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Vespas: Used, Vintage, Safety
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Published: November 5, 2006
The brainchild of innovative Italian engineers, the Vespa presents for many an economical – and sexy – means of transportation. But how did this compact, European vehicle come into being?
The answer starts with Piaggio, a transportation business founded in 1884 by Rinaldo Piaggio in Genoa, Italy. Rinaldo transformed Piaggio into a thriving producer of engines, trains and other transportation components.
At the onset of World War I, Rinaldo expanded into the aeronautical field with the production of planes. Eventually, Rinaldo upgraded his company, buying plants in Pisa and Pontedera. The Pontedera plant, however, was destroyed during World War II, after the production of new aeronautical designs made it a military threat to Allied bombers.
However, the destruction of the Pontedera plant partially spurred Piaggio to expand creatively in a new direction. After taking over Piaggio, Rinaldo's son, Enrico sought an affordable, simple vehicle capable of meeting the transportation necessities of the war-torn consumer base. Aeronautical engineer, Corradino D'Ascanio, would be the man with the blueprints.
With credits to his name such as the creation of the helicopter, D'Ascanio drew upon his aeronautical experience and developed a design for a two-wheeled vehicle with a unibody steel chassis, or single shell. The vehicle's frame, in part, acted as a shield from street dirt.
Enrico famously exclaimed “Sembra una Vespa!” —“It looks like a wasp!”—upon first setting eyes on D'Ascanio's creation, simultaneously giving a name to the vehicle that would soon become an icon of Italian culture.
By the end of the 1950s Piaggio had produced an impressive one million units. Soon, the rest of Europe caught on, with France, Britain and others emerging with their own versions.
These days, the Vespa is enjoying a rebirth in popularity, particularly in the United States. After the 1980s, the Vespa market in the United States had all but dwindled. But in 2000, the Vespa made a comeback. Sales have been impressive, with thousands of units sold. And with the emergence of Vespa Boutiques all over the country, customers can choose from a variety of new models, such as the Vespa ET2 and Vespa ET4.
From a sociological perspective, the Vespa has made its mark on pop culture history. It appeared in dozens of films such as “American Graffiti.” And who could forget the iconic scene in “Roman Holiday,” in which Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn speed through Italy's labyrinth streets on what else but a Vespa? Perhaps more significantly, in the 1950s and 1960s, the vehicle, with its sleek shape and maneuverable design, came to symbolize an emerging sense of independence and freedom.
Sources:
Vespa History. 2006. Motorbike UK Web Directory and Search Engine. 23 Sept 2006 <http://www.motorbike-search-engine.co.uk/2005_ Bikes/vespa_history.html>.
Vespa History: VespaKing. 2004. VespaKing. 23 Sept 2006 <http://www.vespaking.com/history.php>.
The answer starts with Piaggio, a transportation business founded in 1884 by Rinaldo Piaggio in Genoa, Italy. Rinaldo transformed Piaggio into a thriving producer of engines, trains and other transportation components.
At the onset of World War I, Rinaldo expanded into the aeronautical field with the production of planes. Eventually, Rinaldo upgraded his company, buying plants in Pisa and Pontedera. The Pontedera plant, however, was destroyed during World War II, after the production of new aeronautical designs made it a military threat to Allied bombers.
However, the destruction of the Pontedera plant partially spurred Piaggio to expand creatively in a new direction. After taking over Piaggio, Rinaldo's son, Enrico sought an affordable, simple vehicle capable of meeting the transportation necessities of the war-torn consumer base. Aeronautical engineer, Corradino D'Ascanio, would be the man with the blueprints.
With credits to his name such as the creation of the helicopter, D'Ascanio drew upon his aeronautical experience and developed a design for a two-wheeled vehicle with a unibody steel chassis, or single shell. The vehicle's frame, in part, acted as a shield from street dirt.
Enrico famously exclaimed “Sembra una Vespa!” —“It looks like a wasp!”—upon first setting eyes on D'Ascanio's creation, simultaneously giving a name to the vehicle that would soon become an icon of Italian culture.
By the end of the 1950s Piaggio had produced an impressive one million units. Soon, the rest of Europe caught on, with France, Britain and others emerging with their own versions.
These days, the Vespa is enjoying a rebirth in popularity, particularly in the United States. After the 1980s, the Vespa market in the United States had all but dwindled. But in 2000, the Vespa made a comeback. Sales have been impressive, with thousands of units sold. And with the emergence of Vespa Boutiques all over the country, customers can choose from a variety of new models, such as the Vespa ET2 and Vespa ET4.
From a sociological perspective, the Vespa has made its mark on pop culture history. It appeared in dozens of films such as “American Graffiti.” And who could forget the iconic scene in “Roman Holiday,” in which Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn speed through Italy's labyrinth streets on what else but a Vespa? Perhaps more significantly, in the 1950s and 1960s, the vehicle, with its sleek shape and maneuverable design, came to symbolize an emerging sense of independence and freedom.
Sources:
Vespa History. 2006. Motorbike UK Web Directory and Search Engine. 23 Sept 2006 <http://www.motorbike-search-engine.co.uk/2005_ Bikes/vespa_history.html>.
Vespa History: VespaKing. 2004. VespaKing. 23 Sept 2006 <http://www.vespaking.com/history.php>.
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