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PIAGGIO FAST FORWARD:
THE MAJOR INNOVATION PROJECT
FROM THE PIAGGIO GROUP

Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF) is a major innovation project by the Piaggio Group, the European leader in two-wheeled vehicles and the most prominent global player among western manufacturers, as well as a key presence in the light commercial vehicle sector. One of the most historic and prestigious names in Italian industry, Piaggio was founded in December 1884. 2015 is its 130th year of life. PFF was established to come up with a new way of conducting research, with the aim of interpreting the signs of change and coming up with intelligent solutions to the problems and the new demands of the future.

PFF Manifesto
Piaggio Fast Forward was created in 2015 as a new company established and owned by the Piaggio Group. Integrating innovative technologies and coming up with future transportation projects, PFF aims to study new mobility platforms to respond to the challenges of the rapid changes now taking place in the world, the ongoing development and growing complexity of big urban centres that are destined to become megalopolises with populations in the tens of millions in the years to come, facing the issue of how to transport people and cargo while respecting the environment and improving the quality of life of the citizens of our planet.

LABORATORY OF IDEAS, MULTICULTURAL TEAM

The resource PFF starts out with is the quality of the minds on its team: brilliant young students from Harvard and MIT, coordinated by Beth Altringer (psychologist, designer, and professor at Harvard’s Engineering & Design School) and Sasha Hoffman (co-founder of Fuzzy Compass, an active member of the Boston Entrepreneurship Ecosystem).

PFF believes that bringing together very different minds, with multicultural experiences and origins, to talk about things together can lead to a more complete vision of how the world is destined to evolve in the area of mobility in the years to come. Piaggio Fast Forward is a workshop for ideas that doesn’t fit into the engineering schemes typical of industry, which will be capable of providing new keys to the interpretation of problems in transportation, opening up a whole range of new opportunities unknown to us now in the world of conventional mobility.

For Piaggio Fast Forward, innovation is the way forward for sustainable economic development. PFF is based in an outstanding location: Cambridge (Massachusetts, United States), where research, university, visions of the future, technology and enterprise come together and have a positive impact on one another.

INTERNATIONAL BOARDS

Piaggio Fast Forward is guided by an Advisory Board and by a Board of Directors. The Advisory Board includes Roberto Colaninno (Chairman and CEO of the Piaggio Group), Nicholas Negroponte (Co-founder of the MIT Media Lab and Professor of Media Technology at MIT), Doug Brent (Vice President of Technology Innovation at Trimble) and Jeff Linnell (Google, founder of Bot & Dolly). The Board of Directors of PFF includes Chairman Michele Colaninno (CEO and Managing Directo of the Immsi Group, which controls a majority of the Piaggio Group, and Director of Piaggio & C. S.p.A.), with Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Schnapp (Professor at Harvard University, Founder and Director of metaLAB (at) Harvard University), and Chief Creative Officer Greg Lynn (Founder of Greg Lynn FORM, Professor of Architecture at UCLA and Davenport Professor at Yale University); the PFF Board also includes Gabriele Galli (General Manager Finance of the Piaggio Group), Davide Zanolini (Marketing and Communications Director of the Piaggio Group), Luca Sacchi (Head of Strategic Innovation for the Piaggio Group), Miguel Galluzzi (Head of the Piaggio Advanced Design Center in Pasadena) and Edoardo Ducci of Piaggio Group Americas.

Piaggio Fast Forward is an ambitious project that will help the Piaggio Group develop, in concert with its own Research and Development Centres all over the world, increasingly high-tech, innovative products which respond to consumers’ changing needs: the key to all future development. At the same time, the Piaggio Group will contribute the international reputation it has built up in its 130 year history, not only through production and distribution all over the world of products such as Vespa – a brand that has achieved world-wide success with more than 18 million vehicles sold so far all over the world – but also and above all with its direct industrial presence in Europe, China, India and Vietnam, its deep knowledge and profound respect for its employees and consumers, cutting-edge design and deeply rooted business culture developed in loyal cooperation with local communities. The Piaggio Group, the first to come up with the concept of light mobility, is now a world leader in the development and construction – with consistent, constant commitment – of some of the world’s most technologically advanced vehicles for individual travel, demonstrating respect for the environment with new generation engines that balance sustainability, efficiency and control of consumption.

