RELIANT GOES APE
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It's a sight that brings tears to The Hawk's eyes. A man and his three-wheeler...truly a wonder to behold! Long-distance driver David Stokes personally delivered this little beauty, the first of many Piaggio Ape 50s that Reliant Cars is importing into the UK. David arrived at the company's Staffordshire factory after a 15-day, 1,520-mile journey from the Piaggio plant in Italy. The 50cc van is classed as a moped and can be driven by 16-year-olds. Unfortunately this means it is banned from motorways and cross-Alpine tunnels so David had to take a detour round the Alps.
But what the heck, he got to see all the sights: the Leaning Tower of Pisa; the Eiffel Tower and the Tower of London, all of which will feature in his forthcoming book entitled Three Wheels on my Wagon (sounds like a cracker!). The Piaggio Ape has been a familiar sight on the Continent for more than 50 years. It is available as a van or a pickup, with a payload of 200 kilos. And best of all, because it is classed as a moped, you'll only pay £15 a year in road tax. Now that's what I call a bargain...but I wonder how your average delivery driver will react to the news that they're replacing his van with an Ape?