Vespa 50 Super Sprint (V5SS1T)

Vespa 50 Super Sprint

The Vespa Super Sprint was launched in 1965. Not only the extremely sporty appearance, but also the further developed engine of the Vespa V50/90 prove that the name says it all. The Vespa Super Sprint wins the first Italian circuit race and several other races.

The four-speed gearbox is new. The engine is beaten by a 16/16 Dell'Orto carburetor. A large part of the increased power is due to the exhaust, which was specially developed for these vehicles. "The chrome-plated steel exhaust," according to Vespa Tecnica Volume 3, "develops a characteristic metallic and typically sporty sound and gives this vehicle a sportier aspect through its appearance." In addition to the exhaust, numerous other parts were fitted to the Vespa Super Sprint that can only be found on these vehicles. Fortunately, these can also be easily fitted to other smallframe scooters. The handlebars, for example, with a white speedometer reaching up to 100 km/h, are perhaps the predecessor of all drop bars. It is considerably narrower and slightly inclined. The seat of the Super Sprint folds backwards rather than forwards. Overall, it is much smaller and narrower, thus emphasizing the sporty silhouette of the vehicle. Another characteristic feature is the tank between the leg shield and the seat. On closer inspection, it turns out to be a luggage compartment. A part of which the first repros - still made of GRP - were available over 10 years ago. The small cushion serves not only to enhance the look but also to allow you to lie down comfortably in an aerodynamic position in order to reach the 85 km/h speed limit. Two stickers with the inscription "90 Super Sprint" are attached to both sides of the luggage compartment. A spare wheel is located under this dummy tank. As with the record-breaking vehicles of the past decade, this is positioned at right angles to the direction of travel. To achieve a more compact look, two hubcaps painted in the vehicle color are mounted. On the first model series, the spare wheel is attached with a claw in the middle of the step-through. The front mudguard is sleeker and provides a racy look even when stationary. The entire leg shield is narrower and tapers towards the top. This achieves optimum visual drag coefficients. To match this, the footboard is narrower and fitted with a narrower main stand.

The Super Sprints are among the most eye-catching Vespas and have enjoyed incredible popularity for decades. Unfortunately, the high demand also resulted in hefty prices, making the Super Sprints some of the most expensive Vespas of the sixties. Ironically, they were nevertheless one of the biggest flops of the Vespa model policy. In Italy, for example, only the SS 90 model was built in a run of around 5300 units. An additional 2500 SS 50s were built for the export markets. The combination of small numbers and many special parts made the Super Sprint highly sought-after. In addition, due to their excellent handling, they were often used for racing purposes, where they were anything but spared.

The high demand has led to the SS parts being reissued from time to time as reproductions. Ten years ago, the parts were mainly made of GRP from England, but today many parts are made of sheet metal from the Far East. Thanks to the good availability of parts, it is now quite easy to create a replica of the coveted sports model. In cooperation with Blechwerk, we have rebuilt a scrap-ready 50cc to test the quality of the parts and to be able to point out any problems with the conversion.

Frame numbers by year of construction:
1965: V5SS1T 1001-1192
1966: V5SS1T 1193-2207
1967: V5SS1T 2208-2397
1968: V5SS1T 2398-2793
1969: V5SS1T 2794-3089
1970: V5SS1T 3090-3422
1971: V5SS1T 3423-3525