This scooter has managed to remain trendy over 70 years. The post-war spirit of Italy, women's power and Hollywood stars have contributed to the success of the Vespa, a symbol of Italian style.
Image: picture-alliance/KPA
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The iconic Vespa remains young at 70
It's associated with post-war Italy's revival, women's power, Audrey Hepburn and The Who. Here's why the Vespa will never get old.
Image: picture-alliance/KPA
The Vespa is born
The world's most iconic scooter was introduced to the public in the spring of 1946. Designed by the former aircraft engineer Corradino D'Ascanio and promoted by the businessman Enrico Piaggio, this two-wheeler quickly became a hit in post-war Italy.
Image: picture alliance/Piaggio Group
It was almost called a duck
It was originally supposed to be called "Paperino," which means little duck, but upon seeing it, entrepreneur Enrico Piaggio (pictured) declared that it rather looked like a "Vespa" - a wasp. Rome was filled with these buzzing scooters by the 1950s.
Image: picture alliance/ROPI
Marketed to women
Piaggo cleverly promoted the fact that young professionals and women could ride this scooter without needing to worry about getting dirtied by mud and oil. The first ad in 1946 depicted an independent woman on her way to work on her Vespa. The progressive message was well received, perfectly tuned to the times, as Italian women had just voted for the first time in the history of the country.
Image: picture alliance/dpa
Hollywood adds to the romantic cult
One of the most enduring contributions to Vespa's image was provided by the legendary actors Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, as they squeezed each other on one while spinning through Rome in the 1953 film, "Roman Holiday."
Image: picture-alliance/KPA
In love on a Vespa
The popular machine became a worldwide symbol of youth and adventure in the 60s, allowing young men to feel like an Italian Prince Charming by picking up a sweetheart for a quick ride to the park.
With the 1979 film "Quadrophenia," the British band The Who also renewed the popularity of customized Italian scooters. They became an obligatory accessory of Modernist revivalists.
In many countries, a license to drive a scooter can be obtained much earlier than a to drive a car. In Italy, the "patentino" (small driving licence) requires a minimum age of 14, whereas you need to be 18 to get behind the wheel of a car. Parents happily send their kids off on two wheels to save a few years of lifts.
Image: picture alliance/ROPI/M. Spada
It never gets old
If some now see the Vespa as an object of nostalgia, it remains popular among hipsters and non-conformists of all ages. At the Vespa World Days in 2015, some 5,000 proud owners from 32 countries met in Biograd, Croatia, to share their passion.
Image: picture alliance/PIXSELL/H. Jelavic
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As a vehicle that can zip through Rome's congested traffic, the scooter became a popular way to get around in the city. Ever since it was released in 1946, the world's most famous motorized two-wheeler, the Vespa, has embodied the Italians' effortless style. The freedom it provided was well received in a country despressed by war.
Hollywood definitely contributed to the trend, as William Wyler's 1953 romantic comedy "Roman Holiday" featured Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck buzzing through the Eternal City on a Vespa.
To counter claims that the model is effeminate, fans refer to classic pictures of John Wayne, Dean Martin, and Charles Heston at the time of "Ben-Hur" riding one. Paris Hilton, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lopez all have style riding theirs - though they could probably achieve that on a tricycle, too.
Click through the gallery above to discover more reasons that contributed to the Vespa's cult and how it managed to stay young over 70 years.
