Vespa Motor Scooter - The Beginning

The Vespa motor scooter was created by Piaggio & Co. in 1946.

Piaggio sold about 2,500 Vespas in 1947, over 10,000 in 1948, 20,000 in 1949, and over 60,000 in 1950.

But not until the classic film “Roman Holiday” came out in 1952 did the Vespa garner full mainstream attention. Due to the unforgettable scene in that movie when Gregory Peck takes Audrey Hepburn on a beautiful ride through Rome on a Vespa.

Sales skyrocketed to over 100,000.There was no looking back after that.

The Vespa was really at the heights of its popularity in Europe in the 1950s & 1960s. To many, it is the foremost icon of the mod movement for the British youth at that time. The fashionable yet intellectual style of the Vespa matched the attitudes of that English generation.

The Vespa would cement its legacy for the mods in the 70s where it would be seen on the cover of the classic album “Quadrophenia” by mod favorites “The Who”.

Due to its massive appeal, Piaggio decided to start branching out and give the Vespa some new looks and specs in the 1960s. The Vespa would be categorized in two separate categories: “largeframe” and “smallframe”. The “smallframe” consisted of scooters which had 50cc, 90cc, and 125cc engines. The “largeframe” consisted of scooters which had 125cc, 150cc, 160cc, 180cc, and 200cc engines.

Make sure to check out our current listings of Vespas For Sale