The History of Vespa Scooters

Executive Summary by Mitch Johnson and Steve Brig

Vespa is one of the oldest known names in scooters, partly because of their long run in the industry. For nearly 60 years Vespa scooters have been manufactured and used as a primary or secondary from of transportation. Originally an Italian company, Vespa scooters were designed to replace bicycles for a better means of transportation.

Vespa Scooters have been manufactured since the end of WWII by the Italian Motorcycle giant Piaggio. The first Vespa scooter was developed as a single model in 1946 by the Piaggio Company of Pontedera, Italy and has broadened over the years into a wide range of scooter models. The name Vespa is translated into “wasp” in English, which was what the original body style resembled. Several Vespa scooter models still made have similarities to the original body design, but still many other designs have been made through the company.

classic vespa scooter

The smallest and least powerful Vespa scooters have 50 cc engines while the largest and most powerful engines from Vespa are 200 cc. Vespa scooter engines of all sizes in between are also made to accommodate every type of driver. Since the beginning of Vespa scooters their popularity has spread across the world. Other companies have bought licenses to manufacturer and distribute Vespa scooters in nearly every country. Their popularity grew in part because of the convenient transportation alternative Vespa scooters originally created in cities and countries that greatly needed them to continue growth.

The parent company of Vespa scooters is Piaggio who, in 2000, certified several Vespa Vintage Restoration Shops. These restoration locations where certified because Piaggio saw that each shop had a keen and familiar understanding of mechanically working with old or vintage Vespa scooters as well as with the newer models. Piaggio the original maker of Vespa’s was originally a fighter plain manufacturer for the Italian Military. And it was shortly after the War when Enrico Piaggio decided to turn the company he inherited from his father Rinaldo Piaggio into a motorcycle manufacturer. Vespa scooters quickly caught on in war torn and bankrupt Italy with the common man as they offered a cheap and affordable form of transport in a country just beginning to recover from the War.

vintage vespa scooter

Piaggios inspiration for the Vespa design was drawn from the US Cushman Scooter which had appeared in Italy towards the end of WWII courtesy of the US Military. The original designer of the Vespa Scooter was Piaggios Engineer Corradino D’Ascanio.

Vespa largest sales market is still its native Italy with Britain a close second and a now resurgent US market where it was re introduced after and absence of some years in 2001. Vespa’s are also popular in the Far east and India where the are licensed to and produced by the Bajaj motorcycle company.