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THE BUSINESS AND SPORT MODELS NOW IN AN LT VERSION: A CAR LICENCE IS ALL YOU NEED TO DRIVE THE INNOVATIVE THREE-WHEEL VEHICLE

The new Piaggio MP3 2013 range

PHOTO GALLERY


Having beaten the ambitious target of 130,000 vehicle sales worldwide, the Piaggio MP3, the scooter that has changed the concept of mobility and re-defined the standards for riding safety and pleasure, has made its debut with a Business LT version and a Sport LT version.
New finishes, new functions, new colours and accessories, plus the safety levels this scooter has always guaranteed with its exclusive technology of two independent tilting front wheels – based on a four-bar linkage suspension – ensure maximum riding pleasure in conditions of complete safety.
In the last few years, the Piaggio MP3 has become a frequent sight in city traffic. Its revolutionary structure with twin front wheels has proved to be a market winner, establishing a new segment among light mobility vehicles. Now the MP3 range is being extended to amplify its success among people looking for an alternative to the car without giving up the benefits of protection, comfort and safety offered by four-wheel vehicles. The new entries in the MP3 line are LT (Large Tread) models, which can be driven, in any engine size, by anyone with a normal car driving licence.
The new Business and Sport models feature a broad front track, motorcycle-type indicator lights, the daylight running light incorporated into the lower part of the mudguard, and integral braking, which on the Piaggio MP3 LT can also be activated with the pedal on the footrest.
Sober elegance for the Business model, sporty dynamism for the Sport model, and both versions present the innovations developed for 2013: the new plaque on the rear top-box, compatibility with the innovative multimedia PMP platform and a power socket in the glove box.
The MP3 LT Business boasts an exceptional load capacity of 50 litres for the dual-access trunk, which can accommodate objects up to one metre long, as well as a three-compartment pocket on the front of the vehicle. The model is available in Universe Black and Argus Grey with a black saddle; Pearl White, Clay Brown and Pluto Grey with a brown saddle.
Distinguishing characteristics on the MP3 LT Sport are the matt or gloss black finishes on the passenger handles, the spoiler under the footrest, the moulding of the front shield and the tie set in the front radiator grille. The top of the footrest is covered with a non-slip material, while the covers of the central tunnel and the handlebars are made from a new material in the same glossy black colour. The LT Sport version is available in Matt Carbon Black, Matt Cloudy Grey and Star White, all with a black saddle.
Both new models come with a 300 or 500 cc, 4-stroke, 4-valve, liquid-cooled engine with electronic injection.
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The new Vespa VX debuts on the indian market

  • Piaggio Group Chairman and CEO Roberto Colaninno during the Convention in India
  • Piaggio Convention in India
  • Piaggio Convention in India
  • ROBERTO COLANINNO ALONG WITH RAVI CHOPRA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF PVPL
  • Piaggio Convention in India
  • Piaggio Convention in India
On 20 June, during the two-day Mumbai convention for Vespa dealers in India, the new Vespa VX produced in the Baramati factory (Maharashtra State) made its debut. At the presentation, the Piaggio Group also announced an important program to extend the Vespa range for the local market. With sales of more than 13 million vehicles in 2012, India is the world’s largest two-wheeler market. Since Vespa production and marketing began in India in May 2012, a distribution network of around 80 exclusive dealers has already been built up in the 35 largest Indian cities, reporting 52,000 scooter sales.
“This is a particularly satisfying start on a market that was completely new for us,” said Chairman and CEO Roberto Colaninno. “The Piaggio Group aims to achieve the same success in two-wheelers that has made us the undisputed top player on India’s light commercial vehicle market.”
The Vespa VX is a new model developed from the best-selling Vespa LX currently sold in India, compared with which it offers enhanced comfort, new design elements and a new braking system featuring a front disk brake. The scooter is powered by the 125cc 4-stroke 3-valve engine developed by the Piaggio Group expressly for the local market: a no-noise, eco-friendly unit that guarantees reduced emissions, the engine delivers fuel consumption levels that are among the best in the world, with a capacity of more than 60 km on a litre of fuel.
During 2013 production in India will be further extended when Baramati commences construction of the new Vespa S, a model that has already won impressive success on Western markets among a younger, sport-oriented public.
Piaggio Vehicles Private Ltd. (PVPL) is also preparing for the Indian launch of the Vespa 946, the exclusive scooter that made its debut on all the European markets in early June.
Between the end of 2013 and early 2014, PVPL will be marketing a Vespa offer fully aligned with the Piaggio Group global offer for its flagship brand. The availability in India of more powerful vehicles like the Vespa GTS 300 and vintage versions like the Vespa 125 LXV will strengthen locally the premium brand values associated with the success of the Vespa on Western markets and South East Asia, where the Piaggio Vietnam subsidiary recently reached the milestone of 300,000 Vespa and Piaggio scooters produced and marketed in Vietnam since the second half of 2009.
Addressing the Indian Vespa dealers, Roberto Colaninno said: “In the last few years, the Vespa has been an extraordinary success story, paralleled, all over the world, by the stylistic innovation of the range we offer. Thanks to this product strategy, the Vespa has grown from fewer than 50,000 scooters shipped worldwide in 2003 to more than 160,000 in 2012. Beginning today, after the success of the first phase in the launch of the Vespa just over a year ago with a single model, we are moving into a second phase to expand our product range on the Indian market, and this will be closely linked with the growth of the commercial network.”

VESPA VX IS THE STAR OF THE INDIAN LAUNCH

Miss India Vanya Mishra and actors Siddarth Malhora and Rana Daggubati endorse the tour in Delhi, Pune and hHderabad
For its market debut, the Vespa VX was the star of a tour covering three of India’s most important and fascinating cities. From 4 to 11 July, the new scooter took centre stage at events in Delhi, Pune and Hyderabad.
In each of the three cities, the Vespa VX, the latest entry in the Vespa family, produced at the Piaggio factory in Baramati, was presented to the local media. Around 200 journalists from lifestyle magazines, the trade press, daily newspapers, radio and TV attended the three launches.
Having made its debut, the Vespa VX now flanks the Vespa marketed by Piaggio in India since mid-2012 and is the first step in the expansion of the Vespa range for the local market.
Smart settings, live music, and a welcome enhanced by a Vespa café, an exhibition of vintage Vespa models and the rich catalogue of Vespa branded clothing and accessories were waiting for India’s media at each event. Young actor Siddarth Malhora and the lovely Vanya Mishra, Miss India 2012, were the testimonials endorsing the Vespa VX for its society debuts in Delhi and Pune. Rana Daggubati, an Indian TV soap actor, was the testimonial for the Vespa VX at the Hyderabad presentation, which completed the tour.
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The high-wheel scooter, one of the world’s most admired best-sellers with more than 800,000 sales, has undergone a complete renewal. The up-to-the-minute 3-valve injection engine delivers an exceptional reduction in consumption and enhances performance.
A restyled chassis improves ergonomics and boosts load capacity: the new Piaggio Liberty 3V is already the star in its segment

Debut of the new Piaggio Liberty 3V



With more than 800,000 scooters sold around the world, the Piaggio Liberty is one of the great stars of urban mobility. Its enormous success since the day it made its market debut in 1997 can be put down to many factors, all helping to achieve the ambitious goal of making the Liberty an across-the-board vehicle for a truly mixed public. Male or female, expert or novice, whatever their age, everyone admires the Liberty’s sober elegance, its light, easy riding and manoeuvrability from a standing position, its practical stand, and the performance and low consumption of the wide choice of engine sizes.
Now Piaggio's high-wheel best-seller for the 125 and 150 cc categories has undergone an extensive renewal, notably on the chassis and engine: greater safety and comfort, improved performance, more room and a sharp reduction in fuel consumption and running costs. The new Piaggio Liberty 3V confirms its best-in-class status, with an even more unbeatable quality/price ratio, and the additional enhancements of a windscreen and top box offered as standard features.



