Typically Italian - The birth of the Vespa in Italy

The ultimate feeling of freedom! The warm wind on your skin, the rattling in your ears - and never any problems with parking: the wonderful feeling of life with a Vespa. By the way, Piaggio was inspired by US Army aircraft when building it - the whole story...

BUONGIORNO! -Why everyone in Italy is a dottore

To date, more than 20 (!!!) million Vespas have been sold worldwide. The Italian scooter has starred in more than 150 films. The Hollywood breakthrough came in 1956 with the film "A Heart and a Crown" (original title: "A Roman holiday"). Here Audrey Hepburn snuggles up close to Gregory Peck during a joyride through Rome - on a Vespa from Italy, of course.

audrey hedburn and gregory peck — **The Vespa conquers Hollywood with this scene: Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck**
*^{_{Photo: Paramount Pictures}}*

+++ Sightseeing tour on Vespa: Rome on two wheels ^_Ad

But from the beginning: The Second World War and fascism are over. Freedom is back - but you still can't move forward, can't get around. Industry and transport are at rock bottom. Cars are unaffordable for most people.

Inspired by the US Army

The aircraft manufacturer Piaggio observed the small cargo scooters of the US Army driving across the airfield. He commissioned engineer Corradino D'Ascanio (designer of the first Italian helicopter) to develop a similar device for transporting people.

+++ Vespa Tour with private driver through Rome ^_Ad

D'Ascanio has no experience with two-wheelers. He builds the 3 hp two-stroke engine, normally used to start aircraft engines, directly onto a scooter rear wheel. D'Ascanio puts the handlebars on the front wheel, which is only suspended from a fork (like an aeroplane).

Piaggio's sheet metal factory still has intact sheet metal presses. The scooter design is inspired by curved international aircraft construction. Many Italians do not like the curvy scooter shape at all at first.

"It looks like a wasp," Piaggio is said to have exclaimed when he first saw the finished scooter. Wasp is the Italian word for Vespa. The Vespa born in Italy.

On 23 April 1946, the patent for the Vespa is registered.