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  "path": "/news/vespa-italys-iconic-scooter-celebrates-80-years.html",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-21T09:32:40.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.wantedinrome.com",
  "tags": [
    "News",
    "Transport"
  ],
  "textContent": "From a postwar workshop in Tuscany to showrooms in more than 100 countries, the Piaggio Vespa marks eight decades as one of the world's most recognisable vehicles.\nVespa, the iconic Italian scooter, celebrates 80 years since the first patent was presented by Piaggio on 23 April 1946.\n\nThe anniversary marks a remarkable journey from practical postwar transport to global cultural icon, and a production total approaching 20 million units.\n\nHistory\nThe story of the Vespa's creation is as well known in Italy as the vehicle itself. The design was the work of aeronautical engineer Corradino D'Ascanio, who had been employed by Piaggio since 1932 to design aircraft and helicopters.\n\nWhen Enrico Piaggio asked him to turn his attention to a two-wheeled vehicle, D'Ascanio was reluctant, having little affection for conventional motorcycles, which he considered unwieldy and impractical. The result of his misgivings was, paradoxically, a masterpiece of practical engineering.\n\nOrigins of name\nD'Ascanio invented the first motorcycle with a monocoque body in history - dispensing with a tubular steel frame and central tunnel, which created cargo space and eliminated the need to straddle the vehicle.\n\nThe front suspension drew on the design of aircraft landing gear, the engine was conceptually derived from aircraft starter motors, and the gearchange was placed on the handlebars for ease of use. A protective cowling kept the engine from soiling clothing, and a spare wheel was included as standard.\n\nWhen Enrico Piaggio saw the new prototype, known as the MP6 - with its broad central section to accommodate the rider and its narrow waist - he reportedly exclaimed, \"It looks like a wasp!\" (Sembra una vespa!).\n\nIn February 1946, after testing the first six prototypes, the design was finalised for series production.\n\nTuscan roots\nProduction began in Pontedera, Tuscany, with an initial hand-beaten batch of 60 units known as the \"Series Zero\".\n\nFollowing an agreement with Alfa Romeo in April 1946 to press the bodywork, full series production got under way. The first Vespa had a three-speed gearbox and a top speed of 60 km/h.\n\nBy 1947 a 125 cc version had arrived, and output grew to 20,000 units per year. By 1953 annual production - including licensed versions - exceeded 170,000.\n\nGlobal fame \nIn 1956, just a decade after its birth, the one millionth Vespa rolled off the production line. The scooter had by then achieved worldwide fame: The Times described it as \"an entirely Italian product the like of which had not been seen for centuries, since the Roman chariot.\"\n\nOver the decades, Vespa has been produced in numerous countries and sold in more than a 100 markets. The scooter became emblematic of postwar economic recovery as well as a symbol of practicality and style. Its presence in cinema, music, and popular culture consolidated its image as an object of cult status.\n\nThe model range evolved to include the Primavera, Sprint, and GTS, among others, whilst preserving the original design DNA.\n\nModern day and 80th celebrations in Rome\nToday Vespa is produced at three manufacturing sites: in Pontedera for Europe and Western markets; in Vinh Phuc, Vietnam, for the Far East; and at the Baramati plant in India, which opened in April 2012.\n\nThe celebrations for the 80th anniversary will culminate in Rome from 25 to 28 June, when tens of thousands of \"Vespisti\" from around the world are expected in the Eternal City.\n\nPhoto credit: Travers Lewis / Shutterstock.com",
  "title": "Vespa, Italy's iconic scooter, celebrates 80 years"
}