A Vespa. I have absolutely no need for it: I have feet and a bike that can take me to near places, and a car that can take me to far ones. I suspect that deep down I feel that owning a Vespa will make me look like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday.
Got one. Antique one. It is an absolute hoot to ride. The Harley guys might give you weird looks b/c it doesn't fit into their cultural universe especially if you are male. I lived in Italy for a while and always admired these Vespas. Tough little critters. Wish I had the nerve to own one back then.
I call it my Italian Rubik's Cube b/c learning to work on it is like a puzzle. Everything is easy after you've done it once. The design of this scooter is amazing to me - the ways they made it all fit together and work together.
Let me suggest that you consider what it would cost YOU to maintain. I don't know whether you are a mechanic or have the urge to learn the basic maintenance.
Mine has points/condenser ignition. Carburetor. Several regular maintenance items. Parts are not that expensive but I don't know what shop labor would cost. I just spent a week figuring out how to do some of the adjustments via YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNlLtLdXNz0I speak some Italian so his video works for me. Now notice his engine is up on a bench. My engine is still attached to a scooter and requires me to lay/lean on the floor to see what I'm doing - middle aged eyes and all that. ;)
Everything on the scooter is rebuild-able so it could last literally generations if the rust is kept away which is helped by inside storage.
The modern Vespas are nice. I see them regularly now here. MUCH less maintenance intensive. Fuel injection. Electronic ignition. Few (if any) adjustments. They have a different kind of charm to me.
Also consider: the Lambretta - new or old. Parts are just as easy to come by. PM me for sources.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLBogthhmjQDespite all this for me its the antique scooters. I still recommend them. SO fun. Top speed on mine is roughly 45 mph though the book says 55 mph. Maybe if I weighed 102 lbs and was sized like Audrey Hepburn...
As for the logic of owning one: it isn't much of a money saver in the USA. Insurance is about $11 per month. Fuel economy is supposedly 100 mpg but when fuel costs $2 a gallon who cares? My commute is less than 10 miles so fueling a used car isn't expensive. In an urban environment I suppose it would be easier to park and store a scooter than a car. It wouldn't tolerate year round outside parking well.
I don't look much like Audrey Hepburn riding our Vespa - more like a circus bear taught to ride a scooter.... ;)