Unmistakable elegance
With its compact footprint and elegant lines, the new Liberty 3V takes over from a model admired for its sober, sophisticated design. The new Piaggio mid-size high wheeler confirms the features that have always distinguished the Liberty: the gently triangular front headlamp and the "tie" – the central relief element on the front fairing from the handlebar down to the mudguard, now a characteristic motif of the latest generation of Piaggio scooters. The chrome inserts enhance the finishes: the elegant ornament in which the Piaggio logo is set, the edging of the turn indicators with transparent cover, the handle of the glove compartment and the fork stanchion guards. The easy-to-read instrument panel, including a clock with date, a speedometer, a mileage counter and a fuel level indicator, has been given a graphics makeover. The abundance of service LEDs is completed with an anti-theft immobilizer, a standard feature on the Liberty 3V. Besides the chrome inserts, the look of the new Piaggio Liberty 3V is enhanced by a series of details reflecting the level of care in its construction: the painted rear handle, the luggage rack for the top box and the practical pull-out passenger foot pegs.

More room and comfort
On the new Liberty 3V, the already considerable riding comfort and load capacity have been optimised through special attention to the saddle surface and underlying compartment. The saddle is completely new with more tapered sides, making it easier for everyone, whatever their height, to put both feet on the ground; the padding for both rider and passenger is made from a more comfortable foamed product and upholstered in a robust slip-proof fabric. The capacity of the helmet compartment has been increased from 8.8 to 10.8 litres. In addition to the compartment below the saddle, which can house a demi-jet helmet without visor, the Piaggio Liberty 3V also has a bag hook on the leg shield back plate, a practical solution to take advantage of the flat footboard to carry other objects.

Restyled chassis
The high-strength steel tube frame is a sturdy tested structure, for excellent stability, manageability and drivability. But the vehicle's proportions have changed due to the new dimensions of the tyres and wheel rims. The Liberty 3V is shorter (1,920 mm against the 1,935 mm for the previous model), but it has a larger wheelbase (1,345 mm against the 1,325 mm for the previous model) for enhanced stability and safety at all speeds. The front wheel rim is now 15” (previously 16”) and takes a narrower tyre but with a higher shoulder; the rear rim is still 14” and takes a 100/80 tyre. The new dimensions of the rims and tyres optimise shock absorption comfort thanks to the front tyre's higher shoulder. Given the same braking system (consisting of a 240 mm front disc with a double piston calliper and a 140 mm rear drum), thanks to the new wheel dimensions, braking is even more efficient, effective, safe and controllable.

A state-of-the-art engine
The new generation of Piaggio Liberty scooters marks the debut of the new Piaggio 3V engine, available in 125 and 150 cc displacements, regarded as the state of the art in this segment. This is a single-cylinder 4-stroke air-cooled engine with 3-valve single overhead camshaft timing and electronic fuel injection, designed and realised in the Piaggio Group's R&D centre, one of the most advanced at world level. The engine is the result of a scrupulous project to reduce friction and improve fluid dynamics in order to maximise performance and ensure fuel economy. The original 3-valve timing is considered the most effective solution to boost performance and reduce consumption, since it improves intake, enhancing engine efficiency compared to conventional 2-valve engines.
The cooling system was carefully studied to optimise efficiency by reducing mechanical noise and absorbed power. The electronic fuel injection system is extremely advanced, with automatic idle control and management of the continuous fuel mixture cycle with the introduction of an efficient Lambda probe. The engine on the new Piaggio Liberty 3V stands out for its mechanical silence, in part thanks to the free-wheel electric starter, which is quieter and more efficient.
The 3-valve technology improves both torque and power compared to the engines of the previous generation. Thanks also to the high transmission efficiency, fuel consumption has been sharply reduced: the Liberty 3V 125 can cover 59 km/l at a speed of 50 km/h, while the Liberty 3V 150 reaches 57 km/l in the same conditions. The Piaggio Liberty 3V running costs are also lower thanks to scheduled services every 10,000 km.

Versions and colours
The Piaggio Liberty 3V is available in 125 and 150cc engine displacements, and in three different colours: Midnight Blue, Pearl White and Graphite Black.

Piaggio Liberty E-Mail is the vehicle for the Swiss Post

The electric-powered version of the best seller Piaggio Liberty equips the Swiss Post with a fleet of 100 vehicles.
Zero Emissions and special options for the postal version for mail delivery.

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  • Piaggio Liberty E-Mail

The Swiss Post has a new fleet of 100 electric-powered Piaggio Liberty e-mail scooters.
This is the electric version with postal options of the Piaggio Liberty, one of the Piaggio Group best sellers, with over 800,000 units sold worldwide. The 100 Liberty E-mail were delivered in June to Mobility Solutions SA (the fleetmanager of Swiss Post) via OFRAG, historic importer of Piaggio Group brands in Switzerland.
The Piaggio Liberty e-mail – produced in the Piaggio plant in Pontedera – in postal version is the work and “zero emissions” version of the Piaggio Liberty, one of the Piaggio Group best sellers, characterised by the wide radius wheels that ensure agility and road holding, by a light and modern line and by ease of riding.
In the configuration prepared for the Swiss Post, the Piaggio Liberty e-mail is customised according to the requirements of the Swiss postal service with yellow colour, a large front carrier rack, an additional rear storage compartment and a hook for use of a trolley.
Over the last the years the Piaggio Group has sold approximately 8,000 Piaggio Liberty with internal combustion engine, always in the delivery version to Mobility Solutions SA and the Swiss Post.
Piaggio Liberty is the agile, lightweight high-wheeled best-seller already used for delivery services by local authorities and companies in over ten Countries. Over 60,000 Liberty - an extraordinary large fleet for the two-wheeled sector - are used in Europe and Mediterrean area, among others, by the French, Spanish, Austrian and Italian Post.
Piaggio Liberty e-mail is powered by an advanced 2.6 kW electric motor (with switch for the two "Eco" and "Power" mappings, plus reverse gear) which guarantees performance comparable to the best 4-valve 4-stroke 50 cc internal combustion engines, with zero emissions and noise pollution, characteristics that make it an ideal vehicle for deliveries in protected areas, historic city centres and in all "zero emission" zones.
markets
Everyone’s favourite: having fallen in love at first sight with the innovative Italian three-wheeler, over the years the French have gradually transformed their passion into lasting love. Now Paris has celebrated the sale of the 60 thousandth MP3

Piaggio MP3 mon amour the best-selling vehicle in France

An unrivalled success story: since 2009 the MP3, the innovative three-wheel vehicle created by Piaggio, has been the best-selling vehicle in France. On the roads on the other side of the Alps, one scooter in six is an MP3. France’s devotion to the Italian vehicle has never hit a crisis, and in May 2013 the country notched up the 60 thousandth MP3 sales. To mark this milestone, on 18 June Piaggio France held an “MP3 Media Day” in Paris, an event dedicated to the 3-wheel range, at which TV and the general, trade and lifestyle press were invited to celebrate the MP3 saga: its origins, development, technological innovation, consumer profiles. All the elements that have contributed to the MP3’s success story in France were discussed with the large crowd of journalists. With an exciting test drive through the streets of the capital, the guests also had the opportunity to try out the entire MP3 range, including the powerful new Fuoco 500 model, now available in an LT approved version, which can be driven with a car licence.

