It was 80 years ago in Pontedera, Tuscany, that the Vespa was born. Imagined by Enrico Piaggio, who wanted to give post-war Italy a new means of accessible mass transport, and created by aircraft designer Corradino D’Ascanio, the Vespa (Italian for “wasp”), with its distinctive step-through shape that allowed everyone – including women in dresses and priests in robes – to ride easily, has come to symbolize Italian sprezzatura. D’Ascanio, apparently, was no fan of motorcycles, disliking their messy, oily chains, the difficulty of changing tires after punctures, and what he felt was their uncomfortable riding positions.
Vespisti have one thing in common: a passionate enthusiasm for a piece of well-designed engineering
His new scooter solved these problems with an enclosed, direct-mesh drivetrain; a strong, pressed-steel monocoque, or unibody, chassis that protected the rider from getting dirty and seated them in comfort and safety; and a front wheel that could be easily removed for tire changes, using a system like that found on airplane landing gear, which employed a single swingarm rather than a fork.
The design became a success, and thanks in part to some memorable screen appearances – with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in 1953’s Roman Holiday, the pack of paparazzi in La Dolce Vita (1960), Jude Law on his vintage runabout in the Alfie remake (2004), and the mod gangs of Quadrophenia (1979) – the Vespa has since earned its place in popular culture.
So loved is this machine that there are Vespa clubs all over the world, which became evident this summer when the firm put out a global invitation for owners to meet in Rome for a rally to celebrate the “wasp’s” 80th. Some 25,000 Vespas turned up to tour the streets of the Eternal City, many traveling from far afield. Bikes and bikers of different generations gathered, with T-shirts and stickers proclaiming their roots. As well as all the Italian Vespa clubs – Ancona, Agira, Ceprano, Lucca, Salerno, Taranto, Trieste and the like – there were also groups from all over the world: Vespa Club La Louvière (Belgium); Vespa Club Košice (Slovakia); Vespa Club București (Romania); Vespa Clube de Lisboa (Portugal) – even Vespa Club Argentina. All these Vespisti have one thing in common: a passionate enthusiasm for a piece of well-designed engineering that has changed remarkably little over the decades.
Just how little can be seen in the new Vespa Edizione Ottantesimo, released by the company as a birthday present both to itself and its fans. True, it has modern tech (automatic CVT transmission; 5” TFT dash display) and the larger engine size introduced by the company in 2024, but in its sleek gray livery accented with green highlights, what you mainly see is the familiar monocoque body that is all curved lines. The bike, which comes with a matching helmet to complete the look, is limited to a run of 1,946 (a nod to Vespa’s birth year) with only 25 allocated to the US, so if you want to grab a slice of this exclusive birthday cake, avanti!
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