Here's how to find the serial number:
The numbers appear on the frame of the bike and on the engine case. The location on the frame varies with the model and is one of three places. These are, 1) Newer models, mid-70's -- on the engine side of the frame near the rear about 10 inches directly above the gear selector box and oil fill plug. 2) Older models, 60's -- on the lip of the frame underneath the center glovebox side panel (non-engine side) 3) Real oldies, 50s -- on the lip of the frame inside and at the bottom of the carburetor access door underneath the front end of the seat (a square door down near the fuel tap.)
The number always appears on the engine so this is a great bet (but if the motor's been swapped it can be misleading, so it's best to find both and match the numbers.) Here's how to locate this number. The motor is mounted to the frame by two bolts. The first is a small bolt at the bottom of the rear shock absorber, the other is a big long bolt running through the frame from one side to the other. Lay on your belly facing the engine, looking across the kick start lever, just behind the big bolt. Extending from the engine forward to the big bolt is a mounting arm. It may be partially obscured by the bend in the exhaust. On the center of the face of the mounting arm is a flat space upon which the number is stamped. The mounting arm and the number are probably covered in dirt and grease so you'll have to wipe it off with a rag. Do you see the number? That's it. The number will look something like this *VBA1M 036896* The first three letters are indicative of the model, the numbers will tell us the year, and can indicate if the motor and frame match.
The numbers are listed in the following format:
Model
Year Prefix Start # End #
Vespa 50/N 1963 V5A1T 1001 6960
1964 V5A1T 6961 61346
1965 V5A1T 61347 92876
V5A1T 92877 101576
1966 V5A1T 101577 155460
1967 V5A1T 155461 190977
V5A1T 200001 213546
1968 V5A1T 213547 248333
1969 V5A1T 248334 275620
1970 V5A1T 275621 280997
1971 V5A1T 280998 283299
Vespa 50/R 1969 V5A1T 700001 702503
1970 V5A1T 702504 735716
1971 V5A1T 735717 769612 (Starting with 752189 the motor is V5A2M)
Vespa 50 Special 1969 V5A2T 1001 2015
1970 V5A2T 2016 34257
1971 V5A2T 34258 655526
Vespa 50 Elestart 1969 V5A3T 1001 1020
1970 V5A3T 1021 3696
1971 V5A3T 3697 4833
Vespa 50/S 1963 V5SA1T 1101 2104
1964 V5SA1T 2105 10479
1965 V5SA1T 10480 15001
1966 V5SA1T 15002 15324
V5SA1T 15325 20424
1967 V5SA1T 20425 30964
1968 V5SA1T 30965 31000
V5SA1T 31001 35604
1969 V5SA1T 35605 40250
1970 V5SA1T 40251 45599
1971 V5SA1T 45600 48980
Vespa 50 Super Sprint
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
Vespa 50 Sprinter-50SR (D)
1971 V5SS2T 4001 4160
Vespa 90
1963 V9A1T 1001 2984
1964 V9A1T 2985 17549
1965 V9A1T 17550 21544
1966 V9A1T 21545 24130
1967 V9A1T 24131 25000
V9A1T 25001 28000
V9A1T 28001 28382
1968 V9A1T 28383 32255
1969 V9A1T 32256 36966
1970 V9A1T 36967 44721