PHOTO GALLERY

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Ever since its debut, the MP3 has been regarded as a technological revolution that achieves the best compromise between car and scooter. As stable and comfortable to drive as a four-wheel vehicle, as agile and practical as a two-wheeler. The ideal choice to move safely through city traffic in any metropolis, the favourite means of transport in France and, around the world, of more than 120,000 clients.
The MP3 family has grown since it first appeared in 2006: a number of models have been derived from the original 125cc to meet clients’ varied requirements: the MP3 Yourban 125 and 300 LT, the MP3 300 LT and 500 LT and the sports version MP3 Fuoco LT 500.
A survey among French citizens aged 18 and over living in cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants (Paris, Marseilles, Lyons, Toulouse, Nice, Nantes, Strasbourg, Montpellier, Bordeaux, Lille, Rennes) found that 91% of respondents were familiar with the Piaggio MP3, and believe that, compared with two-wheel scooters, it delivers greater stability, comfort, safety and drivability. And after two years of use, 90% of clients would buy it again. Men make up the majority of riders using the MP3 everyday on their commute between the suburbs and the city centre. And with the new Piaggio Multimedia Platform on the new models in the line, the three-wheeler is even more fun to ride, and safer: via Bluetooth®, the application links iPhone smartphones to the scooter for constant control of the on-board instrument panel, vehicle diagnostics, road maps and GPS functions.
Ask the French: a ride across the city on an MP3 is a uniquely pleasurable experience. And the French, of course, are experts in joie de vivre.

Paris: the MP3 no. 60,000 belongs to Anne Le Berre-Vos

Anne Le Berre-Vos, a 41-year old physician, is the French customer who purchased the 60,000th MP3, a Business 500 model. The photos show Anne receiving the scooter keys from Piaggio France Country Manager Federico Musi.
“I use a scooter in my free time but also for my job – I’m an emergency medic – because I need a vehicle that is safe, stable and fast to nip through the city traffic, especially at rush hour,” Anne says. “That’s why I chose the MP3.” A former motorcyclist, the doctor is a Piaggio brand devotee: before purchasing the MP3 500 Business, she owned an X9 and a Yourban.

Applause in the Piaggio factory

The Piaggio factory in Pontedera, Pisa, Italy. The MP3 assembly line: the production team workers and managers celebrate the completion of the 60,000th vehicle produced for France. An achievement that deserves a photo call, and a round of applause for Piaggio’s French customers.
Trés merci! Merci beaucoup!
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Markets

Fleets: large accounts choose the Piaggio MP3

Stability and safety, agility and comfort, versatility and easy riding: the impressive qualities of the MP3, Piaggio’s innovative three-wheeler regarded as a milestone in the history of mobility, have won more than 130,000 customers around the world. The bike’s qualities also meet the specific needs of professional users: for years the MP3 has been the preferred means of transport of corporate and institutional customers (“Key Accounts”), for the most disparate requirements: the special “police”, “emergency medic” and “delivery” versions, fitted with mission-specific equipment (sirens, flashing lights, ad hoc carriers), are particularly popular.

Brilliant performance from the racing version of the Piaggio MP3

Debut at the italian maxiscooter championship on the Vallelunga circuit

A Piaggio MP3, superbly tuned by the Motofficina Salvatori motor shop in Rome, made its debut in the Italian Maxiscooter Championship on the Vallelunga race track near Rome in June. The rider was a Piaggio service engineer, Matteo Bardelli. On the track the scooter outperformed all expectations, leaving a Yamaha T-MAX well behind and ceding the lead to another super-prepared identical vehicle only on the last lap, after a tough battle. The race was a thrilling spectacle: with its front and rear drifting, the MP3 was cheered on by an enthusiastic public. Applause for the rider for his pluck and impressive control of the vehicle.
The presence of the MP3 super scooter in a competitive race brought a large group of fans from the MP3 Forum club to Vallelunga, who flocked to the race-track on their MP3s and Fuoco models.
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Piaggio MP3 and Gilera Fuoco fans meet at the Piaggio Museum

The Piaggio Museum is not just a destination for Vespa enthusiasts from all over the planet, but also for fans of other models in the extensive Piaggio Group range. On Thursday 30 May, a 90-strong group of followers on 60 Piaggio MP3 and Gilera Fuoco scooters, in full motorcycling gear, visited the Piaggio Museum, stopping for hours to admire the vehicles in the historic collections.
The meeting was attended by friends of the “Spaghetti, kartoffeln & tulpen” community from Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. They arrived with a fascinating array of customised vehicles: from naked scooters to special versions created with enormous imagination and passion.
The number of fans of the Piaggio three-wheeler around the world has been growing for years. The scooter is the subject of special blogs and forums, where devotees swap news and experiences, organise meetings and events, in tribute to a model that represents a unique form of travel.
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ROME POLICE CHOOSE THE PIAGGIO MP3 YOURBAN

Piaggio recently delivered a consignment of MP3 Yourban three-wheelers to the Municipality of Rome. The vehicles are part of the Rome Police Force’s new equipment, which includes a radio communication system and a new fleet of motorbikes. The city’s officers will be equipped with 5,000 portable radios linked to the new operations room, for localisation of operators and vehicles to ensure immediate intervention as well as the safety of the policemen themselves. The upgrade of the local force’s fleet (which includes easy-to-manoeuvre scooters like the MP3, which are particularly suitable for operations in the city centre) will enable the Rome police to provide closer territorial control and intervene immediately in the event of emergencies.

UK: MP3 250 PATROLS FOR THE LONDON “MET”

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London’s Metropolitan Police Service chose Piaggio to supply twenty-seven MP3 250 scooters, which its officers have been using for more than two years to patrol the streets of the capital. The Piaggio MP3 was awarded the contract, for which the world’s leading two-wheeler manufacturers tendered, after detailed product tests and assessments. The two main features that secured the selection of the Piaggio vehicle were the greater safety and driving stability of the MP3, and the fact that the scooter is easy to recognise. The street visibility of the “Met” on their MP3 scooters is regarded as a significant factor in crime prevention, since the patrols can be clearly identified. The twenty-seven Piaggio MP3s were modified and adapted to the requirements of the Metropolitan Police Service, with high-visibility reflecting graphics, flashing blue lights and sirens. An additional order for 14 scooters was subsequently placed, expanding the Piaggio MP3 fleet to 41 and making for even greater safety on London’s streets.

