Under lördagen firade Vespa sin officiella 70-årsdag. Den 23 april 1946 ansökte företaget om det första officiella Piaggio Vespa-patentet, och nu sjuttio år senare har den italienska tillverkaren sålt över 18 miljoner exemplar världen över.

Sedan 2004, då omkring 58.000 Vespor producerades har tillväxten för Vespa-varumärket varit minst sagt spektakulärt. I själva verket, gick försäljningssiffrorna från 100.000 år 2006 till 122.000 år 2009 och närmare 170.000 år 2015. Vespa-produktionen har mer än tredubblats under 10 år, under en period då närmare 1,5 miljoner nya Vespor sålts över hela världen.

Idag är Vespa mer än någonsin ett globalt varumärke, en sann världsmedborgare, och tillverkad i tre produktionsanläggningar: Pontedera i Italien, där Vespa-modeller har producerats utan avbrott sedan 1946, avsedd för Europa och jordens västra marknader, bland annat USA; Sedan har vi Vinh Phuc, i Vietnam, som serverar lokala marknaden och Fjärran Östern med Vespor; och i Indien, producerar Baramati-fabriken, som öppnades i april 2012, Vespor för den indiska marknaden.

Här nedan kan du läsa mer om Vespas histora och modeller (på engelska):

The most recent models: immortal style and technology.

Vespa 946 (2013) - Inspired by the MP6 prototype, the first embryo from which the most famous scooter in the world was born seventy years ago, the Vespa 946 is distinguished by a futuristic style and exclusive construction choices.

Distilling the purest essence of those traits which have always marked the aesthetics of individual mobility, Vespa embarks on a new generation where tradition and innovation blend wonderfully.

The masterful construction quality and excellent materials used set Vespa 946 apart from any other two-wheeled vehicle in the world. Style and technology come together in a single body, made from steel and aluminium: 946 is the first Vespa to adopt ASR traction control and ABS anti-lock braking as standard equipment.

Vespa 946 is also a reference point in its segment in terms of environmental friendliness: the 125/150 4-Stroke 3 Valve engine is capable of stellar performance, record fuel economy (up to 55 km/l) and reduces emissions by 30%.

To mark the year 2015 – the 40th anniversary of the foundation of Giorgio Armani and the 130th birthday of the Piaggio Group – Emporio Armani has designed a special version of the Vespa 946. In keeping with Armani’s signature subdued colour palette, the designer has come up with a special combination of greys with subtle hints of green visible only under particular light conditions for the project. The metal parts have a satin finish, and create an opaque effect in line with the finishing touches of the body. The words ‘Emporio Armani’ appear on the side, while the iconic eagle logo of the brand sits above the headlight.

Vespa Primavera (2013) - Youthful, innovative, technologically ground-breaking, agile and dynamic, with an eye to the protection of the environment of which it is the star, the Vespa Primavera came out in 2013 as the protagonist of its time, inheriting all the freshness and joy of life that go hand in hand with the story of a model that is a cult in the Vespa family tree.

With a radically new design, a new body in steel, new sizes, still agile but even more stable and comfortable, available with ABS braking system, Vespa Primavera is reborn - powered by the ultra-modern and ecological 50 2T, 50 4T, 125 3V and 150 3V engines - appropriating some of the stylistic and technical solutions of Vespa 946, the most prestigious and technologically advanced model ever conceived.

2014 marks the return of a legend: the new Vespa Sprint is introduced, the most modern version of the Vespa sport idea.With a wealth of the most advanced technical features, and fully redesigned to ensure higher levels of stability and handling, Vespa Sprint is dominated by the pleasure of driving so that even the everyday journey can be enjoyed.

In the mid ’60s, a new generation of sporty Vespas invaded the roads of Europe. They were small, sprightly, extremely agile and modern, like the mentality of the kids riding them. They were the wings of generations looking for freedom and pursuing the speed of ideas that, precisely in those years, were changing the face of the world.

So the Vespa Sprint, available with ABS system, continues the tradition of vitality and youthfulness. Vespa Sprint has a small, lightweight body but one that's comfortable and protective at the same time, made entirely of steel and it is characterised by an extremely youthful line, marked by an aggressive rectangular headlight. It's fitted out with large 12” wheels and spectacular aluminium alloy wheel rims and it is powered by three ultra-modern and ecological engines available in two different sizes. The 125cc and 150cc version have a 4-stroke single-cylinder with 3-valve distribution and electronic injection - one of the world reference points for low consumption and environmental protection. The 50cc version is designed for the youngest enthusiasts. It comes in both a sparkling 2-stroke model and a 4-stroke model with the new 4-valve distribution engine.

