Ape Love Letter
They remind me of aquarium fish that grow to as big as their tank will allow.
Usually run down, rusty, and sometimes covered in graffiti, these work-horses are found all over Italy. First built at the end of the 1940s, they are Italy's Kei truck. Considering that they are/were cheap to buy, cheap on fuel, small, and highly manoeuvreable, I'm not surprised they are popular in the medieval streets of Italian towns and cities.
The early models were single seaters and the driver sat in the open air. Retaining the handle-bar steering, they were really not much more than tricycle version of a Vespa with a tray on the back. Later models were equipped with a steering wheel, and the enclosed cab that shown in the photos.
The engines were small. The first engine was 125cc, but this was quickly abandoned for a 150cc engine. As a comparison, I've used chainsaws with 119cc engines - I reckon moving a vehicle like this with in essence a chainsaw engine would have required quite a bit of patience. A redesigned 175cc engine was introduced in the 1960s, and after that they have become increasingly powerful.
I love them. I love how sensibly practical they are. There is not a whisper of excess in any aspect of their design. They're a product of the towns and cities they live in. They remind me of aquarium fish that grow to as big as their tank will allow.