With the aim of developing innovation, the Piaggio Group has decided to launch and support Piaggio Fast Forward: a great laboratory for forward-looking, open minds. A plural, multicultural, multidisciplinary project combining history, research, design and industry.

INFO:
www.piaggiofastforward.com
EVENT

“THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME”:
THE PIAGGIO FAST FORWARD DÉBUT EVENT IN MILAN

“The Shape of Things to Come” was the first event presenting the PIAGGIO FAST FORWARD project. It could only have been held in Italy, where the Piaggio Group is headquartered. And it could only have been held – physically in Milan, and streamed to all corners of the world – in front of an audience composed of thousands of university students, who are the future of the world, of society and of thought. In attendance were Matteo Colaninno, Vice President of the Piaggio Group, Michele Colaninno, Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Immsi Group (majority shareholder in the Piaggio Group), the Piaggio & C. S.p.A. Board of Directors and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the new PFF company.
Here is how Marco Montemagno, master of ceremony, gave an invitation the day before to follow the event, which took place at The Mall, Milan, on 2 October 2015:

"The Shape of Things to Come"

AN EXTRAORDINARY PANEL OF SPEAKERS

ROBERTO COLANINNO:
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Piaggio Group, Chairman of Immsi Group

Development of metro areas, population growth, the mobility of people and goods, the environment and quality of life. These are just some of the issues which have driven the Piaggio Group to take a “leap forward, thinking about what to offer in coming years”. And to do it through the creation of Piaggio Fast Forward: thus Roberto Colaninno revealed to the huge audience in Milan how PFF was formed – a team of brilliant students from Harvard and MIT, coordinated by Beth Altringer and Sasha Hoffman, which boasts an exceptional collection of international minds such as Nicholas Negroponte, Doug Brent, Jeff Linnell, Jeffrey Schnapp and Gregg Lyn. “It is a great satisfaction for me to see so many of you here,” the speaker began. “I would like to tell you about what we have done, our eagerness and emotions, and tell you about something which was born in a simple manner. The most difficult things to do are often the simplest. We found ourselves together with some friends one day, and we started talking about Piaggio, and what we have done. And suddenly we found ourselves on the one hand with great expectations, and on the other with real fear ... But if we work together we can come up with extraordinary things.”


“I started off thinking about my personal experiences, and about the things I have done ... Some people told me I was mad. But if I was twenty again I wouldn't hesitate to do more! I thought, let's get together (referring to the “brains” which make up PFF, ed), you have great minds, incredible experience – let's think about things which are out of the ordinary and which will come to pass in the future. You are the authors of the future. We are starting a journey called Piaggio Fast Forward, which we have situated in Cambridge, Mass, which is at the heart of technology and the future. This idea of working, of thinking, of studying together has formed, and it can lead to the creation of an idea which maybe no one has had before, an idea of great success ... This company, Piaggio Fast Forward, was formed in the hope that it will develop and will represent for everyone who is going to work with us the chance for satisfaction, enjoyment and profit. Confirmation of the fact that we mustn't be afraid of the future – what we have in front of us will bring great riches if we wish to develop it. This is what we want to do. We sat round a table talking about how to handle what will happen in 20-30 years' time, how the world will be, how to find solutions to the problems which will appear. Consider that in 20 years 80 million people will live in cities like Shanghai, that the world's population will have doubled, that there will be several billion cars and two-wheeled vehicles in circulation. Think about the events that occurred in the past and we will find the courage to bring about the visionary things that we are thinking about and studying today. The future is changing, and you young people will be the main players.” When asked: “How did you convince figures of this calibre to work with Piaggio Fast Forward?”, Roberto Colaninno answered: “I have always had extreme ideas, and when they are accompanied by desire and enthusiasm they generate interest, and so I was able to get them interested. And when I talked to them, I realised that they are more curious than I am!”

