1979 Vespa PX125

Who doesn't love a classic Vespa?

They ooze charm. They make people smile. You can park them wherever you like and nobody thinks you're an obnoxious wanker. They are a supremely entertaining way to run local errands, mooch about town, or get to the gym and back.

All of which goes a considerable way to making up for their shortcomings: brakes that are more of a suggestion than a stopping force; ride quality that compares unfavorably to a pogo stick, and a level of reliability one might expect from a twenty year old inkjet printer. Riding this old Vespa is the fastest thirty miles per hour I've ever done.

Mine has been subject to a full engine rebuild and total mechanical overhaul since it joined the fleet, and unusually I didn't do the work myself. Which ultimately means I got a very unusual special deal: buy two Vespas, get one.

Oh well, that's classic vehicles for you, more often than not.