models

1978 Vespa 100 Sport (V9B1T)

The Vespa 100 Sport was a version of the Vespa 100 that was specifically designed for the US and Canadian markets. It used the same 100cc engine as the Vespa 100, but with 4 large and somewhat ungainly indicators on stalks, a large circular tail light mounted higher than normal on a bracket made by CEV of Italy, and DC electrics with batteries in the left hand "blister". The bodyshell was the same one as the 50 Elestart. The fuel tap was different too, presumably to meet US safety legislation. Large orange reflectors adorned the front mudguard.

It had a unique North American spec headset with ignition and headlight switches from the US spec of the new P range (lights and horn on the left, indicators and engine stop on the right), and two tell-tale lamps, for neutral and high-beam. The headlight was also unique.

The primavera-style speedometer featured both miles (up to 70mph) and km (to 110km/h) markings and also had a separate "55" above, as that was the US speed limit at the time. It was also faster than the scooter could actually go.

Rear badging read 100 Sport, though I have seen some that say "Vespa 100" like the rest-of-world versions.

A lot of these legislation-forced features were also on the North American Vespa smallframes of the late 1970s/early 1980s, but the 100 Sport is the only model to have been designed for sale only on that continent.

That's not quite how things worked out, however. In 1984 a large batch of unsold (and possibly unsellable) examples were shipped back to Europe, specifically to the United Kingdom, and sold there, for a mere £30 more than a PK 50 S and £100 less than a PK 100.