ISRAEL: FLEET OF 69 PIAGGIO MP3 300 LTs FOR THE POLICE, PLUS TRAINING

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In May and June Piaggio’s Israeli importer, OFER Motor, delivered a fleet of 69 Piaggio MP3 300 i.e. LT scooters to Israel’s Police Force, in a special police version featuring flashing lights, sirens and top box, customised with the logos and emblems of the force. The importer has also organised a theory and practical train-the-tutor course for officers who will be teaching their colleagues to ride the new scooters. Feedback from the Israeli Police’s vehicle division reflects an extremely positive response to the vehicles as a whole, with particular satisfaction over the design and construction quality of the scooters.

USA AND ISRAEL: MAGEN DAVID ADOM CAMPAIGN WITH THE PIAGGIO MP3 “EMERGENCY MEDIC”

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Magen David Adom (an Israeli emergency service) has begun a communications campaign in the USA to promote its operations and raise funds. For the campaign, MDA has chosen a Piaggio MP3 250, customised for emergency services. The organisation already has a large fleet of MP3s in Israel, which are used by paramedics called in to provide emergency assistance at road accidents and other critical situations, enabling them to move swiftly through city traffic (the feature emphasised by the communication campaign in the USA). The MDA customised MP3 will be exhibited in October, at the Philadelphia International Police Chiefs Show. In Israel, both the Police and the Israeli Red Cross (Red Shield of David) have been using specially equipped MP3s for a number of years.

FRANCE: PIAGGIO MP3 “DELIVERY” FOR URGENT BLOOD TRANSPORTS

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France this year saw the first supply of Piaggio MP3 scooters in a Delivery version for urgent blood transports. After two months of road tests by the Les Laboratoires du millenaire company, Piaggio was awarded the contract to supply the first five MP3 LT 300cc vehicles. The scooters, which have now been working for several months, are used by the French company to pick up blood from hospitals and clinics in the Montpellier region. The blood is then analysed at its medical labs, which inform the hospitals of the results of their tests. The faster the pick-up, thanks to the nippy MP3 scooters weaving through the traffic, the quicker the analysis and the more effective the treatment. That’s all for the benefit of the patients.

GERMANY: MP3 FOR HIRE

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In Germany, the Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Munich branches of multinational car hire firm AVIS are not only renting cars and vans, they are also offering the innovative MP3 LT three-wheel maxi scooter. The ideal form of transport for customers in a hurry, who need to move quickly and safely through congested city centres.
ON THE ROAD MEMORIES
Two lifelong friends, 3400 miles, six wheels. Five years ago the innovative Piaggio MP3 fuelled the spirit of adventure of two American 70+ travellers. This photo gallery narrates their memorable ride in the summer of 2008

NO AGE LIMIT:
THE PIAGGIO MP3 LINCOLN HIGHWAY RIDE

PHOTO GALLERY

Five years ago, two 70-year-old retirees were tackling all 3,400-miles of the historic Lincoln Highway, the country’s first coast-to-coast route, onboard the world’s most innovative scooter: the three-wheel Piaggio MP3. This no-age-limits adventure started June 13 at San Francisco’s Lincoln Park, the western terminus of “America’s Main Street” and concluded at the Lincoln Highway’s eastern terminus in New York City’s Times Square on July 14. In addition to enjoying the thrill of a classic American cross-country trip, entrepreneur Bob Chase and psychologist Bernard “Buddy” Rosenbaum wanted to challenge the notions that chronological age and the freedom and fun of riding the super-scooter are mutually exclusive – and that today’s soaring fuel costs should confine senior travellers to a vacation on a rocking chair. To prove their point, they enlisted the Piaggio MP3 scooter, a 500cc machine that’s as stable and comfortable as a car, leans into the curves like a sports bike, has a top speed of 92 mph and keeps fuel consumption right down.
“Getting older shouldn’t keep you from doing the things you really love,” says 71-year old Buddy Rosenbaum, the dynamo behind the Piaggio MP3 Lincoln Highway: No Age Limit Adventure. “Bob and I have spent the past few decades on two wheels, exploring every corner of the globe, and we wanted to cross the States on three wheels,” says Rosenbaum. Aboard the MP3, they crossed 14 States, 128 counties and 500 towns, a trip of almost 3,400 miles, with the support of Piaggio Group Americas and the US dealer network, and made a triumphal entry into Times Square with an escort from the New York Scooter Club and the NY Police Department. The road faring explorers were greeted by a phalanx of friends, family and Piaggio Group Americas employees, as well as an impressive press turnout: Forbes, CNN, The New York Times, the New York Daily News and NY Metro were all in Times Square to document the end of their great ride.
Events

Vespa 946, citizen of the world

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ROMA

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The Vespa 946 recently presented itself to its natural public of cosmopolitan travellers in Alitalia’s stylish Dolce Vita Lounge in Terminal 1 of Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport. With its unique style and technical solutions, the Vespa 946 is a superb combination of the Italian tradition for luxury craftsmanship and 21st century cutting-edge technology.
Elegantly minimalist in black and white, the two Vespa 946s in the Dolce Vita Lounge exhibit were accompanied by Vespa hostesses equipped with tablet PCs, who helped passengers in transit obtain full technical and commercial information about the Vespa 946 and register on the Vespa website.

VESPA 946
NUMBER ONE THOUSAND

Wednesday 3 July 2013: at the Piaggio two-wheeler factory in Pontedera, a date marking a production milestone worthy of a photocall. The assembly line dedicated to the “queen” of the Vespa range turned out Vespa 946 number 1,000. The production of the 1000th Vespa 946 was celebrated simply, in front of the photographer’s lens, by the line workers together with the production managers. Those present included Carlo Coppola, head of the Fabrication Technologies Division and the EMEA Factories Division, and Federico Martini, head of Production Development & Strategies. The Vespa 946 made its official debut on 8 April 2013, when the first vehicle for the market came off the production line. In less than three months, one thousand scooters have been manufactured for the 2013 “Ricordo Italiano” collection; the story continues…

PHOTO GALLERY

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IT HAPPENED 67 YEARS AGO

In April 1946, the Vespa 98 (the originator of the fortunate dynasty) was presented to the public and the international press for the first time, in the prestigious setting of the Rome Golf Club. On the crest the new Piaggio logo, replacing the previous aeronautical emblem. The new vehicle, described as a “utilitarian light motorcycle”, aroused curiosity, surprise and also some scepticism. The first 50 models left the Pontedera factory as the official presentation was being held. During its first year, 2,484 Vespa 98 scooters were produced. This was the start of the extraordinary production and commercial adventure of the world’s most famous scooter.
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ISTANBUL

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In Istanbul, an event organised especially for the Vespa 946 captured the attention of journalists, trendsetters, businessmen and members of Turkish high society. The Vespa 946’s debut in Turkey was organised at the Lucca, a trendy city bar frequented by local fashionisti in the Bebek neighbourhood, one of Istanbul’s liveliest and most attractive districts, a favourite spot of the movida, also known as “The apple of the Bosphorus’ eye”, on the river’s European bank. Performers at the all-night party included leading Turkish DJs Gazali, Yakuza and sarp Dakni.

