To mark the 75th anniversary of Vespa, Piaggio – the creators and manufacturers of the famous scooter – are to produce a special version of the Primavera and GTS models that will only be sold during 2021.
The patent for the first Vespa was filed by Italian manufacturer Piaggio on 23 April 1946. ScooterNova magazine celebrated the iconic vehicle’s anniversary in edition 23 of the magazine with a rarely seen look at how the first scooter was developed and the story surrounding the early years of this Italian classic, which has in it’s 75 years of history helped to change nations around the world. While other vehicles may claim to have sold more than the almost 19 million Vespa scooters that have hit the road since 1946, the Vespa is arguably the first truly global mobility brand. To learn more about how Piaggio progressed from manufacturing aeroplanes for the Italian military to post-war scooters, click here to buy edition 23 of ScooterNova magazine.
The Special Ones
Since 1946 the Vespa scooter has no only mobilised the masses on all continents, but become a design icon, part of youth culture and also a star of the silver screen. There have a been a few ‘special editions’ produced over the years as well. Now, to celebrate the Vespa’s 75th anniversary, a new special series, Vespa 75th, has been created for the Vespa Primavera and the Vespa GTS models.
The following models will be available in the UK from March 2021 until the end of 2021 only:
- Vespa Primavera 75th– 125cc – RRP £4,900
- Vespa GTS Super Tech 75th– 125cc – RRP £6,100
- Vespa GTS Super Tech 75th – 300cc – RRP £6,650
In other markets a 50cc and 150cc versions of the Primavera will also be available. The Vespa 75th will of course feature the tradition all-steel Vespa body, and is finished in ‘Giallo 75th’, an original metallic yellow colour. This was apparently developed specifically for the new series, “as a contemporary interpretation of hues in vogue in the 1940s, the colour evokes the heritage, innovative spirit and fashion-loving style of the Vespa.”
The side panels and front mudguard display the number 75 in a slightly stronger shade, creating a subtle “tone-on-tone effect” which is repeated on the front of the scooter, where the traditional horn cover is an opaque ‘Giallo Pirite’ yellow.
The Vespa 75th also features a special nubuck leather saddle with edge in ‘Grigio Fumo’ grey, wheel rims painted in grey with a ‘diamond finish’and of course a host of chrome-plated details, including the the badge on the front mudguard, the instrument cluster surround, exhaust cover, rear-view mirrors and, on the GTS only, the foldaway passenger footpegs.
There is also a chrome plated rear luggage rack on the Vespa 75th. To this is fitted a round bag, the design inspired by that of a spare wheel holder, made from soft nubuck leather in the same colour as the saddle. The bag has a shoulder strap for easy carrying, and clips on the luggage rack with a quick-release mechanism. It comes with a waterproof cover.
Like all Vespa special editions, this series is identified with a plate behind the legshield on the glovebox door.
In technology terms, the Vespa 75th represents the top of the Vespa range: all the models equipped with a 4.3” TFT colour display, while the fully digital instrument cluster makes use of the capabilities of the Vespa MIA smartphone connectivity system.
In addition to all this, “Each Vespa 75th comes with a Welcome Kit including an elegant Italian jacquard-silk scarf with hand-sewn hems, a vintage steel Vespa plate, a personal Owner’s Book and eight collector postcards with images from the eight decades of the Vespa story.”
Vespa Numbers
In 75 years of history nearly 19 million Vespa vehicles have been produced and sold worldwide.
In 2004 58,000 vehicles were produced. More than 100,000 units were produced in 2006, arriving at 180,000 in 2017 and passing the benchmark of 200,000 units in 2018.
In the last decade, more than 1,800,000 new Vespas have been produced and taken out on roads worldwide.
Today the Vespa is produced at three sites around the world: Pontedera in Italy where the Vespa has been produced uninterrupted since the 1940s with production destined for Europe and Western markets including the Americas; Vinh Phuc, in Vietnam, which serves the local market and the Far East; and India, at the modern Baramati factory, opened in April 2012 to manufacture Vespas for the Indian market.
The Vespa Elettrica entered production in 2018 and the Piaggio Group recently announced that the company has signed a letter of intent with KTM AG, Honda Motor Co., Ltd, and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd, to set up a Swappable Batteries Consortium for Motorcycles and light Electric Vehicles. The Consortium believes that “the availability of a standardised swappable battery system would both promote the widespread use of light electric vehicles and contribute to a more sustainable life-cycle management of batteries used in the transport sector,” specifically for mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles. By extending the range, shortening the charging time and lowering vehicle and infrastructure costs, the manufacturers will try to answer customers’ main concerns regarding the future of electromobility.
To find out more about the Vespa 75th scooters and other models contact your local Vespa and Piaggio dealer, or visit www.vespa.com
** ScooterNova is an independent scooter magazine that has been produced since 2017, by scooterists for scooterists. It is available from all good scooter shops in the UK and Europe, with magazines and subscriptions available for readers around the world direct from our online shop. Edition 24 is available now.
