Re: Vespa 400 - Finally saw one at the Auto Museum in Sacram
biffnix wrote:
[url=https://imgur.com/gallery/vS1QhRd]boasts a whopping 14 horsepower engine. Top speed is a blazing 50-55mph, and takes 25 seconds to get there...
Nothing that couldn't be hot-rodded out a little. Throw a better top end on there, a little porting, tuned pipe and upsize the carb, it's ready for the Interstate.
Ginch
Veni, Vidi, Posti
74 Super, 75 Super, PX project, LML off-roader and new to 2018, '66 Blue Badge Smallframe
Joined: 30 Nov 2011
Posts: 8054
Location: Victoria, Australia
Fri May 17, 2019 7:26 pm quote
Goetz could not get anything like that speed out of it, and he's been working professionally on Vespas for 15 years at least.

There were certainly plenty of suggestions of a Hyabusa engine which would fit very nicely in there!
Team Scooter Trash for Petfinder Foundation   vespa scooterwest scooter west Motorsport Scooters   Scooter Parts Company
 
Post Reply    Forum -> Not-So-Modern

[ Time: 0.1591s ][ Queries: 27 (0.0403s) ][ Debug on ]