Technical characteristics

Engine: 2-cylinder 2-stroke.
Displacement: 393 cc.
Diameter x stroke: 63 x 63 mm.
Compression ratio: 6,6: 1.
Power: 14 HP at 4,350 rpm.
Change: 3/4 relationships.
Drum brakes.
Length x width x height: 2,854 x 1,271 x 1,280 m.
Maximum speed: 90 Km / h.
Units: 28,000

After the Second World War, the motorcycle market underwent profound changes, one of the most important was the appearance of the Scooter. Since then the Italian firm Piaggio has achieved enormous commercial success with its Vespa range, thanks in part to the great acceptance of the scooter by young people since the 1950s. In France something similar happened so that the ACMA factory ( Ateliers de Construction de Motocycles et d'Automobiles) has been achieving great commercial results with the Vespa for many years, which allowed it, at the end of the 50s, to diversify its production by creating a small car with a modest budget. This objective was fulfilled back in September 1957, when the new 2CV, the Vespa 400, was officially presented in Monaco.

Despite being a small car-barely 280cm long by 130 wide-his lines had a certain elegance. The body weighed only 350 kg and was distinguished by a large convertible tarpaulin roof. The two front seats were quite wide (not so the rear) and under the right was the spare wheel.

The Vespa 400 was manufactured in six different colors, existing two versions, the "Normal", and the "Luxe", equipped with a speedometer, windshield with safety glass, intermittent controls and position light on the steering wheel, city-highway horn, and central ashtray. The appearance of the Vespa 400, under the label of popular vehicle, did not like the competition. Its engine was a 393cc air-cooled twin-cylinder and developed 14cv. Being a two-stroke engine, it required the annoying task of mixing oil with fuel, a task that was solved in the 1958 version by including a semiautomatic dispenser. Another problem was the high fuel consumption since it reached more than eight liters per hundred kilometers, a very high figure for a motor of these characteristics.

The suspensions were independent for each wheel, provided with shock absorbers and coil springs so that their comfort was more than acceptable for a car of these characteristics. The most curious thing is perhaps its fake front grille, which is actually a "drawer" equipped with a handle, which houses the 12v battery. Never in the history of the automobile was such comfort given to an element like this.

In spite of representing an intelligent concept and of being destined to a clientele still scarce in the automobile market, its sales figures did not manage to reach the 30,000 units planned for each year, remaining only one third. This led the directors of ACMA to take a sad decision and in 1961 their production ceased.
It was presented at the Paris Salon of 1957 as a clearly urban car designed by the Italian Cario Carbonero, of Piaggio, the Vespa 400 was never made in Italy due to competition with the Fiat 500 and its destination was the French market.
Chromed bumpers without stops, windows with sliding windows and new flashing on the front wings from 1959.

In 1961 comes the Vespa 400 GT, with a four-speed gearbox, automatic lubrication. The Vespa 400 adopts again bumpers with rubber stops.
At the end of 1961, its production is abandoned.