The Vespa Primavera and GTV Officina 8 are the latest ‘special edition’ offerings from Piaggio, this time celebrating the brand’s experimental department where the legend of the Vespa first began.
Historical Origins
The press release accompanying details of the new scooters says that, “Following its post-war reconstruction, Officina 8 within the Piaggio plant in Pontedera was home to the brand’s prestigious Experimental Department. This was the most cutting-edge area of the entire company, where the most daring projects took shape. From the end of the 1940s, this is where designers, draftsmen, mechanics, master metalworkers and test riders worked side by side – all highly-skilled professionals, many of whom had come from the aeronautical industry.”
“Officina 8 was where new ideas, including the most revolutionary, first came to life: the workshop saw the design and subsequent prototyping of the first Vespa, both for mass production and for racing and breaking records. The cut-outs for the metal workers, the special chassis models and the sand casting for the experimental engines were all created in-house. The prototype was then handed over to the road testers, who covered tens of thousands of kilometres on these bikes before deciding which to put into production, or which new competition vehicles to build.”
“A highly coveted blue and brass pin with the words “Piaggio 8”, designed to be worn on their work overalls, identified the technicians who worked within the most secret and envied department within the factory. The Vespa that set 17 world speed and endurance records in 1950, and the flying kilometre record in 1951, the legendary “98 Corsa,” and the models that dominated during the arduous “Six Days” off-road race are just a few of the custom-built masterpieces created in Officina 8.”
A new edition of the Vespa has landed
The exclusive Officina 8 set-up appears across the most iconic models in the range: the Vespa Primavera in its 50, 125, and 150 cc versions, along with the powerful Vespa Gtv 310.
The Vespa Primavera and Vespa Gtv Officina 8 feature an exclusive Blu Officina 8colour, “an intense shade of industrial blue with a special matte metallic finish which helps to turn back time, evoking the industrial environments of the past: machinery such as vices, lathes and grinding wheels, as well as practical, durable workwear.” This colour contrasts with the satin-finish metal accents: aluminium, which embellishes the profile of the legshield, headlight and rear light surrounds, along with brass, which decorates the horn grille and wheel rims, the latter of which also feature a diamond-cut finish on the channel.
The dual-upholstered saddle is finished with horizontal heat-sealed stitching, surrounded by double contrasting stitching, with polished brass rivets. The set-up is completed with a number of matte black details and sporty bar-end mirrors, which do look quite tidy.
Welcome Kit
Every Vespa Officina 8 is accompanied by a welcome kit which includes a tin container in the colours of this Special Edition that contains the Owner’s Book. “Beginning with the original archive documents, this volume retraces the history of the Experimental Department, the legendary Officina 8, where visionary minds and brilliant technicians shaped the future of the brand, creating a unique history characterised by technological innovation and design.”
Accessories, clothing and Officina 8 apparel
The Vespa Officina 8 range of accessories and clothing includes a practical top box in the same colour as the bike and featuring the Officina 8 logo, which comes with a backrest in the same colours and materials as the seat. There is also a jet helmet, gloves, a windbreaker jacket, hoodie sweatshirt, T-shirt and a sports bag, along with a distinctive Officina 8 key ring.
Your local Vespa dealer should have further information, and locating your nearest dealer can be done via the website at www.vespa.com where you will also get more details about this special range of Vespa models.
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