The new Vespa GTS and Vespa GTS Super make their début in April 2014, equipped with ASR traction control and ABS braking, cutting-edge electronic systems for active safety. These two new models (available in 125 and 300 cc displacement) are made in the spirit of the highest safety standards and even greater comfort thanks to the newly designed front suspension and new generation gadgets such as the Vespa Multimedia Platform, conceived to connect your Smartphone to your Vespa.Large, convenient, comfortable, extraordinarily protective, the Vespa GTS - along with the sporty GTS Super version - combines its elegantly urban and city spirit with the travel and tourism vocation. Vespa therefore reaffirms its technological cutting-edge and introduces one of the most modern, advanced and safest vehicles in the world.

Vespa: The origins

Founded in Genoa in 1884 by twenty-year-old Rinaldo Piaggio, Piaggio initially undertook luxury ship fitting before going on to produce rail carriages, goods vans, luxury coaches and engines, trams and special truck bodies.

World War I brought a new diversification that was to distinguish Piaggio activities for many decades. The company started producing aeroplanes and seaplanes. At the same time, new plants were springing up. In 1917 Piaggio bought a new plant in Pisa, and four years later it took over a small plant in Pontedera which first became the centre of aeronautical production (propellers, engines and complete aircraft, including the state-of-the-art Piaggio P108 in passenger and bomber versions). Before and during World War II, Piaggio was one of Italy’s top aircraft manufacturers. For this reason, its plants were important military targets and the Piaggio factories in Genoa, Finale Ligure and Pontedera were irrevocably damaged by the war.

The 1946 invention

Rinaldo Piaggio’s sons Enrico and Armando began the process of re-starting industrial production immediately after the war. The hardest task went to Enrico, who was responsible for the destroyed Pontedera plant. He arranged for part of the machinery transferred to Biella in Piedmont to be brought back. Enrico Piaggio opted for an industrial reconversion, focusing on personal mobility in a country emerging from war. He gave shape to his intuition, building a vehicle destined to become extremely famous, thanks to the extraordinary design work of the aeronautical engineer and inventor Corradino D’Ascanio (1891-1981).

The birth of a legend

starting from Biella, where a motor scooter was produced, based on a small motorcycle made for parachutists. The prototype, known as the MP5, was nicknamed “Paperino” (the Italian name for Donald Duck) because of its strange shape: but Enrico Piaggio did not like it, and he asked Corradino D’Ascanio to redesign it.

The aeronautical designer did not like motorcycles. He found them uncomfortable and bulky, with wheels that were difficult to change after a puncture. Worse still, the drive chain made them dirty. However, his aeronautical experience found the answer to every problem. To eliminate the chain he imagined a vehicle with a stress-bearing body and direct mesh; to make it easier to ride, he put the gear lever on the handlebar; to make tyre changing easier he designed not a fork, but a supporting arm similar to an aircraft carriage. Finally, he designed a body that would protect the driver so that he would not get dirty or dishevelled. Decades before the spread of ergonomic studies, the riding position of the Vespa was designed to let the rider sit comfortably and safely, not balanced dangerously as on a high-wheel motorcycle.

Corradino D’Ascanio’s drawings had nothing to do with the Paperino: his design was absolutely original and revolutionary compared to all the other existing means of two-wheeled transport. With the help of Mario D’Este, his trusted designer, it would only take Corradino D’Ascanio a few days to fine tune his idea and prepare the first Vespa project, manufactured in Pontedera in April of 1946. Enrico Piaggio himself named the scooter. Standing in front of the MP6 prototype, with its wide central part where the rider sit and the “narrow” waist, he exclaimed: “It looks like a wasp!” And so the Vespa was born.

The first Vespa patent

On 23 April 1946 Piaggio & C. S.p.A. filed a patent with the Central Patents Office for inventions, models and brand names at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Florence, for “a motor cycle with a rational complex of organs and elements with body combined with the mudguards and bonnet covering all the mechanical parts”. In a short space of time the Vespa was presented to the public, provoking contrasting reactions. Nevertheless, Enrico Piaggio did not hesitate to launch factory production of two thousand units of the first Vespa 98cc. The public début of the new vehicle was held at the prestigious Rome Golf Club with the American General Stone of the allied government attending. The event was filmed by the American newsreel Movieton: Italians saw the Vespa for the first time in the pages of Motor (March 24, 1946) and on the black and white cover of La Moto on April 15, 1946. They saw the actual vehicle at that year’s Milan show, where even Cardinal Schuster stopped to take a look, intrigued by the futuristic vehicle.

