The international “EuroApe 2016” rally (23-24 April 2016), organised by Ape Club d’Italia – which is celebrating 10 years of activity – and the Municipality of Mondaino (province of Rimini), in partnership with Piaggio Veicoli Commerciali and Vespa World Club, was a great success.
EUROAPE 2016The little cargo van, developed in 1948 as an offshoot of the Vespa, has always been a cheerful and tireless worker: over the years it has also been used as a “leisure” vehicle, capturing the interest of growing numbers of youngsters, devotees and collectors. EuroApe offers the opportunity for a full immersion in Ape-mania, in a friendly carefree setting.
The packed program for the two-day event dedicated to the Piaggio Ape attracted participants and vehicles from all over Italy and abroad (notably Germany and Austria): it was attended by more than one hundred Ape vans, modern and vintage, tuning and racing prototypes, with a corollary of smart white Ape Calessino vans (used in Rai1’s “Road Italy” television program).
At the event: Ape Village (meeting point in the main square of Mondaino); Ape Palio, with teams engaged in a new version of crossbow tournaments, on the “saddle” of metallic steeds, with parades of figures of medieval costumes; Ape Tour&Classic, to explore the town and its surroundings, with expeditions to local historical sites (such as Tavullia, Gradara, Rocca dei Malatesta); Ape Proto, with powerful torpedoes on exhibit on a special circuit (not to be repeated on the roads!); Ape Tuning, a challenge for people’s imagination with a host of original customised solutions. The event closed with a grand parade and award ceremony, together with opportunities to sample the local gastronomic specialities.
MONDAINO ENTERS THE “MOTOR VALLEY” WITH THE APE. EuroApe is organised by Ape Club d’Italia as an annual meeting in a characteristic Italian village or town for Ape collectors and enthusiasts from all over Italy and farther afield. This year’s EuroApe event was the seventh: the candidate chosen to host the 2016 rally was the town of Mondaino in the province of Rimini, for its hospitality industry and tourist attractions. Thanks to close cooperation with the municipality, which embraced the initiative enthusiastically, EuroApe 2016 offered a rich menu with something for everyone: tourism, culture and entertainment. The organisers’ objective was to involve Mondaino and the local community as fully as possible to “immerse” the public in a colourful stream of Ape believers. The objective was successfully achieved, so much so that the Chairman of the Emilia Romagna Regional Council, Stefano Bonaccini, who attended the closing event, declared that Mondaino had been included in the “Motor Valley” project for the region’s motor brands.
Ape Club d’Italia was formed in 2006 by a group of passionate Ape believers. The association is a national body as far as its activities are concerned, but has an international reach through its many contacts abroad, especially with fans in Germany and Austria, who are particularly interested in technical and historical information. The Club is organised into sections, operating at municipal, provincial or regional level depending on the number of members. Ape Club d’Italia is part of the Vespa World Club, like the national Vespa Clubs. Its purpose is to promote every facet of people’s passion for the Ape, safeguarding and restoring vehicles of historic interest, providing information for youngsters who use the Ape as their main means of transport and coordinating sporting events for racing Apes. Ape Club d’Italia is a no-profit association formed by volunteers, and an affiliate of the sports promotion body recognised by the CONI A.S.I. Associazioni Sportive e Sociali Italiane.
One of the more notable initiatives is the creation of an Official Register as a record of existing vintage Apes. The Ape Censimento, as the register is called, is staffed by a group of technical experts who assess the vehicles presented for their inspection and provide information about their restoration and conservation. Ape Club d’Italia also offers members information on where to find spare parts.
