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The Drive
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
Vespa's 1950s Microcar Was Just As Cute as Its Scooters
Get The Drive's daily newsletter The latest car news, reviews, and features. Email address Sign Up Thank you! Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. Let's face it: cute is gonna cute. I mean, a mini Mini is a thing, so, of course, a cuter Vespa would exist. And this time, no chop shops are involved. In fact, this adorbs Vespa has four wheels and is French. According to Below the Radar, the manufacturer now known for scooters also built a teeny transporter from 1957 to 1961. With a 393cc two-stroke two-cylinder engine mounted in the rear, the Vespa 400 was smaller than its counterparts from Fiat and Mini. Measuring just 113 inches in length, the Vespa 400 was five inches shorter than the Fiat 500, which debuted the same year, and took up eight fewer inches than the incoming Mini Cooper that would launch in 1959. Other specs include 14 horsepower and a top speed of about 50 mph. Equipped with a three-speed manual, zero to 40 mph took a leisurely 23 seconds. Utilizing less than 9.5 feet of street space, understandably, there was only room for two occupants. Despite the rear engine, the Vespa 400 had no frunk. That space was actually where your feet would go. Vespa left no space to waste in its already tight-quartered 400. Ingress and egress were made easy via rear-hinged doors. Have luggage? There was a small area behind the two seats for that purpose. Have a kid? A small cushion could be fitted in between the seats to create a temporary bench. Have more than one kid? Hmm, how do I put this? You purchased the wrong vehicle. As the story goes, the Vespa 400 was manufactured out of a factory in Fourchambault, France, to take advantage of the market's growing affinity for microcars. Or perhaps because Fiat was going to have a fit and launch a competing cutesy scooter. Italian tit for tats aside, the Vespa 400 sold well during its first run out the gate with more than 12,000 sold, but sales slid in the following years. Mostly left-hand drive, the Vespa microcar was sold throughout Europe, with about 1,700 actually finding their way stateside. When the Vespa 400 was finally imported to the UK, a vehicle review at the time offered positive remarks. 'Helped by the well-sprung seats, ride comfort is unusually good for such a small car…There is little to distinguish the Vespa from a normal family car, apart from its size,' wrote The Motor, as shared by Below the Radar. That 1959 Vespa 400 cost 351,725 French francs or 255 British pounds. Bring a Trailer Unfortunately, not many have survived, but shiny side up examples can be found, like this one listed on Bring a Trailer which put the car back on our radar today. This little red number with a matching red and tan patterned interior has been an Arizona resident since the late 1960s and underwent a refurbishment in 2015. The speedometer has been replaced, so its true mileage is unknown, but it's a fact that the Vespa 400 is super cute with those 10-inch polished steelies. Offered at no reserve. The vehicle was purchased less than a year ago, selling for $21,023. However, with only a day to go, the current high bid is just $9,000. Are there any other tiny cars from scooter brands we should know about? Drop us a line at tips@
Wales Online
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Helen Skelton's Welsh home renovation almost ends in disaster as couple admit it almost broke them
Helen Skelton's Welsh home renovation almost ends in disaster as couple admit it almost broke them A couple who moved from London back home to their roots in Wales struggled whilst making Helen Skelton's Forever Home. (Image: Below The Radar ) In a step away from her usual Morning Live slot, Helen Skelton along with architect Patrick Bradley from Northern Ireland, try to help one young couple create their dream home in the hopes of returning to their roots in rural Wales. Knowing the struggle of renovating a house herself Helen was quick to offer comfort to the couple who struggled through a life-changing process. Jess and Colin, who are originally from Powys decided to move back to Wales after living in the hustle and bustle of London. In the new programme, Forever Home, the couple's relationship suffered as a result of the pressure of the renovation. The handy pair assisted the couple in creating their dream house and swapping the excitement of city life for a more settled lifestyle. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . The 59 minute pilot episode shows Jess and Colin facing the reality of a large-scale restoration project. Not only that, but they also need to navigate their life back in the Welsh countryside, after leaving their friends and busy London life. Jess said: "It's not just getting out of London, it's home." When deciding to start their restoration project, the Welsh couple were overwhelmed when they realised they both had family connections to the house in Powys. They thought it was fate when they realised Jess' grandfather used to live in the house and later so did Colin's family. Article continues below When asked why they chose the house, Jess said: "I suppose all our family is around here, and then kind of a funny story that we came across." Helen Skelton and architect Patrick Bradley are helping a Welsh couple return to their Welsh roots by renovating their dream home. (Image: Below The Radar ) Colin said: "To start with my grandparents moved from Liverpool, then my great uncle moved down too and they lived here. All my life I can remember growing up in this house." Jess added: "Obviously, I'm from here too and my grandad came back from the war and I was looking through his homecoming pictures last Summer, and I was like 'that looks like this house' and he was like it is." The pair didn't know that they had the connection to the cottage when