This unrestored SS 180 showed up on my local (San Fransicso) Craigslist for sale a few weeks ago. It didn't last long before it was up on ebay. I suppose there was not a lot of local interest. In any case, when I saw it on Craigslist, I realized its rarity, and considered making a play for it myself. Financial considerations got the better of my impulse to buy it, so I was content to simply watch the ebay auction to get a better sense of the "great recession" market for a nice scooter like this. After seeing the results from the latest big Las Vegas motorcycle auction last month, it looks like prices for collectible classic motorcycles have gone down significantly. Would that be the same for scooters?
The scooter is in pretty good shape overall. The paint appears to be somewhat worn, and certainly dull, but perhaps it could be cleaned up a bit with some elbow grease. No matter what, with a scooter like this, you know exactly what you are getting. The fact that it still wears original paint means that there is nothing hiding, any dents, dings, or rust will be obvious. Here, there is none of that, the scooter looks very straight, and totally complete.
Here we have a few more pictures from the auction. This is a '67 US market scooter, and it has the correct US market only tail light. This photo also gives you a sense of how wide the Super Sports really are. The cowls are much bigger than any other Vespa, a high-water mark in styling, if you will.
The "running in" sticker is still evident on the glovebox, nice!
Seeing as how this is a top of the line scooter, it is one of the ones that everyone wants. A few years ago, this would have brought a few thousand more than the four grand it actually sold for. Nevertheless, this is one transaction where both the buyer and seller probably came away reasonably happy.
The market is clearly down for all vintage vehicles. It is a buyers' market for scooters right now. If you have the means, it is a good time to build up your collection, or just get that "one" scooter you've been wanting for years. Still, a good original SS like this one is going to be hard to find again.