Review : LEGO 10298 Vespa 125

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO set 10298 Vespa 125, a box of 1106 pieces stamped 18+ which will be available from March 1, 2022 at the retail price of €99.99. Purpose of the product: to assemble a Vespa 125 scooter freely inspired by the VNB1T version marketed in the 60s.

During my younger years, I was more a fan of the Peugeot 103 SP than of the Vespas, so I have no particular memory linked to this vehicle. You will tell me that I have never had a Porsche or a Corvette, but that did not prevent me from buying the two vehicles in this range formerly known under the title "CreatorExpert"As soon as the first visuals of this new product were put online, my first reaction was to ask myself if it was really useful to go to so much trouble to offer us a simple scooter, however stylish it may be.

But the Vespa brand has its followers, it is cult for many of those who used these vehicles during their teenage years and this LEGO version is like the yellow yogurt pot of the set 10271 Fiat 500 a "popular" product that many have actually known and driven. The icing on the cake, the current models of the brand always pay homage to the lines of the historical variants and this pretty model of a vintage version becomes almost timeless.

On the official visuals of the product, the model seems of a simplicity that could put off all those who expect from these constructions of the "Expert" type a real pleasure of construction and their usual lot of original techniques. Rest assured, this scooter is a little more complex than it looks and the experience of assembling this somewhat unusual and surprising model is well up to the task. One may wonder where the 1106 parts of the set are, but they are mainly hidden under the very large body parts.

The floor of the scooter is made up of a few Technic beams and stacks of parts which ensure optimal rigidity to the model. It is on this internal structure that various body sub-assemblies are then added, the inclinations and angles of which are subtly managed. There is no escaping the use of a few very large parts, but their presence ensures maximum respect for the curves of the machine. Color fans Bright Light Blue moreover here will get nearly 440 elements in some are unpublished in this hue.

Hidden under the right wing of the scooter, which is adorned with a sticker embodying the air intake, the horizontal single-cylinder 2-stroke engine has been carefully reproduced by the designer of the set with its carburettor and its cooling circuit. The motor cooling cover is nicely stamped, LEGO must have imagined that this relatively neutral design element could be used later in other sets.

The retractable double stand, the exhaust, the starter pedal placed under the engine and the rear brake pedal are also present and very faithful to the elements of the reference vehicle. No suspension spring with hydraulic shock absorber under the driving rear wheel, but you can't have everything. At the front, the steering is obviously functional and the oscillating suspension hub carrying the front wheel is rather well reproduced with some metallic parts as a bonus. The element used was already delivered in the LEGO Technic set 42130 BMW M 1000 RR where he fitted the front wheel of the machine.

On this model, the 8-inch wheels with their stamped steel rims are here embodied by new elements in two colors. In the 60s, not all Vespa 125 scooters benefited from this aesthetic refinement, but this new part flanked by the six nuts used at the time really gives character to the model. It is here associated with a new tire whose tread pattern is perfectly adapted. For those who are wondering, the central part of the rim is attached to the contour with an overall diameter of 6cm.

The upholstery is also very well reproduced, it is in principle equipped with a suspension device with central spring adjustable according to the weight of the driver. We will content ourselves here with two raised blocks of rooms which create an illusion. The spare wheel, optional at the time, and here attached to the interior reinforcement of the front apron and the block of parts is presented as covered with a cover in the colors of the brand.

The odometer embedded in the headlight in the center of the handlebar is a sticker, as is the horn placed just above the front wheel (see plate scanned by me). The handlebars are in my opinion the least successful part of the model, one wonders a little what the case is doing there, placed upside down and the front apron does not go up high enough in my opinion to cover the axis of direction. The set remains acceptable but the designer could have taken care of this detail a little more.

On arrival, this Vespa 125 looks really great and the few accessories supplied with the vehicle break up the monotony of the blue of the bodywork. You get a luggage rack, a crate with a bouquet of flowers and a vintage helmet with its glasses for the driver. The helmet with "Minion" effect is in my opinion not the most successful element of the set but we will be satisfied with it.

Did our shelves absolutely need a blue scooter 35 cm long, 12 cm wide and 22 cm high? Everyone will have an opinion on the relevance of the product and it is normal, knowing that it will be necessary to pay a hundred euros to afford this model. I must admit that I am seduced by this model which offers its share of details very faithful to the reference vehicle and curves which are up to the homage that LEGO wanted to pay to the machine.

The only real criticism that I have to make is not new: we always see the differences in color between different pieces of the same color. It's subtle, you only notice it under certain lighting conditions, but these differences are there whether on the bodywork, the upholstery or the "cover" of the spare wheel.

It's up to you to see now if you will have to crack as soon as the product is launched or wait for this box to be available at a lower price elsewhere than at LEGO. We all know that nostalgia has a price, but patience is often rewarded.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at March 9, 2022 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.