The French Army Tapped Vespa To Make This Tiny Tactical War Machine For Its Paratroopers - Jalopnik
World War II wasn't without its own variety of two-wheeled machines as motorcycles from fighting countries took up arms for the cause. Post-war, another albeit unexpected two-wheeled vehicle was called up for a...
World War II wasn't without its own variety of two-wheeled machines as motorcycles from fighting countries took up arms for the cause. Post-war, another albeit unexpected two-wheeled vehicle was called up for another conflict in a far-away country: the Vespa.
When the French Military came to Vespa for help, the country was already deep in conflict in the jungles of Vietnam during the First Indochina War. Vespas were already considered to be rather rugged and dependable by owners, and France was in desperate need for a small, lightweight military vehicle that its paratroopers could use to navigate that jungle nightmare more easily, with considerable fire power. The Italian-based company answered the call and designed the Vespa 150 TAP. "TAP" stood for "Truppe Aero Portate" or airborne troops.
Piaggio's French factory, Ateliers de Construction de Motocycles et d'Automobiles (ACMA), would produce this new, more rugged 150cc Vespa for war. Its base was its 150 VL3 scooter, available in either a camouflage sand or green color. The Italians replaced the VL3's problematic 150cc rectangular engine with a new 150cc square engine which ideally rattled less at idle. This engine had a smaller bore, and slightly longer pistons which not only reduced the rattle, but also allowed for slightly better fuel consumption, getting up to 124 miles of range — ideal for wartime conditions. The TAP 150 would begin production at ACMA a year before it began building Vespa's 400 automobile.
Do not fire the guns while on the Vespas
A major difference from the original 150 Vespa VL3 was its massive American M20 recoilless gun, which was really a 75 mm canon, carefully mounted down the center of the scooter under its seat and notched into the front fairing. As Tank Encyclopedia explained, these Vespas were designed to only carry the guns, which would be removed and set up to fire on enemy troops.
The guns were not mean to be fired while on the Vespa. A Vespa 150 had some power, but a gun of that size going off while the scooter was in motion would likely lend to some hilarious and also possibly very deadly outcomes.
In order to carry all of that extra weight, the Vespa required a few extra modifications. This included additional reinforcement on the bottom of the scooter over rubber-coated framing to absorb some of the impact when the Vespa hit the ground. The plan for these little Vespa anti-tank vehicles were to be dropped into the field with French paratroopers in pairs. One Vespa would carry a large gun and its operator, while the other would carry supplies like extra fuel, ammunition, and a loader. Some options even included a little one-wheeled trailer.
Vespa drops right into the Algerian War
By the time Vespa began production of these little tank-looking anti-tank vehicles, the French-Indochina war had ended, signing papers in 1954. The 150 TAPs would finally launch in 1956 right into Algeria for the French military's use in the ongoing conflict there. Two versions of the TAP would be used in this time: The TAP 56, which was the original, and the TAP 59 which sported a few very minor updates released in 1959, like a plastic ACMA badge.
Piaggio ended the 150 TAP's production in 1959, having only produced about 600 of these tiny tactical vehicles. The idea seemingly didn't catch on, as no other war-primed Vespa graces the scooter company's archive.
Every once in a while an original TAP pops up for sale for enthusiasts, but they come with a hefty price. If it doesn't have an "inquire for price" on the listing, the few listed on Classic Trader (some were listed a couple of times) have ranged in price from about $33,000 to $46,000 USD.