VESPA (DOUGLAS) 50 SPECIAL

49cc Petrol Class 1

#2768 of 5426 overall #12 of 30 VESPA (DOUGLAS)s #45 of 455 moped bikes

83.9%

first-time pass rate

10.4%

failed outright

5,490

median miles at test

454

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2008–2017

The 50 SPECIAL's first-time pass rate has fallen 4.4 points since 2008, 85.7% to 81.3%.

What fails on a 50 SPECIAL

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
lighting and signalling	40	38.5
steering and suspension	17	16.3
brakes	16	15.4
lamps and reflectors	6	5.8
tyres and wheels	5	4.8
Items Not Tested	5	4.8
body and structure	5	4.8
driving controls	5	4.8
fuel and exhaust	3	2.9
reg plates and vin	2	1.9

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the 50 SPECIAL beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT, PIAGGIO ZIP, PIAGGIO NRG).

PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT 65.2% pass · 83.7k tests PIAGGIO ZIP 71.3% pass · 79.0k tests PIAGGIO NRG 65.5% pass · 40.5k tests PEUGEOT VIVACITY 70.4% pass · 29.7k tests

Rivals share this bike's type and sit within ±30% of its engine capacity, ≥ 5,000 tests. Card colour = better/worse first-time pass rate than the 50 SPECIAL.

Pass rate by registration year

how each model-year cohort fares · registration year from first use date

Best year to buy used: 1982 (88.7% pass). Weakest: 1981 (71.0%).

First-time pass rate by the year each bike was first registered (cohorts with ≥ 50 tests). Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.