> > 1974 Vespa 90 - found it in a barn near Madisonville, TN.
>
> Looking on the Italian version of auction websites like eBay, Vespa-related requests and offers (spares, suggestions, restoration services) do a considerable amount of traffic.
> It would be great to find an original Italian plate (only rear side, square, blue numbers on white plate) for your Vespa.
>
> Take care also of Lambretta motorcycles (expecially units that date back to the late 40s), once restored with as original as possibile spares they gain an important value for collectors.
>
I followed your link and found that it was something I read a couple of years ago. It included this:

"In April of 1946, the first 15 Vespas left the Pontedera works. The first Vespa had a 98cc two-stroke engine giving 3.5 hp at 4,500 revs. It reached 60 kilometres per hour and had 3 gears."

That is almost an exact descripion of my Vespa that was built 28 years later. Piaggo had a good product and stuck to it.

I also have a 62 cc Benelli motorbike. It was built in 1966 and has a 4 speed foot shift. I don't ride it much because it only has 32 miles on the odometer. That's a little less than the average 36 year-old 'cycle.
Howard