LISBON

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The Vespa 946 repeated its success in Lisbon, making its debut at a press presentation held in the new showroom dedicated to the world’s best-loved two-wheeler. The newest and most luxurious Vespa was presented at a cocktail party to a select crowd of journalists, PR experts and Portuguese VIPs.

HANOI

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The Vietnamese debut of the Vespa 946 took place in July at Casa Italia, a community centre in Hanoi which hosts the delegations of some of the leading Italian companies active in Vietnam. The Vespa 946 Party Event was attended by the Italian ambassador Lorenzo Angeloni, Nguyen Huu Trang (Head of Consular, at the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry), and representatives from the fashion and design communities, the press and television.

AMMAN

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In Jordan, the Vespa 946 can be seen until 31 August at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts in Amman, where it is part of the celebrations marking 70 years of Jordanian modern art organised by the museum with a major exhibition under the patronage of Queen Rania of Jordan. Among the official sponsors the Piaggio Group’s Jordanian importer, Darwazeh Motors, with the Vespa and Moto Guzzi brands.

VIENNA

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In Vienna the Vespa 946 was flanked by another Piaggio Group product of excellence, the Moto Guzzi California 1400. As representatives of style and technology, the two vehicles were displayed in the “Masterpiece Collection 2013” at the Novomatic Forum, in Vienna’s city centre. The exhibition showed excellent products from around the world that successfully combine tradition and modernity. The exclusive Viennese halls hosted the creations of designers and artists whose work continues an exclusive industrial and artistic culture.
Interview
A meeting with Italy’s ambassador for bel canto: a universal star, with strong ties to his roots. As for the Vespa he says …

Andrea Bocelli: “Taking the beauty and values of Tuscany around the world”

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We met Andrea Bocelli at the Piaggio Museum in Pontedera, Tuscany. The world’s most famous Italian tenor, a true ambassador for the bel canto tradition, was at the museum for the press presentation of the 2013 program of the Teatro del Silenzio, or Theatre of Silence. This is the eighth edition of the event created by Bocelli in his hometown, which brings together world names from the performing arts. Actor Giorgio Albertazzi, singer-composers Riccardo Cocciante and Pino Daniele, pianist Peter Cincotti, jazz singer Simona Molinari, baritone Alessandro Luongo, accordionist Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi, soprano Paoletta Marrocu, violinist Anastasiya Petrushak and performer Lindsay Kemp are some of the artistes who have performed at the festival in Lajatico, the town in the heart of Tuscany where Bocelli was born, in a spectacular natural amphitheatre set among the hills.
A world ambassador for the Italian arts and style since he began his career, Bocelli is at home in the Museum, which illustrates the history of the Vespa, a prominent example of Italian design, and is located just a short distance from the factory where the world’s most famous scooter has been produced without interruption since 1946. Bocelli knows these places, so close to his own origins, they have associations for him. And the cover of his “Incanto” album (with his versions of famous traditional Italian songs) shows him with the Vespa. But our chat begins with the Teatro del Silenzio.

The Teatro del Silenzio project stems from your close ties with your home town.
“That’s right. But first of all, it’s a fantastic project conceived by the architect Alberto Bartalini, supported and then in part realised by my brother Alberto, who is also an architect. At first, when we started talking about it years ago, I thought it was a bit crazy; but then I embraced it and gave it my full active support, which you should do when you’re involved in a project. I realised that this initiative could enhance the area, make it known to the rest of the world, so I’ve been doing everything I can to support it.”

An area universally appreciated not just for its beautiful scenery, but also for its cultural values.
“The talents the area has produced and exported around the world have won universal admiration. Imagination, inventiveness, a capacity – including a physical capacity – for creation are values everyone appreciates. You might call it “creative panache”. As a nation, Italians have a great virtue: everyone wants to think for himself, which can sometimes be a shortcoming, but it’s certainly the primary driver for what we have created in this area and in Tuscany as a whole, an extraordinary region.”

Starting from here, you have become a world star; today can you identify some secret behind your success?
“Enormous passion, enthusiasm and – why not – good health. There aren’t any real secrets. St Augustine said “What do you have, that you have not received?”. So if talent has been given to us, why boast about it? I know I have received a gift which is my voice, and I try to make the best possible use of it. For myself, and, above all, for the people who follow me.”

Today new scenarios are opening up in the world, new countries are emerging as leaders. Look at Asia, at South America, whose societies are bringing new cultures and perhaps new values too. How do our cultural values, the West’s values, relate to these new protagonists?
“Relations are excellent, our values are truly global. The history of the world shows that ever since our navigators crossed the oceans, the values of our culture have always spread round the world. And the reason is that they are universal, values recognised by every nation, every culture. Starting with music, which of course is the cultural area of greatest relevance to me personally. Men can be distinguished by their abilities, but we are all the same when it comes to our failings.”

We’re at the Piaggio Museum, so we might say that the Vespa too, which originated in the area where you yourself were born, can be regarded as a symbol of these cultural values.
“Sure. The Vespa is an authentic symbol of this culture and these values. It’s a great product of ingenuity, inventiveness, of man’s technical capabilities. Today everyone is familiar with the Vespa story: wanting to develop a simple yet stylish means of transport, engineer Corradino D’Ascanio invented an extraordinary object that has become a symbol around the world, and this is associated with Tuscany too.”

Your career is a story of exceptional achievement, you’ve sung with the most celebrated artistes, for the Pope, at Ground Zero, in Central Park before tens of thousands of fans at a concert that has already gone down in history. Do you ever worry, as some athletes do, that you might lose your motivation?
“Well, there’s always that risk, it’s always lying in wait. I think the answer is to look inside ourselves, to be aware that we’ve had a gift from Heaven and so, perhaps, a sort of task, a mission. It’s what the parable of the talents tells us, we have to use what has been given to us. In the parable, at the end, the servants who are rewarded are the two who, when they received their talents (money in this instance), put them to work, while the servant who buried his talent, making it unfruitful, is sent away.”

Your repertoire includes great opera classics as well as light music and a number of decidedly pop interpretations, making you something of a rarity.
“Well, nowadays very few people do this, perhaps because classical music and more popular music have moved away from one another. But this wasn’t always the case. What I do today used to be standard practice. When artistes like Enrico Caruso or Beniamino Gigli sang, and were at the height of their fame, it was quite normal for them to go from singing opera in the theatre to popular songs in films or on records. The distinction between the two genres remained intact, but the great singers gave their voices to great melody, irrespective of whether it was opera or a popular song. It’s wonderful to remember the interpretations and the many songs written specially for the unforgettable Enrico Caruso.”