From scepticism to “miracle”

Two versions of the Vespa 98cc went on sale with two prices: 55,000 liras for the “normal” version and 61,000 liras for the “luxury” version with a few optionals including a speedometer, lateral stand and stylish white-trim tyres. Manufacturers and market experts were divided: on one side the people who saw the Vespa as the realisation of a brilliant idea, and on the other the sceptics, who were soon to change their minds.

In the last months of 1947 production began to explode and the following year the Vespa 125 appeared, a larger model that was soon firmly established as the successor to the first Vespa 98.

The Vespa “miracle” had become reality, and output grew constantly; in 1946, Piaggio put 2,484 scooters on the market. These became 10,535 the following year, and by 1948 production had reached 19,822. When in 1950 the first German licensee also started production, output topped 60,000 vehicles, and just three years later 171,200 vehicles left the plants.

Foreign markets also watched the birth of the scooter with interest, and both the public and the press expressed curiosity and admiration. The Times called it “a completely Italian product, such as we have not seen since the Roman chariot”. Enrico Piaggio continued tenaciously to encourage the spread of the Vespa abroad, creating an extensive service network all over Europe and the rest of the world. He maintained constant attention and growing interest around his product, with a number of initiatives that included the foundation and spread of the Vespa Clubs.

The Vespa became the Piaggio product par excellence, while Enrico personally tested prototypes and new models. His business prospects transcended national frontiers and by 1953, thanks to his untiring determination, there were more than ten thousand Piaggio service points throughout the world, including America and Asia. By then the Vespa Clubs counted over 50,000 members, all opposed to the “newborn” Innocenti Lambretta. No less than twenty thousand Vespa enthusiasts turned up at the Italian “Vespa Day” in 1951. Riding a Vespa was synonymous with freedom, with agile exploitation of space and with easier social relationships. The new scooter had become the symbol of a lifestyle that left its mark on its age: in the cinema, in literature and in advertising, the Vespa appeared endlessly among the most significant symbols of a changing society.

In 1950, just four years from its debut, the Vespa was manufactured in Germany by Hoffman-Werke of Lintorf; the following year licensees opened in Great Britain (Douglas of Bristol) and France (ACMA of Paris); production began in Spain in 1953 at Moto Vespa S.A. of Madrid, founded on 1952, now Piaggio España, followed immediately by Jette, outside Brussels. Plants sprang up in Bombay and Brazil; the Vespa reached the USA, and its enormous popularity drew the attention of the Reader’s Digest, which wrote a long article about it. But that magical period was only the beginning. Soon the Vespa was produced in 13 countries and marketed in 114, including Australia, South Africa (where it was known as the “Bromponie”, or moor pony), Iran and China. And it was copied: on June 9, 1957, Izvestia reported the start of production in Kirov, in the USSR, of the Viatka 150 cc, an almost perfect clone of the Vespa. Piaggio had begun very early on to extend its range into the light transport sector. In 1948, soon after the birth of the Vespa, production of the three-wheeler Ape van (the Italian for “bee”) derived from the scooter began, and the vehicle was an immediate success for its many possible uses.

Numerous imaginative versions of the Vespa appeared, some from Piaggio itself, but mainly from enthusiasts - for example, the Vespa Sidecar, or the Vespa-Alpha of 1967, developed with Alpha-Wallis for Dick Smart, a screen secret agent, which could race on the road, fly, and even be used on or underwater. The French army had a few Vespa models built specially to carry arms and bazookas, and others that could be parachuted together with the troops. Even the Italian army asked Piaggio for a parachutable scooter in 1963.

Vespa: over 18 million units produced

Vespa has been copied and imitated in thousands of ways: but the uniqueness of the vehicle ensured Piaggio a very long period of success, so much so that in November 1953, the 500,000th unit left the line, followed by the one millionth in June 1956. In 1960 the Vespa passed the two million mark; in 1970 it reached four million, and over ten million in 1988, making the Vespa — which has sold over 18 million units to date — a unique phenomenon in the motorised two-wheeler sector.

The boom of the Vespa, and the different business prospects of the Piaggio brothers, with Enrico concentrating on light individual mobility in Tuscany and Armando on the aeronautical business in Liguria, led the company to split. On February 22, 1964, Enrico Piaggio acquired the share in Piaggio & C. S.p.A. held by his brother Armando, who then founded “Rinaldo Piaggio Industrie Meccaniche Aeronautiche” (I.A.M. Rinaldo Piaggio). The Vespa 50 had appeared the previous year, 1963, following the introduction of a law in Italy making a numberplate obligatory on two-wheelers over 50 cc.

