Vespa

The Vespa is a line of motor scooters that was first manufactured in Pontedera, Italy in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A.

Piaggio continues to manufacture the Vespa today, although the Vespa was much more widely used in the 1950s and 60s, when it also became the adopted vehicle of choice for the UK youth-culture known as Mods. The classic Vespas had unibody chassis pressed from sheets of steel, with bodywork covering the legs for protection from rain and mud. The direct drive engine was covered completely by a steel cowling, which in contrast to motorcycles, concealed the mechanicals along with any dirt or grease while also providing wind protection. Piaggio revolutionized the two-wheel industry with the Vespa, developed the first globally successful scooter, and continues to influence the scooter industry.


History


Post World War II Italy, in light of its agreement to cessation of war activities with The Allies, had its aircraft industry severely restricted in both capability and capacity.

Piaggio emerged from the conflict with its Pontedera fighter plane plant completely demolished by bombing. Italy's crippled economy and the disastrous state of the roads did not assist in the re-development of the automobile markets. Enrico Piaggio, the son of Piaggio's founder Rinaldo Piaggio, decided to leave the aeronautical field in order to address Italy's urgent need for a modern and affordable mode of transportation. The idea was to design a cheap vehicle for the masses.


Concept
The main stimulus for the design style of the Vespa dates back to Pre-WWII Cushman scooters made in Nebraska, USA. These olive green scooters were in Italy in large numbers, ordered originally by Washington as field transport for the Paratroops and Marines. The US military had used them to get around Nazi defence tactics of destroying roads and bridges in the Dolomites (a section of the Alps) and the Austrian border areas.

Aeronautical engineer Corradino D'Ascanio, responsible for the design and construction of the first modern helicopter by Agusta, was given the job of designing a simple, robust and affordable vehicle for Enrico Piaggio. The vehicle had to be easy to drive for both men and women, be able to carry a passenger, and not get its driver's clothes dirty.


The product
D'Ascanio, who hated motorbikes, designed a revolutionary vehicle. It was built on a spar-frame with a handlebar gear change, and the engine mounted directly on to the rear wheel. The front protection "shield" kept the rider dry and clean in comparison to the open front end on motorcycles. The pass-through leg area design was geared towards all user groups, including women, as wearing dresses or skirts made riding a motorcycle a challenge. The front fork, like an aircraft's landing gear, allowed for easy wheel changing. The internal mesh transmission eliminated the standard motorcycle chain, a source of oil, dirt, and aesthetic misery.

This basic design allowed a series of features to be deployed on the frame, which would later allow quick development of new models. The original Vespa featured a rear pillion seat for a passenger, or optionally a storage compartment. The original front protection "shield" was a flat piece of aero metal; later this developed in to a twin skin to allow additional storage on the 'back of'/behind the front shield, similar to the glove compartment in a car. The fuel cap was located underneath the (hinged) seat, which saved the cost of an additional lock on the fuel cap or need for additional metal work on the smooth skin.

The scooter had rigid rear suspension and small 8-inch wheels that allowed a compact design and plenty of room for the rider's legs. The Vespa's enclosed, horizontally-mounted two-stroke 98cc engine acted directly on the rear drive wheel through a three-speed transmission. The twistgrip-controlled gear change involved a system of rods. The early engine had no cooling, but fan blades were soon attached to the flywheel (otherwise known as the magneto, which houses the points and generates electricity for the bike and for the engine's spark) to push air over the cylinder's cooling fins. The modern Vespa engine is still cooled this way. The mixture of two-stroke oil in the fuel produced high amounts of smoke, and the engine made a high buzzing sound like a wasp.


The name Vespa
"Sembra una vespa!" ("It reminds me of a wasp!") exclaimed president Enrico Piaggio when he first laid eyes on what would become the most successful scooter of all time. The name stuck.

Vespa is both Latin and Italian for wasp—derived from both the high-pitched noise of the two-stroke engine, and adopted as a name for the vehicle in reference to its body shape: the thicker rear part connected to the front part by a narrow waist, and the steering rod resembled antennae.

Ape (pronounced Ah-pay), is Italian for bee. This was the three-wheeled variant used for commercial purposes, including the popular auto rickshaw.


Launch
Piaggio filed a patent for the Vespa scooter design in April 1946. The application documents referred to a "model of a practical nature" for a "motorcycle with rationally placed parts and elements with a frame combining with mudguards and engine-cowling covering all working parts", of which "the whole constitutes a rational, comfortable motorcycle offering protection from mud and dust without jeopardizing requirements of appearance and elegance". The patent was approved the following December.

