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april 17, 2024 - Vespa

Vespa History 1946-2024

In 78 years of history (Piaggio registered its patent on 23 April 1946) and over 19 million vehicles on the roads in five continents, Vespa has given the entire world a new gear, spreading as it has across the world's roads, uniting youngsters from very differing and distant cultures in a unique passion. The first truly global mobility brand, Vespa has become a common thread between generations, used by all different groups in society, creating various cultural phenomena particular to the different settings in which it has found itself, to the point of becoming a protagonist and a distinctive trait. It has steered habits, music and youth, and has accompanied countries and continents as they have grown, racing alongside them in times of economic boom.

At the beginning of the new millennium Vespa is experiencing one of the happiest moments of its long life. Since 2004, when 58,000 vehicles were produced, the growth of the Vespa brand has been constant and spectacular. More than 100,000 units were produced in 2006, arriving at 180,000 in 2017 and passing the benchmark of 200,000 units per year in 2018.

In the last decade, more than 2 million new Vespa vehicles have been produced and taken out on roads all over the world.

Today, Vespa is a more global brand than ever before, a real citizen of the world, present in 83 countries on every continent and produced at three production sites: Pontedera, the plant where Vespas have been built uninterruptedly since 1946 with production destined for Europe and Western markets, the Americas included; Vinh Phuc, in Vietnam, which serves the local market and the Far East; and India, at the ultra modern Baramati factory, opened in April 2012 to manufacture Vespas for the Indian market.

VESPA TODAY

Vespa, in the various eras it has seen, has always represented the cutting-edge of technology. Characterised by an extremely advanced bearing body concept, built entirely out of steel, Vespa marked the evolution of individual mobility. Today, the latest Vespa vehicles, equipped with engines and technical solutions to support modern riding, represent the style synthesis of an evolution that has made Vespa design immortal, ensuring it is an icon of Italian elegance the world over.

Vespa Primavera – 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 (in its 50, 125,  150cc and electric versions) is a protagonist of its time, inheriting all the freshness and joy of life that marks the history of a model that is a legendary element of the Vespa family tree.

Vespa Sprint continues the tradition of vitality and youthfulness. It was designed as the evolution of the recent Vespa Primavera project (from which it adopts its thermic engines and the electric one), aimed at kids of all ages and highlighting the sporty features conjured up by its name, legendary by birth. It was created with a small and lightweight but practical and protective body, all in steel and is characterised by its youthful line, marked by a bold rectangular rear light and large 12” tyres, with spectacular aluminium alloy wheels.
Both Vespa Primavera and Vespa Sprint have had prestigious partnerships with designers and artists such as Sean Wotherspoon and Justin Bieber and with global brands such as Disney. Partnerships that have generated extraordinary exclusive versions of Vespa's "small body".

Vespa GTS, known as the "Vespone" (The Big Vespa) for its large chassis, is the fastest, sportiest and most enjoyable Vespa in the range, perfect for urban usage thanks to its handling and the performance of the liquid-cooled 125 and 300cc 4-Stroke engines, but also for trips out of town, alone or with a passenger on board. The new GTS range, launched in 2022 and comprising Vespa GTS, GTS Super, GTS SuperSport and GTS SuepTech, offers the most powerful ever adopted by Vespa, sophisticated style details and a comprehensive series of modern equipment that includes the ABS braking system, ASR traction control and Keyless system.

Vespa Gtv is developed from the GTS 300 base. With its low headlamp, positioned on the front mudguard, and the exposed metal tubular handlebar, it recalls the elegant sportiness of 1950s Vespas.

VESPA 946 was launched in 2013. It is an innovative product which takes inspiration from the Vespa prototype MP6 produced in 1946.
As the prototype which serves as inspiration the Vespa 946 seems to come directly from the best technology of its time. Details such as the handlebars that feature sewn trim with needle and thread, aluminium parts fitted manually, one by one in monocoque steel body, a dedicated production line, more like an haute couture atelier than a production line, make this Collection stand out.
In 2024 ancient tradition and modern mastery seamlessly merge in the limited-edition Vespa 946 Dragon. To commemorate the launch and pay homage to the Lunar New Year, Vespa is also releasing its inaugural fashion item. The exclusive Dragon Varsity Jacket celebrates the legendary status of the iconic scooter and reflects its signature combination of style and legacy.

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