The new scooter was exempt from this law and was an immediate success. In Italy sales of vehicles with numberplates decreased by 28 per cent in 1965 compared to the previous year. On the other hand, the Vespa, with its new “50” series, was a great success. The light Vespa was a successful addition to the Piaggio range and this displacement is still in production. To date almost 3,500,000 Vespa 50s have been built in different models and versions. The Vespa ET4 50, launched in autumn 2000 (and replaced in 2005 by the Vespa LX) was the first four stroke Vespa 50cc, and established a record distance range: of over 500 km with a full tank.

The story of the Vespa PX is truly unique and exceptional in the "two wheeled" world as the single most successful model in the entire history of the Vespa: created in 1977 and still in production in the 125 and 150 cc versions, to the joy of its faithful supporters, it has exceeded three million units sold.

In 1996, the fiftieth anniversary year of the most famous scooter in the world, the Vespa ET4 and ET2 range was created. The ET4 was the first Vespa in history powered by a 4-stroke engine.

There was another twist to the unending story of the Vespa in 2003 with the launch of the Granturismo 200L and 125L: with these two models, Vespa reached unprecedented size and power levels. In 2005 two new and very significant products were added to the range: the Vespa LX (50, 125 and 150) replaced the Vespa ET (over 460,000 units sold since 1996) while, 50 years after the launch of the legendary Vespa GS Gran Sport, the Vespa GTS 250 i.e. took over as the fastest, most powerful and high-tech Vespa ever. Powered by a powerful 250 cc 4 valve liquid cooled, electronic injection engine.

Three exclusive models were presented to celebrate Vespa’s 60^th anniversary in 2006, interpreting the original Vespa look in a modern, elegant key. These were the Vespa GTV, Vespa LXV and Vespa GT 60°. 2007 was the year for the Vespa S: elegantly inspired by the lines of the '70 era models, the Vespa S was the new millennium heir of the legendary 50 Special and 125 Primavera. In May 2008 the Vespa GTS 300 Super arrived: the 145th model, GTS 300 Super was once again the highest performing Vespa with the largest engine ever manufactured.

In the spring of 2012 an important engine innovation arrived on the small LX/S series. A brand new single cylinder 125/150 3 valve electronic injection that defined new standards, reaching distances of 55 km with a litre of petrol and lowering Co2 emissions by 30%. A highly advanced unit, entirely designed, developed and produced in Pontedera, which also equipped the Vespa 946 - the Vespa of the future.

Vespa 946, introduced at the 2012 EICMA show in Milan, opened a window to the future of style and technology. Vespa 946 unveiled a possible future with a homage to its patriarch, the MP6 prototype, which gave origin to the most famous scooter in the world, an insuperable example of Italian style and creativity. Distilling that most pure essence of the traits which indelibly marked the aesthetics of individual mobility and enhancing the lines which made it famous, the Pontedera Style Centre projects Vespa into a possible future where citations and projections, tradition and innovation, blend without solutions of continuity.

Records, sports and long distance travel: around the world with the Vespa

The Vespa also has a racing career behind it. In Europe back in the Fifties, it took part, often successfully, in regular motorcycle races (speed and off-road), as well as unusual sporting ventures.

In 1952 the Frenchman Georges Monneret built an “amphibious Vespa” for the Paris-London race and successfully crossed the Channel on it. The previous year Piaggio itself had built a Vespa 125cc prototype for speed racing, and it set the world speed record for a flying kilometre at an average of 171.102 km/h.

The Vespa also scored a great success at the 1951 “International 6 Days” in Varese, winning 9 gold medals, the best of the Italian motorcycles. That same year saw the first of innumerable rallies with the Vespa: an expedition to the Congo, which was to be the first of a series of incredible journeys on a scooter that was intended primarily to solve the problems of urban and intercity traffic.

Giancarlo Tironi, an Italian University student, reached the Arctic Circle on a Vespa. The Argentine Carlos Velez crossed the Andes from Buenos Aires to Santiago del Chile. Year after year, the Vespa gained popularity among adventure holiday enthusiasts: Roberto Patrignani rode one from Milan to Tokyo; Soren Nielsen in Greenland; James P. Owen from the USA to Tierra del Fuego; Santiago Guillen and Antonio Veciana from Madrid to Athens (for the occasion their Vespa was decorated personally by Salvador Dalì and it is on exhibit to this day in the Piaggio Museum); Wally Bergen on a grand tour of the Antilles; the Italians Valenti and Rivadulla in a tour of Spain; Miss Warral from London to Australia and back; the Australian Geoff Dean took one on a round-the-world tour.