The first 13 examples appeared in spring 1946, and reveal their aeronautical background. In the first examples, one can recognize the typical aircraft technology. Attention to aerodynamics is evident in all the design, in particular on the tail. It was also one of the first vehicles to use monocoque construction (where the body is an integral part of the chassis).

The company was aiming to manufacture the new Vespa in large numbers, and their longstanding industrial experience led to an efficient Ford-style volume production line. The scooter was presented to the press at Rome Golf Club, where journalists were apparently mystified by the strange, pastel coloured, toy-like object on display. But the road tests were encouraging, and even with no rear suspension the machine was more manoeuvrable and comfortable to ride than a traditional motorcycle.

Following its public debut at the 1946 Milan Fair, the first fifty sold slowly—then with the introduction of payment by installments, sales took off.


Racing
In the 1950s and early 1960s, Vespa and Lambretta scooters were raced competitively against motorcycles, often winning the races. In the mid 1960s, motorcycle engines became larger and faster, and a gap was created — along with varying cc classifications. Since the 1980s, Vespa and Lambretta racing has grown into a serious sport in the United States. There are various classes in the United States, depending on the racing association. They are generally:

Small Frame Class: Open class up to 152 cc's
Automatics Class
Specials Class
Stock Class: Large-frame Vespa and Lambretta 180 & 200cc scooters.


Vespa Models

There have been 138 different versions of the Vespa - today there are just four models in production: the classic, manual transmission PX; and the modern CVT transmission LX, GT, and GTS.

Historic models

Paperino - the original prototype made in 1945 at Biella
AMCA Troupes Aeról Portées Mle. 56 - A Vespa modified by the French military that incorporated an anti tank weapon.

VNC Super 125
VBC Super 150
VLB Sprint 150
VBB Standard 150
125 GT
V9A
VNA
Vespa U - U is for utilitaria (English - economic). 1953 model with a price of 110 mila Lira, 7,000 were produced
GS 150
SS180
GS160
Standard 90 (3 spd)
Standard 50 (3 spd)
SS50 (4 spd)
SS90 (4 spd)-90 SS Super Sprint
150 GL
90 Racer
125 TS
100 Sport
125 GTR
150 Sprint Veloce
180 SS Super Sport
Rally 180
Rally 200
Primavera 125 also ET3 (3 port version)
PK 50
PK 50 XL
PK 50 Roma (Automatic)
50 S
50 Special
50 Special Elestart
50 Sprinter / 50 SR (D)
50 Special Revival (Limited to 3000 Italy-only numbered units, released in 1991)
COSA 1 - 125cc, 150cc, 200cc
COSA 2 - 125cc, 150cc, 200cc
P80 / P80 E (France)
P80X/PX80 E (France)
PK 80 S / Elestart
PK 80 S Automatica / Elestart
PK100 S / Elestart
PK100 S Automatica
PK100 XL
PK125 XL / Elestart
PK 125 S
PK 125 E
PK 125 automatica (automatic transmission)
P 125 E
P200E
PX200EFL
PX200 Serie Speciale (Limited to 400 UK-only numbered units)
T5 / Elestart (5 port engine 125cc P series)
T5 Classic (5 port engine 125cc P series)
T5 Millennium (5 port engine 125cc P series) (Limited to 400 UK-only numbered units)

Recent models
ET2 50 - 2stroke
ET4 50 - 4stroke
ET4 125 (Euro Model)
ET4 150 (Euro Model)
ET4 150 (US model)
PX 200

Current models
Vespa S 50 and 125 (new model 2007, introduced at Milan Motorshow November 2006
GT60° 250cc Limited Edition. 999 produced worldwide and unique with the front fender light and each one receiving a commemorative badge, personalized with the owner’s initials.
LX 50
LX 125
LXV 125 (60th anniversary variant of LX 125)
LX 150
GT 125
GT 200
GTS 250
GTV 250 (60th anniversary variant of GTS 250)
PX 125
PX 150 (reintroduced to US and Canadian Markets in 2004)

Specials
One-offs and special machines:

Montlhéry - produced in 1950 to break world records on the French circuit of the same name, it very smashed 17 records in 10 hours
Torpedo - 1951 125cc special with conter-opposing pistons, Dino Mazzoncini set the world record on the kilometer at an average of 171 km/h