Vespa History

The Beginning

Vespa’s timeless design comes from an equally timeless company — Piaggio has been a distinguished innovator in the field of transportation for nearly 120 years.

Piaggio was founded in Genoa, Italy in 1884 by twenty-year-old Rinaldo Piaggio. Rinaldo’s business began with luxury ship fitting. But by the end of the century, Piaggio was also producing rail carriages, luxury coaches, truck bodies, engines, and trains.

Early image of the Piaggio & C. factory

With the onset of World War I, the company forged new ground with the production of airplanes and seaplanes. In 1917 Piaggio bought a new plant in Pisa, and four years later it took over a small plant in Pontedera in the Tuscany region of Italy. It was this plant in Pontedera which became its new center for aeronautical production (propellers, engines and complete aircraft).

During World War II, the Pontedera plant built the state-of-the-art P 108 four-engine aircraft, in both passenger and bomber versions. However, the plant was completely destroyed by Allied bombers due to its military importance.

Rebirth

Enrico Piaggio, son of founder Rinaldo Piaggio, surrounded by VespasPiaggio came out of the conflict with its Pontedera plant in complete ruin. Enrico Piaggio was at the helm, having taken over from his father Rinaldo. Concerned about the disastrous state of the roads and the Italian economy, Enrico decided to focus the Company’s attention on the personal mobility needs of the Italian people.

Enter Corradino D’Ascanio, Piaggio’s ingenious aeronautical engineer who designed, constructed and flew the first modern helicopter. D’Ascanio set out to design a simple, sturdy, and economical vehicle that was also comfortable and elegant.

D’Ascanio, who could not stand motorcycles, dreamed up a revolutionary new vehicle. Drawing from the latest aeronautical technology, he imagined a vehicle built on a “monocoque” (French for “single shell”) or unibody steel chassis. Furthermore, the front fork, like a plane’s landing gear, allowed for easy wheel changing. The result was an aircraft-inspired design that to this day remains forward-thinking and unique among all other two-wheeled vehicles.

Upon seeing the vehicle, Enrico Piaggio remarked “Sembra una Vespa!” (“It looks like a wasp!”) This was a real two-wheeled utility vehicle. But it did not resemble an uncomfortable and noisy motorcycle. The steel frame’s shape protected the rider from road dirt and debris. It emanated class and elegance at first glance.

By the end of 1949, 35,000 units had been produced. Italy was getting over its war wounds and getting about on Vespas. In ten years, one million were produced. By the mid-fifties, Vespa was being produced in Germany, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Spain and, of course, Italy.

Vespa logotype

Vespa has lived on from one generation to the next, subtly modifying its image each time. The first Vespa offered mobility to everyone. Then, it became the two-wheeler of the post war economic boom. During the sixties and seventies, the vehicle became a symbol for the revolutionary ideas of the time. Advertising campaigns like “He Who Vespas, eats the apple”, and films such as Quadrophenia have symbolized eras in our history.

Vespa Historical Film (7,45 MB)And the story continues today with the new generation of Vespa models, represented by the Vespa ET2 and Vespa ET4. Vespa is not just a scooter. It is one of the great icons of Italian style and elegance, and with more than 16 million units produced, is well known throughout the world. For more than 50 years, Vespa has fascinated millions of people and given the world an irreplaceable icon of Italian style and a means of personal transport that has become synonymous with freedom.

Manual, How to Restore and Maintain Your Vespa Motorscooter

Bob Darnell's must have book on restoring old Vespas.

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1980 Vespa P125X - Dark Blue Immaculate!

If you are looking for a Vespa that is both reliable AND vintage, look no further! This super super clean 1980 Vespa P125X has nearly flawless original dark blue paint, as does the matching factory option top case. Runs great! Recently serviced and always stored inside. New tires. And only 2900 miles on the speedometer. All of the locks function. Titled.

This Vespa is being sold on consignment, and as such is sold as is. However, we have put this scoot through our safety inspection and it passed with flying colors.

Scoot Richmond will NOT ship scooters. Come and check out this handsome Vespa in our Richmond Virginia showroom, and bring your helmet so that you can ride it home today!

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1976 Vespa TS125 White - Gorgeous Original Paint!

This Vespa TS125 is a fairly rare model in the US, as it was sold only in Europe. This model is really very interesting, with its Rally frame, side panels, fender and glovebox, and its 125cc 3 port engine. Comfort and maneuverability are yours with its ten inch wheels with relatively new tires. This scoot has the great big Euro round headlight. Titled. and...that handsome white paint? It's all original, straight from the factory. Zero rust on this bike (anything you see in the floor area in the photo is a shadow...it is totally rust free). That is not something you see every day, and makes this scoot a perfect candidate NOT to restore cosmetically. It is only original once!