Pierre Delliere, Sergeant in the French Air Force, reached Saigon in 51 days from Paris, going through Afghanistan. Swiss rider Giuseppe Morandi rode 6,000 km, mostly across the African desert, on a Vespa he had bought in 1948. Ennio Carrega went from Genoa to Lapponia and back in just 12 days. Two Danish journalists Elizabeth and Erik Thrane, a brother and sister, reached Bombay on a Vespa. And it is impossible to count the many European scooter riders who have reached the North Cape on their Vespas.

Few know that in 1980 two Vespa PX 200s ridden by M. Simonot and B. Tcherniawsky reached the finishing line of the second Paris-Dakar rally. Four-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Henri Pescarolo helped the French team put together by Jean-François Piot.

The Vespa continues to travel: in July 1992 Giorgio Bettinelli, writer and journalist, left Rome on a Vespa and reached Saigon in March 1993. In 1994-95 he rode a Vespa 36,000 km from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. In 1995-96 he travelled from Melbourne to Cape Town - over 52,000 km in 12 months. In 1997 he started out from Chile, reaching Tasmania after three years and eight months, having travelled 144,000 km on his Vespa and crossed 90 countries across the Americas, Siberia, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania. All in all, Bettinelli has travelled 250,000 km on a Vespa. .

Vespa, the cinema and “La Dolce Vita”

Stylish and unmistakably Vespa, exceptionally comfortable to ride with low-environmental-impact engines and disk brakes, the new-generation Vespa models are now also sold in numerous "Vespa Boutiques" in the U.S.

Having returned to the US in 2000 after exiting the market in 1985 because of new emissions legislation that targeted two stroke engines, the Vespa was an immediate success all over again and in 2011 the Vespa LX/S was the best selling European two-wheeled vehicle in the States.

But the Vespa isn't just a market phenomenon. It forms part of social history. In the "Dolce Vita" years the Vespa became a synonym for scooter, foreign reporters described Italy as "the country of the Vespa" and the Vespa's role in social history, not just in Italy but abroad, can be seen from its presence in hundreds of films. And it's a story that continues to be told today.

Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in "Roman Holiday" (1953) were only the first of a long series of international actors and actresses to be seen on the world's most famous scooter in a filmography that goes from “Quadrophenia” to “American Graffiti”, from “The Talented Mr. Ripley” to “102 Dalmatians”, not to mention “Dear Diary” and more recent productions like “Alfie” with Jude Law, “The Interpreter” with Nicole Kidman, and the blockbuster “Transformers”.

In photo shoots, films and on the set, the Vespa has been a "travel companion" for names like Raquel Welch, Ursula Andress, Geraldine Chaplin, Joan Collins, Jayne Mansfield, Virna Lisi, Milla Jovovich, Marcello Mastroianni, Charlton Heston, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Gary Cooper, Anthony Perkins, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Nanni Moretti, Sting, Antonio Banderas, Matt Damon, Gérard Depardieu, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson.

1946-2016, seventy years of Vespa: the models that have made history

From the first Vespa in 1946, with its 98 cc, to the Grand Tourer of 2003, to the Vespa GTS 300 Super of 2008, to the recent GTV and LXV special series, all the way to the Vespa 946 which made its debut on 8 November 2011 at EICMA, the 69th Motorcycle Show in Milan: there are more than 150 different models, versions and variations of the Vespa – identifiable by different "chassis codes" – manufactured by Piaggio. These vehicles trace the technical evolution of the world’s most famous scooter: By the time the Vespa ET4 was launched in 1996, over 20,000 modifications had been made to the original product and over 1,500 parts replaced.

It is difficult to pick out the most representative Vespas in an evolution that has lasted over 60 years. Some Vespas are sought after by collectors because they belong to a special series, or because they were rapidly replaced by subsequent versions, and are highly priced in the period scooter market, which is extremely active all over the world. Others, which were produced in greater numbers or stayed on the market longer, are classic models that have left their mark in the history of two-wheeled mobility.

There is no lack of authentic technical records in the Vespa’s history, each of which renews the tradition of innovation that has marked the evolution of the world’s best selling scooter. To cite only a few examples: with the Vespa ET2 Injection in 1997, Piaggio launched the first direct injection two stroke engine in history, a technical first it doubled in 2000 with the launch of the first European 50cc four stroke engine on the Vespa ET4 50. In 2005, with the Vespa GTS, Piaggio launched the first scooter in the world to have a 250cc Euro 3 compatible engine with electronic injection.