A VOICE, A LEGEND

Andrea Bocelli was born on 22 September 1958 at his family’s farm in Lajatico, among the vineyards of the countryside around Pisa. His parents encouraged his talent, introducing him to the piano at the age of six. His love of music extended to the flute and the saxophone, but he found his ideal instrument in his voice. This was the start of the rise of Bocelli the star, an “old-style modern” tenor (as he likes to describe himself). His first triumph in a singing contest came in 1970, when he sang “O sole mio”. After studying with Luciano Bettarini, Bocelli approached Franco Corelli, an artiste for whom he has a real veneration. Andrea paid for his lessons by singing in bars, while continuing his studies and graduating in Law. As he began making his name in pop music, after being discovered by Caterina Caselli and signed up by her “Sugar” label, in 1994 Bocelli made his opera debut in Verdi’s Macbeth (in the role of Macduff) directed by Claudio Desderi. That same year, at Christmas he was invited to sing “Adeste Fideles” in St Peter’s Basilica, in front of the Pope. From there his career took off, Bocelli found his stage. Indeed, the stage found Bocelli, and has kept him close ever since. The world public adores him: in his 20-year career he has sold 80 million records.
In 1988 Bocelli entered the Guinness Book of Records, when he simultaneously held the top three positions in the US classical albums charts. At the “2012 Classic Brit Awards” he was named “International Artist of The Year”, receiving his award from composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Bocelli is honorary president of the “Il Teatro del Silenzio” project and co-designer of the concert held once a year in the spectacular open-air amphitheatre in Lajatico, Tuscany. Guest artistes who have performed there with Bocelli include Placido Domingo, José Carreras, Lang Lang, Laura Pausini, David Foster, Sara Brightman, Zucchero Fornaciari, Heather Headley, Noa, Roberto Bolle, Nicola Piovani. (From: Giorgio De Martino, andreabocelli.com).
award
A CNN SURVEY AMONG LEADING INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS PLACES IT AMONG THE LEGENDS OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, AMONG OBJECTS THAT HAVE CHANGED THE WORLD

Vespa is among the twelve objects which have marked world design in the last 100 years

During the 2013 World Industrial Design Day, CNN, the American television network and point of reference for information on a planetary level, asked 12 international experts, authorities recognised worldwide in the field of design, to identify the ideas that have marked industrial creativity, the most significant and most successful in the last 100 years.
Addressing this fascinating topic were names such as the American Dick Powell, co-founder of the design agency Seymour Powell, the Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde, the Welsh industrial designer Ross Lovegrove, the Japanese designer Yoshiro Nakamatsu, the Italian Gianfranco Zaccai co-founder and chief designer officer of Continuum, Deyan Sudjic, director of London's Design Museum, Professor Miles Pennington, head of design innovation at the Royal College of Art in London. Vespa, was the verdict, is part of design history. Its totally revolutionary concept, its project born by placing the human figure at the centre of the creative idea, make it an object worthy of inclusion in the Olympus of industrial design. In the justification which placed Vespa among the twelve items that have made history one can read: “The Vespa unisex design is ingenious, it can be driven indifferently and with elegance by both finely dressed men as well as women wearing a skirt. Immortalised by Fellini in La Dolce Vita, loved by the Beatles, the Vespa has had a profound impact on culture and society”.
The CNN website, in its Blueprint section which addresses the most advanced trends in the world of technology, published the full results of the research. The outcome is a selection of extraordinary objects which in their respective fields, extremely diverse and often far apart, have represented milestones in terms of industrial design and have changed the way of life, work and interaction with the environment for billions of people.
Joining Vespa in the gallery of the magnificent twelve are objects that have made industrial history in the last century, true legends such as the Apple Mac computer in 1984, the Bang&Olufsen 2400 stereo system in 1979, the Airbus 380 large passenger plane, the escalator, the first jet engine by Frank Whittle. The World Industrial Design Day is proclaimed by the ICSID - International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, a Montreal-based association which brings together national institutions for the promotion of design, design-oriented companies, design training institutes and professional industrial design studios.
web
The Vespa.com site opens a web store dedicated to the Vespa universe: clothing, accessories and gadgets, to live every day with the style and values of the world’s best loved scooter

The Vespa store makes online shopping fun and easy

Vespa store(click to enlarge)
It’s easy to go into the Vespa Store. It’s easy to navigate the five sections – Clothing, Helmets and Accessories, Gadgets, Vespa 946 Accessories and Vespa Special Collections – that form the most comprehensive and accessible “Official Vespa” catalogue ever. It’s easy and fun to shop with a click, filling your shopping bag with purchases that are bound to please. The only real difficulty is having to choose from the hundreds of tempting items on sale. So, any time is the right time to go shopping in the Vespa Store: for yourself, for your Vespa, to give your wardrobe a touch of informal elegance, to collect superbly crafted objects with a timeless design, to astonish your friends and surprise them with an original gift, to collect quality garments with superb details, stamped with the logo of the legendary brand.

Clothing:
Lifestyle Collection. A rich selection of T-shirts, polo shirts, leather jackets, trenches, anoraks, caps, characterised by top-quality materials and first-class workmanship and designed in the Vespa style, the perfect distillation of a careless, charmingly offbeat elegance. The collection offers garments for men and women, in a range of colours and sizes from XS to XXXL.



Helmets and trendy accessories:
in addition to the Vespa helmets, with a selection ranging from the latest lines to the classic series with the flags of the world, the store offers a full choice of bags, from practical up-to-the-minute shoulder bags with a stylish retro look to large travel bags. Sunglasses and multi-purpose bandanas are also available.



Collector gadgets:
the legendary perpetual calendars in perfect 1950s style, wristwatches and clocks, document holders, key-rings, stationery and a host of other objects, all decorated with historic Vespa images reproduced from original prints in the Piaggio Museum Archives, to surround yourself with genuine Vespa objects at home and in the office.



Vespa 946 accessories, as unique as the scooter itself:
a section devoted to accessories for the new Vespa 946, to make this luxury scooter truly unique. Each accessory – from genuine leather helmet bags, to the fly-screen, chrome racks, genuine leather handgrips, special aluminium parts, the leg cover and the scooter cover – is produced with the top-quality materials and attention to detail that make the Vespa 946 an exclusive jewel.



Vespa Special Collections:
helmets and clothing with a refined finish, exclusively dedicated to the new Vespa 946. So that your outfit, on every occasion, always reflects the unique elegance of the most modern Vespa.





E-store in 10 countries
The new Vespa Store, whose content and functions are accessible from the various desktop, tablet and smartphone platforms, reflects the look and feel of www.vespa.com, the new official Vespa website, an authentic “map” for devotees of the Vespa and the Vespa style all over the world. The new Vespa Store is currently open to Vespa fans in Italy, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK.

The timeless Vespa values: elegance, freedom, friendship

Vespa is not just a scooter. It is the most widespread and popular two-wheeled vehicle in the world. It is a legend built on over eighteen million units, on a record of technology and style that sets it apart over time, since the first unit in 1946 to the latest model, the futuristic and precious Vespa 946. Vespa is the only scooter in the world which knows how to be loved, so much so as to be cared for and maintained well beyond the average life-time of any other vehicle and to go beyond its function as an urban vehicle to become a cult object, a real collector's item, symbol of a lifestyle.



