Angelenos scoop up scooters for fuel economy and fashion.

IF it seems there are more Vespa scooters on the roads these days, it's not just because their quirky design makes them stand out.

Area Vespa dealers are seeing a surge in sales, fueled in part by rising gasoline prices. Sales for Vespa of California, which operates the Vespa stores in Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Newport Beach and San Diego, are up about 70 percent year-to-date from the like period in 2003, according to Sam Botnick, the company's director of operations.

Southern California is the top market for Vespa (Italian for "wasp"), comprising 9 percent of U.S. sales, said Costantino Sambuy, president of Rancho Dominguez-based Piaggio USA Inc., a unit of Piaggio SpA, the Italian-based manufacturer of Vespa scooters.

"The weather is definitely No. 1," Sambuy said of the reasons for the popularity. "This has also been a motorcycle-friendly state. People are not afraid to go on two wheels."

'Twasn't always so. Piaggio pulled out of the U.S. in the 1980s because its scooters couldn't meet emissions standards. It returned in 2000 and awareness of the Vespa brand has been steadily increasing since then. It hasn't hurt that Vespas have appeared in feature films recently and have developed a certain celebrity appeal.

"The hip image is definitely helping," said Sambuy. "From a lifestyle point of view it's accepted more and more as a smart way to get around. The gas price situation is helping us. You can fuel a Vespa up once a week for $5."

The scooters average 60 to 70 miles per gallon, he said.

Piaggio scooters run from $3,999 for the Vespa ET4 to $5,999 for the X9 Evolution 500, which became available in August. The ET4 and the Granturismo, at $4,999, are currently the top-selling bikes at Vespa of California, with roughly 25 to 30 of each sold monthly between the four stores.