It might be surprising to learn that Harley-Davidson, a bastion of manliness, once released a Vespa-styled scooter back in the 1960s. Even better, a 1963 example will soon be available for sale.

The Harley-Davidson Topper, first produced in 1960, is the only scooter Harley-Davidson ever produced. Designed for a casual daily drive, the scooter is powered by a 165 cc air-cooled, 2-stroke single-cylinder engine horizontally mounted between the floorboards. The starter is similar to that of a lawn mower and the top speed is said to be just 74 km/h. Since the scooter does not have a cooling fan, overheating issues have been found on some examples. On paper it doesn’t sound very attractive, but from its look and feel and from a nostalgic novelty point of view, it is a model that’s worth paying attention to. The “alternative” Harley will be up for auction at Mecum’s Las Vegas sale on 1 June.