Vespa 98, 1946 - The first Vespa. It was powered by a 98 cc engine that delivered 3.2 bhp at 4,500 rpm with a top speed of 60 km/h. It was in production for two years: in 1946 vehicles no. 1 to no. 2,464 were produced, in ‘47 those from no. 2,465 to 18,079. Vespa 125, 1948 - This was the first Vespa 125 cc. In addition to the different engine size, it differs from the 98 with the introduction of the rear suspension; the front suspension was also modified. Vespa 125, 1953 - This marked the first important change to the engine: bore, stroke and timing gear were modified. Power output increased to 5 bhp at 5,000 rpm, and top speed to 75 km/h. The design of the fairing at the rear was also new. Vespa 125 U, 1953 - The “Utility” version with spartan styling, which sold at 20,000 lire less than the more modern 125. The headlamp appeared high up on the handlebar for the first time in Italy (it had already been introduced on a number of exported models). Vespa 150 GS, 1955 - Experts called it “the most popular, imitated and remembered model”. There were numerous innovations: the 150 cc engine, 4-speed gearbox, standard long saddle, “faired” handlebar-headlamp unit, wheels with 10” tyres. This Vespa could reach 100 km/h. The design also changed, with a much more aerodynamic body. Vespa 160 GS, 1962 - This was born to continue the market success of the first GS, with a completely new design. The exhaust silencer, carburettor and suspension were also new. The power output was 8.2 bhp at 6,500 rpm. Vespa 150 GL, 1963 - Another new design for what has been called “one of the best-looking Vespas produced by Piaggio designers”. The handlebar, trapezoid headlamp, front mudguard and trimmed-down rear lids were all new. Vespa 50, 1964 - The first Vespa 50 cc, created to exploit the new Italian Highway Code which made a number plate obligatory on larger engines. Extremely versatile and reliable, the engine featured a new layout, with the cylinder inclined 45° instead of horizontal. It was the last design to leave Corradino D’Ascanio’s drawing board. Vespa 180 SS, 1965 - It marked a new milestone in the growth of the engine (181.14 cc), with 10 bhp for a top speed of 105 km/h. The 180 SS (Super Sport) replaced the glorious GS 150/160 cc. Piaggio modified the front cowling, making it more aerodynamic and significantly improving comfort, handling and road holding. Vespa 125, 1966 - Unofficially known as the “new 125”, it featured radical innovations in the design, frame, engine (inclined 45°) and suspension. Vespa Super Sprint 90, 1966 - A special series derived from the Vespa 50/90 cc and the “new” 125, the hold-all was positioned between the saddle and the handlebar for a more “laid-back” riding style. The handlebar was narrow and low, and the mudguard and cowling were streamlined. With an engine capacity of only 90 cc, it could do 93 km/h. Vespa 125 Primavera, 1968 - Together with the subsequent PX version, it was the most durable version of the Vespa. It derived from the “new” 125, but with considerable differences in the engine, which raised the top speed by 10 km/h. Great attention was paid to details, which included the classic, practical bag hook. Vespa 180 Rally, 1968 - With this new vehicle, Piaggio extended the rotary timing fuel feed system to its entire production. The engine was new, the front headlamp new and more powerful, the frame, derived from the Vespa 150 Sprint, narrower and more aerodynamic than that of the Super Sport. Vespa 50 Elestart, 1970 - It featured the great novelty of electric ignition, but the design was also completely revised and embellished compared to the 50 Special. Vespa 200 Rally, 1972 - The Vespa with the largest engine. This model, with 12.35 bhp at 5,700 rpm, could reach 116 km/h. Vespa 125 Primavera ET3, 1976 - The name stood for “Electronic 3 intake ports”, and included important changes to the engine, which had more power and sparkle. Even the styling was changed from the standard Primavera (which remained in the range). Vespa P 125 X, 1978 - The “PX” marked a new step forward in styling (the bodywork was completely redesigned) and performance. The hold-all was positioned behind the cowling. The same year the P 200 E also appeared, which, instead of the 125 version, could be equipped with separate lubrication and direction indicators incorporated in the body. Three years later the PX 150 E was launched, with performance halfway between the two models. Vespa PK 125, 1983 - This replaced the Vespa Primavera (standard and ET3). The styling was new, and the PK body was completely different from that of previous scooters, because the welds of the body no longer overlapped but were integral. Vespa PK 50, 1983 - Substantially identical to the PK 125, it appeared in two models, PK 50 and PK 50 S, both with 4-speed gearbox and electronic ignition. Vespa PK 125 Automatica, 1984 - An automatic transmission was introduced on the Vespa, perhaps the most radical change (at least for the user's point of view) since 1946. The presence of the automatic transmission was emphasised by the absence of the foot brake, replaced by the lever on the left handlebar (which does not need to control the clutch, as it is automatic). It was also available with automatic oil-petrol mixer and electric ignition. The following year the Vespa PK 50 Automatic was launched. Vespa T 5 Pole Position, 1985 - The T 5 was the “extra-sporty” version of the PX series. With a new engine, aluminium cylinder and 5 intake ports, but the design was also new, particularly at the rear and around the front headlamp which incorporated an aggressive dome with a small Plexiglas windscreen. A spoiler was added on the cowling. Vespa 50 N, 1989 - The changes to the Italian Highway Code meant that 50 cc vehicles were no longer bound by the 1.5 bhp limit, and Piaggio presented a new small Vespa with improved performance (over 2 bhp at 5,000 rpm), and new, smoother styling.