Vespa has been able to anticipate the cultural upheavals that have swept the world in more than six decades, taking on the role of protagonist in the lifestyle revolutions related to the young, fashion and music. Vespa has been a protagonist in the lives of entire generations becoming the bearer of values of elegance, freedom and friendship. And over the decades Vespa has managed to create a unique style linked to its cosmopolitan soul. Now the web, a perfect synthesis of a world increasingly without borders, becomes the place to share these fundamental values for which Vespa is an ambassador.
The VESPA.COM website, a point of reference for Vespa enthusiasts worldwide, now hosts the new display windows of the Vespa Store, the web space in which – thanks to the possibility of on-line booking – the Vespa 946 made its debut, the most precious and technologically advanced Vespa model ever conceived.
On the new Vespa Store a rich array of clothing, gadgets and accessories, conceived and designed drawing on the most classic Vespa iconography, is available to enthusiasts to live in Vespa style, dress with the same casual elegance, surrounded by preciously made objects which are reminiscent of timeless shapes.

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ADV

Vespa 946 stars in an online campaign
in the top international web magazines

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The Vespa 946 2013 Collection is the star of a major advertising campaign targeting the leading online publications in fashion, style, architecture, design, cool hunting. The perfect channels for a masterpiece of technology and style like the Vespa 946, which is clearly at home in every environment where elegance is key.
The magazines chosen for the campaign are the world leaders in their fields, the “bibles” for people following and keeping ahead of the latest trends. The advertising for the new Vespa has appeared in the digital versions of magazines like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, GQ, L'Officiel, Wallpaper, Monocle, and on the digital media that currently set the pace in the pursuit of high style, like Robb Report, Port, Style, Fantastic Man, Hypebeast, Cool Hunting, Dezeen, Fubiz, Mr&Mrs Smith, Selectism, Highsnobiety, The Must.
These online English-language publications attract a cosmopolitan and highly sophisticated readership. An audience of “citizens of the world” who naturally tend to surround themselves with or to devote their attention to a few select objects that could influence style trends for the future.
The campaign covers Europe, America, Asia and all other areas of the world with international readers who follow global trends in luxury goods. The distribution of the five subjects/versions of the campaign has been deliberately targeted to the various publications with respect to their specific characteristics and readership, in order to maximise visibility for the 2013 Collection – “Ricordo Italiano ” – of the new Vespa 946.

People

India: growing numbers of Vespa lovers

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You need only take a look at Vespa India’s official FaceBook page to see the country’s great interest in and growing passion for the legendary scooter: 350,000 “likes” and myriad photos and posts. What we discovered: the amazing “mutant Vespa” (an artwork combining the scooter and an insect) shown from 2 to 10 February at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival; the stars of Bollywood (like Shahid Kappor) who shoot films riding on a Vespa, the co-star of several box-office hits; numerous young devotees who enjoy customising their scooters (for subsequent showcasing in leading brand stores, like Tommy Hilfiger); a proliferation of clubs and communities, including the Vespa Owner’s Club Delhi – VOCD, with its own FB page, the groups in Bangalore and Chennai, as well as the Vespa Club India; Vespa India, which sponsors top music events like the Guns ‘N Roses concert in Mumbai and the contemporary music festival; and even a series of Vespa stunt exhibitions such as the one organised at Autobahn 2013.
And on 26 May, the Vespa Club India held its opening rally at the Corinthians Resort in Pune. The vespaindiaclub.com website is packed with news and photo: when Vespisti register on the site, they are immediately informed about the dates and venues of forthcoming events, including those organised through the Vespa City clubs (active in Bangalore, Goa, Mumbai and Pune), set up to bring together Vespa scooter owners throughout India. For communication, there’s email, FB and twitter. “Vespa Club. Trendy, young and social. Just like you” is the motto of the Vespa Club India, known as “I Vespisti”.
Adventure
An adventure lasting two years and covering 10,000 miles for Drew Milne, a young Australian engineer with a passion for the Italian scooter

From Adelaide to London on a Vespa PX

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A great adventure astride his beloved Vespa PX 200 for a young Australian IT engineer: in March 2011, at the age of 31, Drew Milne left his hometown, Adelaide, and exactly two years later, in March 2013, reached London, after covering 10,000 miles on the road, (i.e., not including the necessary transfers by boat and plane). His journey took him across the world, from South East Asia to India, the Middle East and Europe, to his final destination in the British capital.
The “Vescapade” as he calls his adventure has its own Facebook page, and Milne plans to publish a book about his experiences, describing places, people and his emotions as he travelled down roads and dirt tracks in all weathers and temperatures, from subzero to tropical.
“Riding a Vespa is a unique way to see the world,” Milne told the media. “People are curious about the scooter, they want to have a look at it, and it helps you make friends.” Friends like the Pakistani lad who helped him unpack his Vespa from the wooden crate shipped from Dubai, or the band that were waiting to welcome him on his arrival in Belgrade with full honours and video clips posted on YouTube, and a thousand other memorable encounters.
Drew has experienced new cultures and peoples, as well as the contradictions between old and new, from East to West. And today, thanks to his Vescapade, he can truly say he has met the world.
Of course, it takes courage and a touch of recklessness to put your life on hold and set off for a solitary trip into the unknown. Drew succeeded, and fortune, which favours the brave, was on his side. So now, until a new adventure beckons, he is remembering the infinite sights, sounds and smells of a truly fascinating journey.

COMMUNITY
THE WORLD’S MOST IMPORTANT VESPA MEETING BRINGS THOUSANDS OF SCOOTER ENTHUSIASTS TO BELGIUM FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE. NEXT YEAR’S VENUE HAS ALREADY BEEN CHOSEN: MANTUA

VESPA WORLD DAYS 2013

Start talking about the Vespa and you soon find that everyone knows and loves it. In our collective imagination, the Vespa is a friend, a daily companion, asking very little but offering a great deal. The Vespa as a daily means of transport, the Vespa as a philosophy of life, the Vespa as a representative of Italian genius in the world; the Vespa as a tireless traveller; the Vespa whose timeless lines inspire delight, the Vespa that provides mobility for all ages, the Vespa that wins a place in your heart. The Vespa that brings together thousands of devotees, united by a common passion. For all these reasons, the Belgian town of Hasselt welcomed and embraced the large caravan of scooters that rode peaceably in for the seventh edition of Vespa Wold Days, the top Vespa meeting, held in the Flemish town from 20 to 23 June. As the numbers show, the event attracted a record turnout: three thousand Vespisti, 2,300 registered Vespa scooters, 173 Vespa Clubs from 21 countries. The country with the largest number of representatives was, naturally enough, Belgium with 722 registrations, followed by Germany with 408 and Italy with 318.
Vespa World Days 2013 was yet another demonstration of how the world ambassador for made in Italy, produced without interruption since 1946 for a total of more than eighteen million scooters to date, moves the spirit and the body, with enthusiasts arriving from all over Europe, from Russia, from Macedonia and from Malta. To attend the meeting, many of the participants travelled hundreds of miles on vintage Vespa scooters, like the Vespista from St. Petersburg who completed the nearly 1,100 mile-journey to Hasselt in two days.