1971 V9A1T 44722 52905
Vespa 90 Super Sprint 1965 V9SS1T 1001 2262
1966 V9SS1T 2263 4876
1967 V9SS1T 4877 5026
1968 V9SS1T 5027 5401
1969 V9SS1T 5402 5678
1970 V9SS1T 5679 6138
1971 V9SS1T 6139 6309
Vespa 90 Racer 1971 V9SS2T 7001 7360
Vespa 98
1946-1947 V98 01 18079
Vespa 125/90-Primavera 1965 VMA1T 01001 08392
1966 VMA1T 08393 014781
1967 VMA1T 014782 018100
VMA2T 020001 022874 Primavera
1968 VMA2T 022875 031548
1969 VMA2T 031549 036266
1970 VMA2T 036267 042299
1971 VMA2T 042300 049703
Vespa 125 1948-1950 V1T-V15T 01 104096
1950-1952 V30T-V33T 104097 251820
1952 VM1T 01001 08830
1953 VM1T 08831 085870
VU1T 1001 7001 (Utility/Economy)
VM2T 085871 01006191954 VM27 0100620 0176014
VN1T 01001 023000
1955 VN1T 023001 050100
1956 VN2T 050101 096569
1957 VN2T 096570 0125600
VNA1T 01001 010300
1958 VNA1T 010301 068031
VNA2T 068032 0107007
1959 VNA2T 0107008 0116431
VNB1T 01001 016275
1960 VNB1T 016276 080686
1961 VNB1T 080687 089850
VNB2T 01001 038699
VNB3T 034700 054414
1962 VNB3T 054415 090395
VNB4T 090396 099700
1963 VNB4T 099701 0136485
VNB5T 01001 07070
1964 VNB5T 07071 043240
VNB6T 01001 07455
1965 VNB6T 07456 035439
VNC1T 01001 04420 (Super)
1966 VNB67 035440 037028
VNC1T 04421 019044
1967 VNC1T 019045 023745
1968 VNC1T 023746 025076
1969 VNC1T 025077 025146
Vespa 125 GT (125 Sprint)
1966 VNL2T 30001 35763
1967 VNL2T 35764 54602
1968 VNL2T 54603 65401
1969 VNL2T 65402 69847
1970 VNL2T 69848 73613
1971 VNL2T 73614 75821
Vespa 125 GTR 1968 VNL2T 100001 100751
1969 VNL2T 100752 107340
1970 VNL2T 107341 112897
1971 VNL2T 112898 117898
Vespa 150
1954 VL1T 1001 8173
1955 VL1T 8174 17000
VL2T 17001 64970
1956 VL2T 64971 93101
VL3T 93102 130693
1957 VL3T 130694 132737
VB1T 1001 55375
1958 VB1T 55376 99700
VBA1T 1001 16515
1959 VBA1T 16516 88519
1960 VBA1T 88520 125040
VBB1T 1001 16070
1961 VBB1T 16071 96683
1962 VBB1T 96684 146000
VBB2T 146001 155712
1963 VBB2T 155713 198232
1964 VBB2T 198233 240757
1965 VBB2T 240758 273260
VBC1T 1001 4295 (Start 150 Super)
1966 VBB2T 273261 279948
VBC1T 4296 43413
1967 VBB2T 279949 280148
VBC1T 43414 61496
1968 VBC1T 61497 80740
1969 VBC1T 80741 100493
1970 VBC1T 100494 125619
1971 VBC1T 125620 151299
Vespa 150 (GL-and Sprint) 1957 VGL1T 01001 010842
1958 VGL1T 010843 016610
1959 VGLA1T 01001 016000
1960 VGLA1T 016001 031227
1961 VGLA1T 031228 035267
1961 VGLB1T 035268 043000
1962 VGLB1T 043001 048294
1962 VLA1T 01001 05958
1963 VLA1T 05959 057103
1964 VLA1T 057104 078009
1965 VLA1T 078010 080855
1965 VLB1T 01001 026478 (Start Sprint)
1966 VLB1T 026479 039230
1967 VLB1T 039231 063336 (050001 to 051523 have prefix VLB2T)
1968 VLB1T 063337 089260
1969 VLB1T 089261 0108325
1970 VLB1T 0108326 0132259
1971 VLB1T 0132260 1150937
Vespa 150 Sprint Veloce 1969 VLB1T 0150001 0154384
1970 VLB1T 0154385 0159754
1971 VLB1T 0159755 0164041
Vespa 150-160 (GS)
1955 VS1T 001001 0013300 (Start 150)
1956 VS2T 0013301 0023310
1957 VS3T 0023311 0035310
1958 VS4T 0035311 0047350
