Modern Vespa

Hey

This ist going to be my first post.
So please be nice to me.

I am trying to figure out the model year of my Vespa.
The VIN number on my LX150 is ZAPM4440000004351.
Is this really possible?

Isn't the 10th digit showing the model year? So what would that be in my case?
According to the registration papers that I have got, the Vespa should be model year 2007 but I am not quite sure and wanted to double check.


Thanks

to MV from the Sunny Aegean!

Model years are strictly an North American idiosyncrasy.

The rest of the world uses a zero in the 10th position of the VIN to designate "no model year assigned". Also, in the rest of the world, what is usually recorded on the vehicle documents is the date of first registration to a buyer for use on the road.

Okay I see.
Thanks

So is there no other way to figure out the model year besides what I can see on the registration papers?

Hi,
I'm not familiar with your model, but Piaggio do mark ABS ("Plastic") parts with markings which will tell you the year and month of the component manufacture.
For instance: On the lower part of the back of the handlebar cowling on mine there are markings which look like two clocks with a pointer. One for year and one for month, with the letters ABS close by.
Check any ABS panels you have for these markings.
®ich

Normally you would right about the 19th digit but Vespa VIN numbers do not give an indication of year of manufacture for some reason. I am not sure how you can verify model year, some colours were only used in certain years?

Do you mean when it was built? Not sure if that info is on the scooter, but you could get the info from Piaggio using the VIN.

"Model years" are a construct that really have no meaning outside the US and Canada. For the rest of the world, a vehicle's manufacture date is not as significant as it is in the US, but the date first registered is.

For example, a 2013 model US vehicle is immediately "1 year old" the minute the 2014 version is released, even if it was purchased a month before the 2014 release, even though there may not be a significant change in the vehicle in the new "Model Year". Elsewhere, a vehicle is not one year old until it has been registered by an owner for use on the road for one year.

Vespa VINs in the US and Canada give the model year in the 10th digit, which is not necessarily the year manufactured, but could be the previous year. As I noted previously, "Model Year" is strictly a North American construct. ISO simply allowed the 10th digit to be used for "Model Year" to accommodate North America in a standardized world wide scheme. A North America market vehicle will have a number or letter (other than zero) in the 10th digit to identify the model year, and vehicles for the rest of the world will show a zero.