Once again, the Vespa proved that it is a truly remarkable vehicle: a scooter that has long transcended its original purpose as a practical means of transport for urban commuters and become a cult phenomenon, an object of devotion, even, in some cases, of veneration. A vehicle for all tastes, whose appeal has captured successive generations at every latitude and in every corner of the globe. One figure in particular reflects the ability of the Vespa to reach people’s hearts and inspire passion among the general public: the 74-year age difference between the youngest participant at Vespa World Days 2013 (born in 2003) and the oldest (born in 1929). The exciting program of events organised for the meeting, including an excursion to the legendary Zolder motorsports race track, attracted a parade of Vespa scooters of every generation: countless Vespa GTS 125 Super models, the best-selling two-wheeler in Belgium, the various versions of the Vespa PX, a number of Vespa GS 150s from 1956 and several Vespa 150 Sidecar models dating back to 1955. The Beauty Contest was a pageant of rare vintage models, including some of the very first Vespa scooters ever constructed, lovingly conserved or superbly restored, as well as the rarely seen Vespa 400, a four-wheel vehicle built entirely by Piaggio in the 1950s. Riding the great wave of success of the seventh Vespa World Days, the venue for next year’s meeting has already been chosen. The world’s most important Vespa event will be back in Italy next year, in the splendid city of Mantua.

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COMMUNITY
WITH THE START AND FINISH IN MANTUA, THE 2013 1000 KM VESPISTICA WAS A RECORD-BREAKING RACE,
MADE EPIC BY EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS

A thousand kilometres in 48 hours on a Vespa

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Astride a Vespa for two days, from dawn on Friday 24 May to the night of Saturday 25 May, 1006 kilometres, starting and finishing in Mantua, through six Italian regions: Lombardy, Trentino, Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany and Liguria. The 2013 edition of the historic “1000 km Vespistica” race will be remembered as a real record-breaker, with 306 competitors from all over Europe and the USA.
In the end, after weather conditions turned the race into an epic enterprise, a winner emerged: Elvezio Biserni, of the Mantua Vespa Club won the “Audax 1000” trophy for the lowest number of penalty points at the time checks along the route. The 2013 1000 km race, a celebration of travel and adventure, brought together enthusiasts from different countries and cultures united in their devotion to the Vespa.

The bad weather across the whole of northern Italy during the two-day rally made conditions extremely tough. Battling against almost continual rain, the Vespisti also encountered snow on the Rolle Pass and on the Apennines. Of the 306 starters, 192 crossed the finish line in Mantua 48 hours later.
The 2013 1000 km Vespistica left from Mantua’s Piazza Sordello at dawn on Friday 24 May to head for Treviso, the end of the first stage. The next stretch, during the night, took the riders through Romagna, along the Via Romea, to Ravenna. The last competitors did not reach Ravenna until after 4 a.m., when the first arrivals were already setting off for Tuscany to tackle the legendary Muraglione Pass, touch Florence and then proceed to Pontedera, the site of the Piaggio factory where the Vespa was developed and where it has been produced without interruption since 1946. In Pontedera, the vespisti were welcomed to the Piaggio Museum, a shrine for devotees from all over the world, before heading north over the Cisa Pass and back to Mantua. The last courageous rider reached Piazza Sordello at dawn on the Sunday morning, as the first arrivals were about to wake up after a good night’s rest.
A spectacular fleet of Vespa scooters took part in the race, ranging from some of the very first “low-lamp” models, produced between 1946 and the first half of the 1950s, to the latest-generation Vespa GTS 300. Many models that have become Vespa icons were there, including the GS from 1955, the Primavera and ET3 from the 1970s, the great Rally 180 and 200cc tourers and countless examples of the indestructible Vespa PX.
First organised in 1951 to show off the remarkable features and capabilities of what would become the world’s most popular and best loved scooter, the 1000 km Vespistica race soon became something of a legend.
Nine races were held from 1951 to 1970, attracting thousands of fans who thronged the sides of the route to applaud the Vespisti in true motor-racing fashion. Long years of oblivion followed, until the 1000 km Vespistica was revived thanks to the enthusiasm of the Mantua Vespa Club. The realisation of a long-held dream and, with this year’s race, a resounding success.

COMMUNITY

BELGRADE-PONTEDERA:
THE VESPA “WE RIDE EVERYWHERE” TEAM TOUR

Nine days, seven Vespa enthusiasts, 2,500 kilometres: destination Pontedera, the “home of the Vespa”. This is the opening of the video shot by the Vespa “WeRideEverywhere” team, a name that says it all: riding everywhere, on a Vespa. And that’s what they did: “Road to Pontedera 2013” relates their fantastic two-wheel trip and has won a keen following on Facebook. The tour was the realisation of a long-held dream: to visit the Tuscan town where the Vespa was created in 1946 and where, ever since, it has been produced in the Piaggio factory. A long and fascinating story illustrated in the Piaggio Museum close to the factory, the final destination of the Serbian Vespa group, whose spokesman Marko Markovic quickly captured the attention of the media.

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From Belgrade to Zagreb, Rijeka, and into Italy via Venice, Modena, Pontedera, over to Pisa and Florence, and then up towards the Adriatic coast to Split, Makarsku, Sarajevo… Wonderful landscapes, faces, food and drink, from Romagna’s Lambrusco and piadine, to Florence’s typical T-bone steak accompanied by excellent Chianti: it’s all there in a video that will keep the memories and emotions of the trip fresh in their minds. Along the route they handed out their stickers with the WRE logo, and returned home with a new sticker on their Vespa scooters: the sticker of the Vespa World Club, headquartered in the Piaggio Museum in Pontedera. A small trophy for a wonderful adventure of the kind only the Vespa can offer.

VESPA MEETINGS

ITALY
AUGUST, 3: Raduno Nazionale "8° Festa della Vespa" Airole (Imperia); Raduno Nazionale "yes, vespa camp!" (Oristano).
3-4: 7° Raduno Nazionale "11° Raduno Camino è Vespa" Camino (Alessandria); Raduno Nazionale "Memorial Francesco Profeti" Rosignano Marittimo (Livorno); 13° Raduno Nazionale Pagliare del Tronto (Ascoli Piceno).
10-11: 12° Raduno Nazionale "In Vespa per le colline metallifere" Gavorrano (Grosseto).
18: Raduno Nazionale "Sotto il Segno dell'Ariosto" Castelnuovo di Garfagnana (Lucca).
24-25: Raduno Nazionale Giro dei tre colli e Raid notturni" (Saluzzo).
25: Raduno Nazionale "2° Rally delle Murge", Corato (Bari).
29-30 AUGUST e 1 SEPTEMBER: 14° Raduno Internazionale Citta di Trebiciano (Trieste).
31 AUGUST e 1 SEPTEMBER: Raduno Nazionale Città di Carmagnola (Torino).
31 AUGUST: 11° Prova Coppa Italia Gimkana Sarmato (Piacenza).
SEPTEMBER, 10-15: Giro Vespistico delle Alpi - Austria, Italia, Slovenia, Germania.

BELGIO
AUGUST, 31 AUGUST-1 SEPTEMBER: “Belgian Vespa Days”.
16-17-18: “Eu Rally 2013”, Vespa Club Bousbecque & Oostende.
18: “Rallye National 2013”, Vespa Club Charleroi.

GERMANY
AUGUST, 3-4: Treffen VC Regensburg;
23-25: Celle Heidentreffen, Vc Celle.

DENMARK
AUGUST, 9-10-11: 60° Vespa Club Arhus.

CROAZIA
SEPTEMBER, 6-8: CroVespa 2013, Umago.