VS5T 0047351 0052363
1959 VS5T 0052364 0070128
1960 VS5T 0070129 00104731
1961 VS5T 00104732 00127350
1962 VSB1T 001001 0029970 (Start 160)
1963 VSB1T 0029971 0048250|
1964 VSB1T 0048251 0061000
Vespa 180 (Super Sport) 1964 VSC1T 001001 003120
1965 VSC1T 003121 0019720
1966 VSC1T 0019721 0025673
1967 VSC1T 0025674 0032632
1968 VSC1T 0032633 0036700
Vespa 180 (Rally) 1968 VSD1T 001001 005328
1969 VSD1T 005329 0011537
1970 VSD1T 0011538 0017810
1971 VSD1T 0017811 0023348
Ape 50
1969 TL1T 1001 6467
1970 TL1T 6468 10458
1971 TL1T 10459 15096
TL2T 15097 15717 (Motor TL1M)
Ape 125-50 1970 TM1T 1001 1611
1971 TM1T 1612 2224
Ape 125-150 1947-1950 A1T-A11T 1 10685 (Start 125)
1951-1952 A12T-A15T 10686 20156
1953 AB1T 1001 10940 (Start 150)
1954 AB1T 10941 13969
AB2T 13970 19037
1955 AB3T 19038 28050
1956 AB4T 28051 24550
AC1T 1001 4522
1957 AC1T 4523 23331
1958 AC1T 23332 35520
AC2T 35521 39856
1959 AC2T 39857 56758
1960 AC2T 56759 65120
AC3T 65121 77121
1961 AC3T 77122 102320
1962 AC4T 1001 21587
1963 AC4T 21588 49809
1964 AC4T 49810 64380
1965 AC4T 64381 72791
1966 AC4T 72792 73535
1967 AC4T 73536 73601
Ape 125 (350) 1965 AE01T 01001 01300
1966 AE01T 01301 02298
1967 AE01T 02299 03022
AE02T 05001 05417
1968 AE02T 05418 06140
1969 AE02T 06141 06831
1970 AE02T 06832 07436
1971 AE02T 07437 07643
AE01T 07644 07666 (France)
Ape 150 (400) 1965 AE1T 1001 1950
1966 AE1T 1951 7042
1967 AE1T 7043 11137
AE2T 12001 14596
1968 AE1T 11138 11648
AE2T 14597 20048
1969 AE2T 20049 24061
1970 AE2T 24062 27172
1971 AE2T 27172 28368
Ape 175 (400R) 1970 AE3T 1001 3538
1971 AE3T 3539 3999
AE3T 4001 7355
Ape 175 (450-500) 1964 AD1T 1001 19753
1965 AD1T 19754 38077
1966 AD1T 38078 50000 (450)
AD1T 50001 61314 (500)
1967 AD1T 61315 73463
AD2T 80001 86945
1968 AD1T 73464 73493
AD2T 86946 92603
1969 AD2T 92604 94952
1970 AD2T 94953 97744
1971 AD2T 97745 98249
Pentaro 150-175 1960 APA1T 1001 1190
1961 APB1T 1001 2260
1962 APB1T 2261 3031
1963 APB1T 3032 3773
1964 APB1T 3774 3860
APC1T 1001 1074
1965 APC1T 1075 1362
1966 APC1T 1363 1588
1967 APC1T 1589 1693
APC2T 3001 3036
1968 APC2T 3037 3119
Ape 190 (500/MPR) 1968 MPR1T 01001 01051
1969 MPR1T 01052 04401
1970 MPR1T 04402 07842
1971 MPR1T 07843 011970
Ape 190 (550/MPA) 1967 MPA1T 1001 2871
1968 MPA1T 2872 22982
1969 MPA1T 22983 40400 (Some models are MPVC1T)
1970 MPA1T 40401 51973
1971 MPA1T 51974 55089
Ape 190 (600/Mv) 1969 MPV1T 1001 1198 (Motor MPA1M)
1970 MPV1T 1199 6986 (Some models are MPVC1T)
1971 MPV1T 6987 12277
Ape 190 (600/MPM) 1970 MPM1T 1001 3271 (Motor MPA1M)
1971 MPM1T 3272 13387
Ape 125/MPF (France)
1970 MPM1T 01101 01064
1971 MPM1T 01065 01263
Sears Allstate Vespa 125
1951 788.100
1952 788.101
1952 788.102
1953-54 788.103
1954-55 788.104
1955-56 788.94490
1956-57 788.94491
1957-58 788.94492
1958-59 788.94493
1959-60 788.94494
1960-62 788.94495
1963 788.94330
1964 788.94331
1965 788.94332
Sears Vespa 125
1966 788.94370
Sears Vespa 150 Sprint
1966 788.94360
