The Vespa has been a symbol of Italy and of the lifestyle of young people, evoking freedom, mobility and a promise of romance and adventure. For Italy, the Vespa has been a symbol of regeneration, of once again becoming a great industrial power. After the turbulence of World War II, it influenced youth culture and consumerism throughout Italy and then the rest of the world. The first vehicle was created from aircraft replacement parts, which were actual landing gear parts of Mussolini's planes.
It was designed by Corradino D'Ascanio. Due to its unique design, especially the front handlebars, and its sound, it received the name Vespa, which in Italian means wasp. Bettinelli, a famous writer and journalist, fell in love with the Vespa and took it from Rome to Saigon in 1993, before embarking on an epic journey two years later, covering 36,000 km from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. Without a doubt, the Vespa (which means Wasp in Italian) is a small vehicle with a big impact on design of scooters and in popular culture.
Synonymous with freedom and the latest in fashion, this modern motorcycle has become a fundamental part of Italian life and is the highlight of a vintage Vespa tour of Tuscany by Walkabout Florence. At its peak, the Vespa participated in many official road and off-road races and was at the center of several successful challenges. However, none has been able to manufacture a machine as beautiful and elegant as the real one, something that you will undoubtedly appreciate during your Vespa tour. Over the years, other models were introduced, but the iconic shape of the original Vespa 98 is what is recognized today on a global level.
Of course, Hollywood also contributed to the Vespas fashion, as seen in William Wyler's 1953 romantic comedy, Vacations in Rome. The creation and expansion of the Vespa Clubs and the extensive network of services throughout Europe and the rest of the world created by Enrico Piaggio made the task easier. Both wars played an important role in the history of the Vespa, an Italian icon that became a reality thanks to the creation of the young and inventive Enrico Piaggio. In addition to influencing youth culture, the Vespa proved to be essential to raising the status of women in society during the decade from 1960.
The British coasts on holiday weekends were always flooded by mods showing their modern scooters on a Vespa tour. The Vespa was born as a single-model motorcycle model manufactured in 1946 and, like any brilliant idea, the Vespa divided the market and to people.
