The Vespa World Days (VWD) in Pontedera, Italy have just begun! This weekend Vespa clubs from 55 countries will unite thousands of Vespas from around the world. Attendees will have exhibitions, events, shows, a special Vespa parade through the countryside around Pisa, and a visit to the Piaggio museum to celebrate 140 years of Vespa’s parent brand to keep them entertained while there.
Held for the first time in the town of Pontedera, home to the famous Piaggio factory where the Vespa has been manufactured since 1946, it is 70 years since the predecessor to VWD, EuroVespa was first held back in 1954 in Paris.
Scooterists representing thousands of Vespa Clubs (with 660 in Italy alone) will flock from countries including Australia, Canada, Japan, the US, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, the Philippines, China, Pakistan, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, and Morocco, as well as all the European nations including of course a contingent from Great Britain.
The rideout today (Saturday) has 8,000 Vespas booked to take part, and if it is anything like the EuroVespa rally we attended in Turin back in 2006, they can expect thousands more who haven’t booked to join in anyway. The route is set to pass through some of the most beautiful places in Valdera and promises to be an incredible sight, with scooters stretching for more than 10 kilometres.
Museum Events
During this year’s Vespa World Days, the Piaggio Museum in Pontedera will be celebrating 140 years of Vespa’s parent company Piaggio, which was founded in 1884, with the major exhibition “Vespa all over the World”. The exhibit is brimming with spectacular, original material form the Piaggio Historical Archive, and tells the story of Vespa’s growth around the world, tracing the history of its early global exports and production between the late 1940s and the 1960s.
Through the reconstruction of a global assembly line, and thanks to the generosity of the collectors who have lent the exhibition a number of very rare original models, produced and outfitted all over the world, the objects on display narrate the story of the thousands of roads travelled by Vespa, which was assembled and sold on all continents soon after its creation – decades ahead of the advent of globalisation.
Meet & Greets will take place in the museum auditorium, where Vespa fans will also be able to hear about the history and origins of Vespa, directly from those responsible for designing and manufacturing this iconic scooter.
The ultra-modern Piaggio factory where the Vespa was born will be open to the public on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 April, with no less than 128 special tours reserved for the Vespa enthusiasts who have registered for the rally, aboard comfortable electric trains.
Out & About
For all four days of the event, the Vespa Village in Piazza del Mercato in Pontedera will be at the heart of the action. Here, visitors will be able to find a food and beverage area as well as several exhibition stands, including the official Vespa stand with the entire range on display, in addition to merchandise available to purchase.
There will also be trade stands with famous tuning and aftermarket parts brands such as Pinasco and Polini in attendance.
The town of Pontedera will be even more Vespa focussed than usual, as a venue for the festivities and events dedicated to Vespa, from photography and art exhibitions to the film festival, where three of the hundreds of films that have starred the Vespa will be screened on a loop, including titles like the Disney-Pixar production Luca, the legendary Roman Holiday and the TV drama Enrico Piaggio, an Italian dream.
Limited Edition Vespa GTV 140
To further celebrate 140 years of Vespa’s parent company Piaggio, there will be a highly exclusive, special edition Vespa sold for four days only. We brought you details if this a few days ago here. This Vespa is available for purchase during the Vespa World Days (18-21st April) in person at the Vespa Village in Pontedera or via Vespa.com, while stock lasts.
ScooterNova will of course bring more from Vespa World Days including a review in the next edition 44 of the magazine.
ScooterNova is an independent scooter magazine published bi-monthly in the UK. Edition 43 (May/June 2024) will be published on 26 April 2024. You can order your magazine by clicking here, and subscribe to have ScooterNova delivered to your home throughout the year by clicking here.