This Vespa currently runs, shifts into all gears, and all of the lights are functioning correctly. The tank is clean and the tires are nearly new. However, it is probable that this Vespa will need an engine rebuild at some point in the near future. Give us a call or drop us a note and we can give you more information.

Sorry,Scoot Richmondreally truly does not ship scooters. We will not ship a scooter even if you arrange carriage, even if you build the crate, even if you pay us a million dollars...unless you come and check the scoot out in person before hand. Call us crazy, call us what you will, but that's the way it is.

The Scooter Glove Fitted Cover - P, PX, Stella

This medium duty fitted cover hugs your bike tightly, and goes on and comes off in a flash. It has a pocket in the back which hides out of the way if you do not have a rear rack, and pops out magically if you do. Finally a cover for those of you with rear racks. It comes with a small bag to stuff the cover in, so you can toss it in your glove box.

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Viva La Vespa! Still The Besta!

Original 1946 Vespa

Whenever I see one of those classic putt-putts of yesteryear zooming down a busy street, I cannot help but reminisce about the two beautiful years I spent in Perugia, Italy half a lifetime ago. Within the trail of their vapor lie a myriad of sweet dreams and misty memories. Somewhere in an old photo album, tucked away in the abyss that is my house, there is a photo of me astride a "Sprint" (the blue model) that belonged to an old boyfriend. He took the picture, which is why I am alone upon it, and also why I lost my balance and fell to the muddy ground just a few seconds afterwards. I still couldn't miss looking pretty classy though; falling off that tapered midsection and landing alongside the flared and rounded tail that inspired its name. Vespa is, after all, the Italian word for wasp, (the stinging kind, and not the human kind).

Italy is known for its unique art forms. Consider going for a family ride aboard a Vespa and crossing the street anywhere in Italy (with or without a Vespa). I have heard older Italians speak of the lean days after World War II when a family of four would pile on board a Vespa. The father was the driver; the mother sat behind him and the children hung on for dear life at both ends. Crossing the street requires just as much skill. There was once an old Italian movie whose entire plot involved a family crossing a busy thoroughfare, one at a time. One day I found myself in the middle of an enormous intersection where the traffic merged from three different directions and showed no signs of slowing down at the red light. I was eating a chocolate ice cream cone and licking on it more and more furiously with each passing second until a carbonieri (policeman) directed me to safety. I went to thank him and some of my ice cream splattered onto his white uniform. I wished I had been on a Vespa then to zoom away forever out of his sight and my embarrassment.

The Vespas and their arch rival scooter, the Lambretta, have been pounding cobblestone and macadam all over the world for more than half a century. The manufacturers of Vespa commemorated their fiftieth anniversary in 1996 with a gala on The Italian Riviera and the grand opening of a Vespa museum at their corporate headquarters, near Pisa. Their revival in the United States has been a slow but steady cultural phenomenon. These two-wheeled equivalents to the Volkswagen Beetle are seen as often in advertisements and television commercials as they are buzzing up and down the streets of New York City. According to the US representative to the International Federation of Vespa Clubs, Rolf Soltau, there are currently forty-eight Vespa clubs throughout the United States that boast a membership of more than two thousand.

The Vespa has a unique style that blends mobility with simplicity. It is as Italian as Spaghetti ala Carbonara and could be nothing else- ever! A masterpiece worthy of respect and rounded in shape, it is said, because the Piaggio plant wanted the scooter to resemble the chassis of a "good looking woman". Chauvinist? Well, as an American woman who lived among Italian men for more than two years I would have to say, "Yes, it is." There is also no doubt about the artistry and brilliance of the design.

The scooters were originally made by the Piaggio plant in 1946, which to this day still holds more than 40% of the small scooter market in Europe. The company was originally involved in the manufacture of aircraft before being nearly destroyed in World War II. Evidence of aircraft design can be found in the Vespa's rear wheel mounting and single sided front fork that were both typical of landing gear in the airplanes of the time. The Vespa's timeless engineering was the brainchild of Enrico Piaggio, president of the family run metal company and Corradino D'Ascanio, an industrial engineer who helped develop the helicopter. The scooters were cool then as a symbol of the reconstruction of war-torn Italy and they are cool now.

