Primavera 50 4T (C53100)

The Primavera 50 4T is a Vespa first and a 50 cc scooter second, and that order matters. The body is a steel monocoque, not plastic panels over a tube frame, and the round headlamp and sculpted fender crest make it unmistakable from a block away. Underneath sits Vespa's Hi-PER4 engine: an air-cooled, four-stroke single with a four-valve head, rated at 4 hp at 7,500 rpm and 3 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm. It drives the rear wheel through an automatic transmission and a belt. Up front, there's a single-sided arm with anti-dive linkage and a 7.9 in (200 mm) disc. Small engine, serious build.

Read the numbers and the job description writes itself. A top speed of 37 mph (60 km/h) keeps it on city streets and suburban roads, not highways. The 30.9 in (785 mm) seat and 238 lb (108 kg) wet weight point to a rider who wants something easy to handle, park and maneuver at walking pace. At 94 mpg, fuel is the least of your worries. Nobody buys this as the purely rational choice: it's for someone who wants style on the daily errand run and accepts a 50 cc pace. Pure city scooter!