Only in Italy could something so simple become such a global icon of style and freedom. Have you ever wondered about the history of your classic Vespa? Rinaldo Piaggio was a young man in Genoa during 1884 who started his working life fitting out luxury ships. He then moved onto coaches, vans, trucks and rail carriages – but always of a luxury standard. It was the effect of the First World War that changed the fortunes of Rinaldo Piaggio as his company began making seaplanes and airplanes.
He successfully began expanding, with plants opening in Pisa in 1917 and Pontedera in 1921. It was Pontedera that became the principal centre of aeronautical production where they made engines, propellers and even whole planes such as the Piaggio P108. In the lead up to and during the Second World War, Piaggio was one of the country’s leading aircraft producers.
Unfortunately for Piaggio, that leadership in aeronautics meant his plants were prime targets for allied bombs and all his plants were damaged beyond use during the Second World War. After the ravages of war, it was Piaggio’s sons who kick-started production again. Enrico Piaggio took up the reigns at the Pontedera plant and decided to diversify. Reflecting on a new era and new Italy after the war, he focused on personal mobility. Working with aircraft designer and engineer, Corradino D’Ascanio, the concept of the Vespa was born.
Meaning ‘wasp’ in Italian, the Vespa scooter was designed to give mobility and freedom to the masses at a reasonable cost. The first prototype didn’t sit well with Enrico, who consequently asked D’Ascanio to redesign it. Not a fan of motorcycles, D’Ascanio was keen to rid the design of a chain. He designed the ‘step-through’ body, put the gear lever on the handle to make it easier to ride and because he hated changing tyres on motorbikes, designed a supporting arm and not a fork to make life easier.
Years ahead of his time, D’Ascanio designed a seat that would encase the rider safely and comfortably, incorporating elements of ergonomic design that wouldn’t appear in other vehicles for some time. The design was completely original and totally unlike anything else available at that time on two wheels. Using designer Mario D’Este, the first sketches took only a few days to prepare.
Enrico Piaggio loved it and claimed it looked like a wasp, with its wide central seating and narrow waist. The first patent was lodged on 23rd April 1946 at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Florence. The first Vespa scooters provoked a mixed reaction from the Italian public but undeterred, Enrico started mass production of the first Vespa 98cc. Keep your vintage Vespa well-cared for with piaggio servicing London.
By the end of 1947 the Vespa was incredibly popular, and production soared. In just two years, production rose from the initial 2,484 scooters to 19,822. After three years of production, 171,000 scooters had been made. Enrico worked tirelessly to spread the Vespa network across Europe and the world, also founding the Vespa Clubs. By 1951, thousands of riders turned up to celebrate the Italian ‘Vespa Day’ as the scooter continued to grow into an icon of freedom, fun and carefree style.