they met in London in 2020. Things soon started to turn south when their goals of a budget of £150,000 to renovate the house and 8 months to do so, quickly changed. This was a result of the house flooding after a burst pipe and costs started shooting up. The pair were unlucky as the cost of building materials shot up 22% following the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Colin, who is an electrician, took on the job, almost like a project manager when their funds were sinking to save some budget. Jess, who is a solicitor, couldn't take on as much of the workload due to various exams taking place at the same time. The project eventually cost a lot more than they expected, at around £220,000-£250,000 and it also took a lot longer to complete, the renovation taking over three and a half years. Colin said: "Am I surprised it took longer? No. Would I have liked it done quicker? Yeah." He continued: "Me and Jess have been through... to hell and back really. Relationship wise, Jess was still working away when we were working on the house and I felt like I was always here, working harder than Jess. "Looking back on it, it wasn't really a fair thing to say, Jess is not going to be doing the stuff I was doing. She was there emotionally and she's not had me around as much as she probably wanted. So, it's now nice to be able to take your foot off the gas a little bit and enjoy the house and live in it, have breakfast together. We've not had our own space in a long time." Whilst the renovations were happening the pair moved in with Jess' parents in Newtown, as the workload was so overwhelming and they didn't want to live on a construction site. Jess shared: "It was tough, there were definitely days where I think we both just didn't want to do it., but, now it's like we made it and it was so worth it." When discussing the show Helen said: "Bringing old properties back to life is always something that has fascinated me, I love a property with a story to tell. "Watching Colin and Jess create their forever home with Patrick's guidance and ideas has been a total privilege. Article continues below "It is not always straightforward creating a dream property. I have lived the restoration highs and lows myself having completed my own project so getting a ring side seat for this one was a total joy." Forever Home will be available to watch on BBC Two from 7pm on Thursday, May 15. However it is already available to watch now on BBC iPlayer, as the programme aired on BBC Northern Ireland earlier this year.
Wales Online
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Helen Skelton announces dream house project in rural Wales in move away from Morning Live
Helen Skelton announces dream house project in rural Wales in move away from Morning Live Helen Skelton's new restoration project helps a couple return to their Welsh roots in Powys. Helen Skelton and architect Patrick Bradley are helping a Welsh couple return to their Welsh roots by renovating their dream home. (Image: Below The Radar ) Morning Live presenter Helen Skelton, has taken some time away from the green sofa and instead has taken a trip to the green green grass of home. The former Blue Peter presenter along with architect Patrick Bradley from Northern Ireland, try to help one young couple create their dream home in the hopes of returning to their roots in rural Wales. The handy pair will assist Jess and Colin, who are leaving London to return to Powys where they hope to create their dream house and swap the excitement of city life for a more settled lifestyle. Helen, who has completed her own restoration project knows just how hard it is to pull off building your forever home, and this exactly why she wants to help the couple. Love dreamy Welsh homes? Sign up to our newsletter here . Helen says: "Bringing old properties back to life is always something that has fascinated me, I love a property with a story to tell. "Watching Colin and Jess create their forever home with Patrick's guidance and ideas has been a total privilege. "It is not always straightforward creating a dream property. I have lived the restoration highs and lows myself having completed my own project so getting a ring side seat for this one was a total joy." Article continues below Patrick will also be supporting the pair with his specialities in bringing life back to old buildings, which is perfect as Jess and Colin hope to restore a run down Victorian cottage, which coincidently has past connections to both of their families. Patrick says: "Working on Forever Home was an incredible experience. As an architect, you know the technical challenges of turning a vision into reality. But when you step back and realise that this isn't just any house - it's their home and a building for their future - it takes on an entirely different meaning. "Working with Helen is an absolute pleasure and joy. Her passion for what she does is so clear - and totally contagious." (Image: Below The Radar ) The 59 minute pilot episode, finds Jess and Colin facing the reality of a large scale restoration project. Not only that, but they also have to navigate their life back in the Welsh countryside, after leaving their friends and busy London life. Patrick McMahon, Commissioning Editor, Factual Entertainment and Events said: "Creating the perfect forever home for your family is a dream many relate to, it has been great working with the BBC Northern Ireland team to bring Jess and Colin's story to BBC Two. Article continues below "The couple couldn't have two more passionate and knowledgeable people following them through the process than Helen and Patrick – and we hope viewers will be rooting for them every step of the way as they embark on this challenging but inspiring journey" Forever Home will be available to watch on BBC Two from 7pm on Thursday, May 15. However it is already available to watch now on BBC iPlayer, as the programme aired on BBC Northern Ireland earlier this year.