Vespa ET4 125cc, 1996 - The “new generation Vespa” with a four-stroke engine, launched on the 50^th anniversary. In 1997 and 1998 it was the best selling two-wheeled vehicle (including motorcycles) in all of Europe and it was followed by the ET2 50 cc version and then in 1999 also by the classic ET4 150 cc. Vespa ET4 50, 2000 -. It was the first Vespa 50 equipped with a 4-stroke engine and, thanks to the characteristics of its power plant, it established a true and proper range record: of over 500 km with a full tank. Vespa PX, 2001 - Front disc brake, careful aesthetic operations, new colours and the return to the "historic" Vespa logo for the timeless PX, which exceeded the extraordinary figure of three million units manufactured and sold in its more than 30 year long career. Revamped again in 2011, today it is available in the 125 and 150 versions. Vespa PX is an "evergreen", thanks in part to the 4 speed handlebar shift transmission and the possibility of installing a side spare tyre. Vespa Granturismo 200L and 125L, 2003 – In 2003, the Granturismo made its appearance as the most powerful Vespa ever produced. In 200L and 125L versions, it combines the Vespa’s emotional appeal with state-of-the-art technology: this was the first-ever Vespa to have sparkling four-stroke, four-valve, liquid-cooled engines that meet the new Euro 2 emissions standards, as well as 12-inch wheels and a two-disk brake system. The steel body is a uniquely Vespa touch. Vespa LX, 2005 - This was the return of the "vespino", the small body model which was offered alongside the larger "vespone" for more than 40 years, in an extremely modern stylistic and technical key. Vespa LX replaced the glorious Vespa ET (more than 460,000 units sold since 1996) and is available in four modern and ecological engine sizes: 50cc two and four stroke, 125 and 150cc four stroke. Vespa GTS 250 i.e., 2005 - Fifty years after the launch of the Vespa GS (Gran Sport), the first sport scooter in history and still a sought after treasure for collectors and fans, Vespa GTS 250 i.e. renews the GS blend of speed and style to become the fastest, most powerful and most high-tech Vespa. From November 2011, Vespa GTS “grew” to the 300 class with an avant-garde, extremely powerful four-valve, liquid cooled engine with electronic injection. Vespa GTS is stopped with a superb double disc braking system.

Vespa GTV and LXV, 2006 – Conceived to celebrate an absolute legend in the world of two wheelers, the Vespa LXV and Vespa GTV repeat and reinterpret the most distinctive elements of ‘50s and ‘60s styling in form and function. The Vespa GTV, available with 125 and 250 cc engines, stands out for its headlight mounted on the mudguard just as the original 1946 prototype. The Vespa LXV, offered with a choice of 50, 125 and 150 cc engines, is inspired by the smooth, essential lines of the Vespas of the 1960s, and features a sleek, minimalist look characterised by open handlebars and a two part seat. Vespa GT 60°, 250cc, 2006 – This is the gift that Vespa was determined to give its fans to celebrate the company’s sixtieth anniversary. With its prestigious materials and exclusive finish, this unique limited edition is made in a series of only 999 units, and is destined to become one of the milestones in Vespa’s long history. Vespa S 50 and 125, 2007 - All the character of the sporty “Vespino” of yesteryear is revived by the brand new Vespa S. This fascinating blend of styles and memories keeps the soul of the youngest and most sporting of all Vespas alive in the present day. The Vespa S inherits its rigorously minimalist looks from legendary models of the 1970s like the 50 Special and Vespa Primavera. Vespa GTS 300 Super, 2008 – GTS 300 Super brings the exclusive elegance of Vespa to the over 250 class. The classic, unique Vespa style is combined with a distinctly sporty and modern personality, giving the clean Vespa lines a decidedly rugged look. With its sporty design, the Vespa GTS 300 Super embodies the style, convenience, safety and sturdiness of the Vespa brand.