Crossing the threshold into permanent celebrity was certainly helped when the Vespa was used to transport Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in the 1953 film, "Roman Holiday". The scooter was also featured in "La Dolce Vita" starring Anita Ekberg and alongside the likes of John Wayne and Sandra Dee in many old publicity shots. Cult status was finally achieved in the 1960s with the success of "Quadrophenia," the biggest scooter movie ever made.

The Vespas have become a way of life, representing just the right blend of urban efficiency, Italian elegance and unmistakable panache. They have even carved a niche in the dictionary, which is a true sign of cultural acceptance. One might remember Diane Arbus, the troubled photographer of the 60s and 70s and whose subjects were always quite disturbing and bizarre. The word "arbus" came to symbolize those two qualities to old Mr. Webster. Well, "vespiti" for Mr. Webster's Italian counterpart represents those who are a part of the Vespa lifestyle and "vespazzare" is a verb which has come to mean: "going somewhere on a vespa."

Vespa sales rose steadily until the 1980s. This was due to their two stroke engines that did not meet emission standards. None have been imported since then which deems all remaining Vespas as "vintage." The 15-40-year old scooters in the United States are becoming more and more valuable and harder and harder to find. Most need some rejuvenation but, as an aging beautiful woman, they still retain the essence of what they once were. The Piaggi plant has introduced a new brand of Vespa for a new generation, but it remains as big a difference as that between a diamond and a zircon. The newer ones are called ET-4. (No, it is not another sweet little alien with a new number to phone home, but maybe it should be!)

The new Vespas are all segregated into service only or "vintage" shops. These stores are not allowed to sell the new Vespas and for that one must visit, I am afraid, what can only be termed a "Vespa Boutique". Even then, they are hard to find except on the black market. Although these ET-4's have received rave reviews, they are just not the same as their older counterparts. Cities such as New York where Vespa enthusiasts still congregate for frequent excursions will never be the same either. I wish them all a happy zooming a to wherever it is that fools rush in and wise men (and not so wise men) fear to tread. Long live the Vespa for it is still…the… besta!!

(Vintage Scooter Commercials)

Nissan Figaro Retro Car 1.0 Turbo

The Figaro is Nissan's exciting concept car. The Figaro has a 1960/70 retro bodystyle with matching interior, instruments and radio, but with a total of 90's specification including power steering, power windows, full air conditioning, CD player, auto box coupled to Nissan 1.0 litre engine, total Nissan Micra running gear. This car turns heads wherever it goes.

This car is already a sought after classic in Europe and Japan. Manufactured in very limited numbers (20,000 to be exact) in 1991, designed by Shoji Takahashi, the Figaro was sold by way of an allocation raffle in Japan due to overwhelming demand. Today, these cars have a cult following which will ensures that the depreciation is always minimal and may even appreciate in value in the not to distant future due to the small amount of cars made. We have seen the Figaro increase in price on the Japanese market over the last 6 months, its becoming the car all the fashionable ladies want to be seen in around Tokyo.

A distinctive, personalised coupe, A wonderful town car that even the Celebrities want to get there hands on Jonathan Ross has one or should I say his wife Jane Goodman has a Figaro, and so has Vanessa Feltz! Eric Clapton,Athina Roussel the Onassis heiress, Frank Skinner, Chris Rea, Michael Corkery, And many more all over the world. Join the ranks - with the Nissan Figaro.

Features and Accessories as standard

Convertable - retractable roof that packs down nicely into into the boot in a minute. Three speed automatic transmission. Soft colour coded and piped leather upholstery throughout, with matching carpets.998cc petrol performance engine with a turbo charger, economy & power. Full spec air conditioning, all electric windows, classic styled wheels, retro styled radio/cassette/CD and dashboard.

These cars come in four colours as standard (pastel - Grey (lapis grey) - Blue (baby blue) - Beige - Green) Here at Figaro UK we are able to offer you our special customisation paint colour of your choice click the service link on the left for more details.

When Nissan announced that it would only be building 20,000 of these cars they was immediately swamped with potential customers - indeed it was over-subscribed by no less the 16 times. Now quite a few Figaro's are arriving in the UK. They make an ideal city cars and a strong fashion statement.

So what's the appeal of a Figaro? Retro styling is accompanied by chrome literally everywhere, from the slim-line bumpers to the external boot hinges, and from the hub caps to the victorian cutlery-style toggle switches. Even the retro-look radio is chromed, until you discover that it's actually a CD player as well.

Engine (cc) Max Power (bhp/rpm) Max Speed (mph) 0-60mph (secs) Fuel economy (mpg) Transmission

987cc Turbo charger 4-cy 76/6000 100 n/a 38 3-speed automatic

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