Vespa
Scooters
For
many older people, both middle-aged and retired, Vespa
scooters may well bring back memories from Europe or the
Far East. Of course the concept of the scooter comes from
just after the Second World War, and the characteristics ever
since emanate from their quintessentially Italian design,
style, popularity and inexpensiveness compared to other forms
of motor transport.
These
attributes all remain to this day, although technology has
assisted to make the scooter more reliable and cheaper to
run than its early counterparts. They are now available all
over the world and are just as likely to be seen in Thailand
in great numbers as they are in Tennessee; Paris France or
Paris Texas; Madrid or Melbourne.
Piaggio
is the name that typified class and mechanical perfection
for the first half of the 20th Century.
Twenty
year old Rinaldo Piaggio started a business in the Italian
port city of Genoa in 1884 fitting out luxury ships in an
age when perfection was both requested and required. He was
successful.
By
the end of the 19th Century the Piaggio name was getting well
known for both perfection and style, with orders flowing in
to produce rail carriages, luxury coaches and engines, trains
and truck bodies.
With
World War I Piaggio struck out with his innovative ideas into
the new concept of aeroplanes, being a forerunner in this
new form of transportation by producing both aeroplanes and
seaplanes. He opened a new factory in Pisa and soon after
took over a plant in Tuscany which became superlative in the
production of aircraft of many types.
World
War II saw Piaggio making state-of-the-art aircraft for both
passengers and bombing. Ironically, however the factory was
bombed to pieces by the Allies towards the end of the War.
Enter
Enrico Piaggio. Rinaldo's son had been born and brought up
with the business of transportation and innovation. He decided
that to put the company back on its feet, and help with the
transportation problems engendered by war, with bad roads
and lack of affordable transport, a new vehicle could be made
for the ordinary Italian.
Piaggio's
chief aircraft engineer was an innovator (having designed
and flown the first helicopter); he put his mind to developing
a small, stylish, sturdy and economical machine. With a personal
dislike of motorbikes D'Ascanio used aeronautical ideas
to produce this new machine.
Piaggio
himself was delighted and on first sight said it looked like
a wasp. So the Vespa
scooter was born (vespa being wasp in Italian). This new
machine was not as noisy as a motorbike as its engine is enclosed.
Its stylish aeroplane-like grace also kept the mud off the
driver, whilst at the same time carrying him/her cheaply and
comfortably.
They
were an immediate hit with the general public. By 1949 some
35,000 had been produced and within ten years the 1 millionth
had come off the production line. Production soon started
all over Europe and has gone from strength to strength all
over the world.
Modern
technology has kept pace with the development of the Vespa
scooter, but the 1940's design was so good that the fundamentals
remain very similar today. They may be a bit more efficient,
they may go a bit faster, they may start more easily, and
they may use less gas, but you cannot change Italian style,
as millions of owners will acknowledge. These machines have
class.
Independent
writer based in Thailand- Retired Company Director
Former article writer for UK Newspaper