With new 4 valve timing, this brand new and feisty little powerplant has nothing to envy of its two-stroke counterparts (at 4.35 hp, it is the most powerful 50 cc four stroke on the market), yet its consumption and emission figures remain those of a four-stroke. Vespa S 50 and Vespa LX 50 4 Valve, 2009 – The new 50cc, four stroke, four valve engine leads to the rediscovery of an engine size which is "legendary" in Vespa history. With new 4 valve timing, this brand new and feisty powerplant has nothing to envy of its two-stroke counterparts (at 4.35 hp it is the most powerful 50 cc four-stroke on the market), yet its consumption and emission figures remain those of a typical four stroke. With this new engine, Vespa reconfirms a technological supremacy that has stood for over six decades.

Vespa LX 3V and Vespa S 3V – In June 2012 on the Vespa LX and Vespa S a new engine made its début, rightfully considered cutting-edge in this segment and ahead of its time in terms of performance and minimum fuel consumption and emissions, achieving mileage of 55km/l and lowering Co2 emissions by 30%. With the new and highly technologically advanced 125-150 4Stroke 3 Valve power train, Piaggio once again opens a window to the future of motoring technology. It is a single cylinder 4 stroke air cooled engine with 3 valves (2 intakes and 1 exhaust) single overhead cam and electronic fuel injection. It was designed and built in the Pontedera plant, in some of the most advanced research & development centres in the world, with the goal of increasing performance and fuel economy and lowering polluting emissions.

In 2014 Vespa GTS is new and improved with the adoption of the most advanced technological electronic riding support systems: 2-channel ABS braking system and ASR traction control. Vespa therefore reaffirms its technological cutting-edge which has always marked its past and introduces one of the most modern, advanced and safest vehicles in the world.

Vespa Club

The Vespa legend was born at practically the same time as the vehicle, so much so that many were inspired, from 1946 onwards, to share their passion for the Vespa. Thus the first Vespa Clubs were born, in Italy to begin with and then abroad, leading eventually, in 2006, to the creation of the Vespa World Club to coincide with the Vespa’s 60th anniversary.

The grouping of Vespa fans was closely linked to Vespa sales on international markets: by 1953 there were over 10,000 Piaggio service stations worldwide, including in Asia and America, and over 50,000 fans were members of Vespa Clubs worldwide.

From the 1940s onwards, Enrico Piaggio, backed by Italian sports journalist Renato Tassinari, organised meets and rallies to create growing interest in the new product, with all kinds of initiatives including the setting up and spread of Vespa Clubs. These organisations of Vespa fans would strengthen the image of the scooter and testify to the efficacy of Piaggio’s sales and service network.

At the Fiera Campionaria in Milan in 1948, Italian Vespa Clubs organised a rally called the “Silver Swarm” after the first Vespa model’s trademark silvery-green colour. This was the first large rally which would have an extraordinary echo.

In 1951, 20,000 Vespa fans took part in the Italian Vespa Day. Throughout the 1950s, races of every kind were held, from regional and national rallies in Italy and abroad (the Swiss Tour, the 2,000 km Three Seas tour, the all-female Audax tour and the 1,000 km tour were among the best known rallies).

Riding a Vespa increasingly became synonymous with freedom, the use of space and easier social relations: in short, the Vespa became a social phenomenon that would mark an entire epoch and be pictured incessantly in films, literature and advertising campaigns for many products as well as in the behaviour of a changing society that was keen to leave the destruction of World War II behind.

The Vespa Club Europe was set up in Milan on 8 February 1953 on the initiative of Renato Tassinari, with unanimous support from delegates representing the Vespa Clubs of Italy, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland and Switzerland, to co-ordinate and develop relations, events and links among Vespa fans in individual countries.

Two months after the creation of the Vespa Club Europe, Austria, Denmark, the U.K., Portugal, Spain and Sweden joined the founding members. Subsequently, the Vespa Club Mondial was set up and, together with the Vespa Club Europe, came to be named Fédération Internationale des Vespa Clubs (disbanded on 30 November 2005).

Finally, on 14 March 2006, the Vespa World Club was set up to co-ordinate and promote all the Vespa clubs in the world. Piaggio promoted the setting up of this new association, whose objective is to draw on the finest experiences and initiatives created by Vespa fans in various countries, enhance the role of national associations and support all Vespa Clubs. Today the Vespa World Club can count 40 national Vespa Clubs associated, and more than 60,000 members all over the world. It is impossible to calculate the number of Vespa enthusiasts, or the Internet web pages dedicated to the most popular and famous scooter in the world.

Every year the national Vespa Clubs and fans from all over the world come together for the Vespa World Days.