Vespa Unveil 70-Year Anniversary Models

By Paul Joseph

Iconic Italian scooter brand Vespa has marked its 70th anniversary with a special commemorative series of models.

Piaggio, the brand owners, has celebrated the landmark with the new series that includes a limited edition Vespa Settantesimo PX, Primavera and GTS. The classic models also come with brown leather bags to match the seats.

Designed by Corradino D’Ascanio, an aeronautical engineer and inventor employed by Piaggio, the scooters were first rolled out from the Piaggio factory in Pontedera in Italy in 1946.

To date, more than 18 million Vespas have been sold worldwide, with nearly 150 versions and variants of the original 1946 model.

As part of the celebrations, The Vespa Club of Pontedera recently held a gathering of riders and enthusiasts who got a chance to enjoy a guided tour of the Piaggio factory and brush up on the history of the scooter at the Piaggio Museum.

Today there are two more factories that build Vespas – one in Vinh Phuc, Vietnam, for the Far East markets and another in Baramati, India for local consumption there.

The celebrations will continue this June with Vespa World Days – an annual meeting of Vespa owners’ clubs from around the world – in Saint-Tropez in the South of France.

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By Paul Joseph