I always liked the name “Ape” for this miniest of mini-transport vehicles. It seemed so incongruous.

Well I found out the Ape is actually made by the Italians who brought you Vespa and is pronounced “ah-pay”, which translates to the more fitting “wasp”.

The orange box can be removed to reveal a quick and dainty chick-corral. That may seem like icing on the cake to you and me, but it’s an absolute must-have for the Ape’s target demographic:  professional calendar cats who operate miniature farms.I also dig the badge. The slinky lettering is nice, as is the “P” that pops out as if it were crammed into a box.

Best of all, at the end of the day the little cavallo transforms into a loud but powerful espresso machine.