The Vespa
Italian scooter brand known for its pressed-steel body.
Last updated
JFGodl · CC0
Vespa is an Italian brand of scooters and mopeds manufactured by Piaggio.[1] The name comes from the Latin and Italian word for "wasp," inspired by the vehicle's narrow waist and buzzing sound.[2][3] The first production model, the Vespa 98, sold 2,484 units in its debut year.[2]
How it changed
D'Ascanio hated motorcycles, believing them bulky and dirty, so he created the MP6 with the engine beside the rear wheel.[4][5] The MP6 eliminated the drive chain, used a step-through frame, and had a single-sided front suspension.[5][6] Enrico Piaggio named the scooter "Vespa" upon seeing the MP6 prototype.[3] The millionth Vespa rolled off the production line in June 1956, and two million were made by 1960.[2]
By 2003, Piaggio was near bankruptcy due to debt and competition from cheaper Asian rivals.[7] Roberto Colaninno invested €100 million in October 2003, and the factory was redesigned to Japanese production principles.[7] Renzo Spolti and Vittorio Casini, engineers working for Piaggio, created a prototype in 1944 that was a motorcycle with fully enclosed bodywork covering the drivetrain and a tall front splash guard.[6] A patent for a "motorcycle of a rational complexity of organs and elements combined with a frame with mudguards and a casing covering the whole mechanical part" was filed by Piaggio e C. S.p.A. on April 23, 1946, at the central office for inventions in Florence.[8][2]
What the maker and period sources say
The same article notes that the special edition features a 300 HPE single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine, LED lights, a circular digital dash, keyless system, and ASR traction control.[9] That account also states that the Vespa was first shown to the public on the cover of La Moto magazine on April 15, 1946, and launched at the 1946 Milan design fair.[2] The Italy Magazine account adds that the Vespa's second-largest global market is Britain, where Mod subculture embraced it for its weather protection.[2][10] The same source says that Hollywood films like Roman Holiday (1953) and Quadrophenia cemented the Vespa's cultural status.[2]
A Times Now article from April 18, 2024, reports that Piaggio, established in 1884, marked its 140th anniversary by having Vespa produce a special edition limited to 140 units, with orders accepted only from April 18 to 21, 2024.[9] According to Italy Magazine, the Vespa's design was inspired by the small olive-coloured Cushman Airborne motorcycles that were dropped by parachute during WWII for use by troops in the fight against the Germans.[2]
References
- Wikipedia, "Vespa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Piaggio Group Launches Market Expansion Plans", Rider Magazine (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "History of an Icon: La Vespa ITALY Magazine", www.italymagazine.com. facts only, no text reused. italymagazine.com
- Wikipedia, "Vespa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Shattuck, "Scooters: Red Eyes, Whitewalls and Blue Smoke", Speck Press, 2005, p. 20–22; Traeger, "Vespa: City-Mobile, Italian Style", The Car Connection (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Vespa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sarti, "Vespa: 1946–2006: 60 Years of the Vespa", MotorBooks International, 2006, p. 80–83; Shattuck, "Scooters: Red Eyes, Whitewalls and Blue Smoke", Speck Press, 2005, p. 20–22 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Vespa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Shattuck, "Scooters: Red Eyes, Whitewalls and Blue Smoke", Speck Press, 2005, p. 20–22 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Vespa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sarti, "Vespa: 1946–2006: 60 Years of the Vespa", MotorBooks International, 2006, p. 80–83 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Vespa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: JOURNAL, "Vespa scoots back to profitability", Sarasota Herald-Tribune (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Vespa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Vespa – A Story of Success (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Vespa Special Edition Introduced To Celebrate Piaggio's 140th Anniversary", Times Now, 18 April 2024. facts only, no text reused. timesnownews.com
- Wikipedia, "Vespa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "History of an Icon: La Vespa ITALY Magazine", www.italymagazine.com (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Vespa (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Iconic Motorcycles
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Vespa (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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