Italian scooter brand Vespa turns 80 this year. The passing game, which has become timeless and iconic, will be celebrated in Rome from the 25th to the 28th. June. The party program includes, among other things, an 80th anniversary exhibition, music and various performances.
Vespa’s story began in 1946, when Piaggio, which manufactured trains and military aircraft, among other things, had to reorient its production after the Second World War.
The affordable and practical scooter became a symbol of the rebirth of post-war Italy, and quickly became an international cultural phenomenon.
Vespa established its position in popular culture in 1953. At that time, an acting star Audery Hepburn and co-star Gregory Peck chilled out on a Vespa in the movie Holiday in Rome across town. The scene lasts a few minutes, but it was enough to make the scooter an icon and increase its sales.
Over the decades, Vespa has also been a prominent part of music, art, photography and fashion. Its design has remained recognizable, making it one of the most famous two-wheelers in the world.
We collected photos from Rome, where Vespa drivers filled the streets:
The Vespa has become one of Italy’s most recognizable design products, and has been seen in movies, commercials and holiday brochures. Vespa drivers were happy to be on the move in the parade organized in Rome on Saturday.
The center of the four-day gathering is the sports center Foro Italico and the Stadio dei Marmi, which have been turned into a Vespa village for the festivities.
Today, the scooter brand is sold in about 100 countries, mainly in Europe and Southeast Asia. Coaches from all over the world were also expected to attend the Roman celebrations.
Vespa has been manufactured for 80 years, during which it has undergone about 160 renovations. The man posed with his scooter decorated with stickers in the procession.
An anniversary edition of Vespa, Vespa Edizione Ottentesimo, has also been published. It is a limited edition model of which only 1,946 have been produced. The model was on display in the party area at Rome’s Stadio dei Marmi.
The Vespa had several good qualities in the post-World War II world: It was affordable, yet stylish and practical for slaloming the streets of Naples, Milan, and Rome. A man was driving his Vespa in Rome on Saturday, June 27.
Almost 20 million units of Vespea have been sold worldwide, of which slightly more than two million in the last decade. Among other things, the parade that passed by the Roman Colosseum on Saturday gathered a lot of riders.