Modern Vespa

My latest project is this European 1965 Sprint w/ the big headlite, Vin # VLB1T *013009*. You can see it has the block style badge, but is this original or did somebody 'upgrade' the bike sometime in the past? Seems like all the pics I've seen have script badges like this Veloce, 1969-1979.



Here's a shot of the backside, if somebody tampered with it they did a pretty good job.

i believe they are all over the place and different models have different stories. the origin of the bike also may differ from one model to the other. I have a '77 Sprint V made by Dan Motor. it has trapezoid head but its a legit sprint v. with block letterings. the history on the super (VBC) is even more confusing. the super has P/ logo from '65 - '67 and Hexagonal logo from '68 - '79. However, it has a dark blue "Vespa Super" script emblem on the legshield from '66 - '67, a silver "Vespa Super" script from '68 - '72 and a block 'VESPA' from '73 - '79.

we assume that P/ goes with the 'Vespa' script on the legshield, and hexagonal goes with the block 'VESPA' but this certainly not the case because from '68 - '72 they use a hexagonal logo with script badge.

i believe never the opposite, they never use the P/ with block lettering on the legshield.

so to answer your question, i believe sometime around '73 they switch to block lettering.

here's my '69 super (VBC) with script


and my '77 sprint v. (VLB)

in general, the hexagon was phased in in 1968.

block style badges were phased in 1973.

i'd double check your vin. i think you've dropped a digit and that is actually a later model as the large headset was not used on early 60's sprints.

in addition, it's most likely someone has stuck the earlier badge on with those wings and yours is a hexagon-stamoed frame.

No the large headset was used in the 60s too

later 60's, yes. first year 1965, no.

i'd also have to check my notes, but i think it was only used on Sprint V's as well, not basic sprints.

65 sprints have alot of little, weird differences that are throwbacks to the GL and VBB. things like round glovebox locks with a separate latch lever and such.

the 130mm headset was not used on launch on the sprint, but came later.

Rob Hodge is correct.
The blue hexagon logo replaced the vintage shield with the P (recently reintroduced), in the mid-late 60's but the script style emblems stayed for almost another decade. It's only in the mid 70's that the straight, slab-serif font was introduced. That was the beginning of a whole new brand visual expression that Piaggio diligently rolled out across all products and touch-points. TV and print ads started to change style gearing to a much younger audience. The second wave student riots started in Central Europe, particularly France and Italy. In Italy also, a whole decade of internal terrorism started to change the fabric of the society. Vespas were no longer the cheap vehicles to daily commute to a blue collar job shift, but cool status symbols for young high school and college students to move around the city.
It's absolutely fascinating to study the evolution of this extraordinary vehicle thru the lens of the dramatic changes in the socio-economical landscape in Italy during those years. At least it is to me, barely a teenager at the time, looking at my older brother and older sister growing up and changing in a country constantly marked by extreme highs and lows, peaks and valleys and many, many contradictions ...

Sorry for the digression.

Manual, maybe others in the forum did not care about your digression but... I, not only loved it, but also agree with it completely. I was there too...
In my extended family though Vespas were used as working vehicles. We used them for home delivery of bread and other groceries. My father only had one or two but I my uncle has several... Rallys, Sprints, Supers... At that time I was too young to appreciate them. To me they were only workhorses. I wish he did not get rid of them when he retired from being a baker....

these are fascinating stories, i wasn't there so could not imagine how it was there. But Vespas has been in my family for as long as i can remember. My father bought one brand new in '64 (VBB) then 2 of his friends bought them right after then my uncles bought one, on and on so they're very close to my heart. I still remember riding the VBB with my dad as his daily commute to drop me off at school, the bank, play tennis and heard stories about him and my mom went out on a date before they got married. The vespa has been around for what it seems to me forever.

I was very fortunate to still have the bike given to me from my father as well as one from his friend, uncle and my father in law. I never bought them, they just sort of falls into my lap from the original owners, and in this lifetime I'm just a caretaker for these bikes as i'll pass them along to my son along with the stories i have and will create with them.

This book: http://www.walmart.com/ip/25237844?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227018663475&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=53084566728&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=75174146928&veh=sem
is a fascinating walk thru the history of Piaggio and Vespas not from a technical standpoint, but mostly in relation to the socio-economical, historical and political landscape in Italy.
For those interested in these aspects, is an absolute must have.

also worth noting that this is the same book as 'vespa: italian style for the world.'

good history of the company, but not a technical book by any means. probably the best vespa cofe table book out there, in my opinion.

i actually have a funny story about that book. when it was published, it was published as 'V: ISFTW' in italian and english. phil mccaleb heard there were no plans to distribute it in the US, so he had scooterworks buy the entire english languige first printing in europe and had them shipped to the states for scooterworks to sell.

the massive pallet of books arrived like a day after we got word there was plans for an american printing as 'V:SIM'

After reading all the replies, I think this one is probably not a '65. Even though *013009* was the best I could make out, the VIN area is pretty rough.

It does indeed have the stamped hex recess in the frame under those wings and should have a hex badge rather than the P/ style which is part of the wings. I confess that I'm the someone that put those wings on even though the emblem is wrong. But these are the high grade cast & polished deluxe wings, not the cheapo stamped out ones.



Here's the best pic I have of the VIN and I'll get it out into the sunlight if we have any today & get a better one. Anybody come up with another number? The more I look at it, the more I think it might have another digit.

Found these that confirm the 1974 badge change:


1973 Sprint - script badge, trap headset & trim on mudguard & cowls


1974 Sprint - block badge, 130mm headset & no trim on mudguard & cowls

So... Rob was right, there is another digit.
The VIN number seems to be *0130095* which I checked on ScooterHelp and but how in the hell is this a '70 with this badge?

ur sprint is weird Brother T, normally the vin in ur place were for early sprint whether its a vespa s which made in 1996 nor the later version but i think piaggio stop stamping vin under the glovebox in 1967 and yes normally they have a square horncast badge like this


while the later model which is still 2 port came with ur version till the 3 port and giant round head appear in 1969 and its a veloce, the script ended in 1973 but the veloce lies till 1969

beyond that whatever u hold in ur hand sure does make me jealousy and make miss my veloce

good luck on the bike and cheer Brother T

i'd bet that isn't a 3, it's an 8. that would make it a 1974 Sprint Veloce. witch would also explain the 130mm headset.

*0180095* + ScooterHelp = Thanks, Rob. Looks a lot like a 3 but it's gotta be an 8 and now I know what I have here when I go to get it titled.

Thanks ebeth, but this one was pretty gnarly when I found it and is still far from perfect - more here Vespa Dirt Bike Builds .

2 port - 3 port.... I got it without a motor, built it with a Bajaj 150 motor that I added a 3rd port to. Since then, I did swap that out for the P200 motor w/ repaired rotary pad that I brought back from Greece. The scooter's nearly done now & it loves all that P200 power!

a project is what makes us young Brother T, thats and the fun ride of course

have a nice day and cheer

I have block letters on my 1960 Douglas, appears original. Maybe the block lettering started with English made Douglas's