NICHOLAS NEGROPONTE:
Co-founder of MIT Media Lab, Professor of Media Technology at MIT

Nicholas Negroponte is the co-founder (with Jerome B. Wiesner) of the MIT Media Lab (1985), which he directed for its first 20 years. A graduate of MIT, Negroponte was a pioneer in the field of computer-aided design and has been a member of the MIT faculty since 1966. He gave the first TED talk in 1984, as well as 13 since. He is author of the 1995 best seller, Being Digital, which has been translated into more than 40 languages. In 2005 he founded the non-profit One Laptop per Child, which deployed $1 billion of laptops for primary education in the developing world. In the private sector, Negroponte served on the board of directors of Motorola (for 15 years) and was general partner in a venture capital firm specializing in digital technologies for information and entertainment. He has personally provided start-up funds for more than 40 companies, including Zagats and Wired magazine.

JEFFREY SCHNAPP:
Co-director Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Professor at Harvard University

Jeffrey is co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society and the founder-director of metaLAB (at) Harvard, a knowledge and technology design studio and conceptual foundry dedicated to exploring and expanding the frontiers of networked culture. Professor in Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences and at the Graduate School of Design, former holder of the Pierotti Chair at Stanford University and participant in several Bay Area startups, he is a leading international figure in the digital media field, has led a number of pioneering software development and design projects, and is the author of an influential corpus of publications that includes twenty-five books and hundreds of essays. In addition to widespread coverage in the international press, Schnapp's research has received support from leading foundations such as John Simon Guggenheim, the National Science Foundation, Getty, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Hewlett, and Knight. His work in the domains of design, digital arts, and curatorial practice includes collaborations with the Triennale di Milano, the Cantor Center for the Visual Arts, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Canadian Center for Architecture.

GREG LYNN:
Innovative designer, founder of Greg Lynn FORM, Professor at Yale University

For the last 30 years Greg Lynn has been at the intersection of the digital and physical in architecture. He is the founder of Greg Lynn FORM where in addition to award winning buildings he has designed industrial objects in production with companies like Swarovski, Alessi and Vitra.
As the Design Advisor of the Palo Alto retailer Curbside he is responsible for the company’s physical identity. He was awarded the Golden Lion at the 11th Venice Biennale of Architecture and returns to the American Pavilion for a second time in 2016 where he will represent the United States again. He has received the American Academy of Arts & Letters Architecture Award and is a Fellow of United States Artists. Time Magazine named him one of 100 of the most innovative people in the world for the 21st century. Forbes Magazine named him one of the world’s ten most influential architects. He is a Studio Professor at UCLA, o. Univ. Professor at Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien and Davenport Visiting Professor at Yale University. He is the author of eight books.

DOUG BRENT:
Vice-president of Technology Innovation at Trimble

Doug Brent joined Trimble as vice president of Technology Innovation in July 2011. Mr. Brent has a twenty-five year record of management and leadership in high technology companies in Silicon Valley. Prior to Trimble, Mr. Brent served as Chief Operating Officer at ICANN from 2006 to 2010. Prior to his role at ICANN, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Packet Design Inc. from 2002 to 2005. Before Packet Design, Mr. Brent was vice president of engineering at Andes Networks, and vice president of engineering at Whistle Communications. When IBM acquired Whistle, he joined IBM as general manager for small business services, Global Small Business Division. Mr. Brent has also held executive and engineering management positions at Taligent (an Apple/IBM/HP joint venture) and Apple Computer. He has a B.A. from University of California at Santa Cruz and an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California.

BETH ALTRINGER:
Psychologist, designer, faculty at Harvard’s Engineering & Design schools

Beth Altringer is based at Harvard, where she runs an applied lab studying desirability in product and service design experiences via multi-sensory, emotional, cognitive and social elements. She has worked with Kering, Gucci Group, Puma, Swarovski, One Leap, the City of Cape Town, and others.
Altringer has a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Cambridge University, where she developed a model explaining innovation performance differences based on fieldwork inside 11 country offices of creative organizations like IDEO and J. Walter Thompson and their clients. Previously, Altringer studied architecture at University of Cape Town, sustainable design and the Olympics at Barcelona School of Architecture as a Fulbright, Human Computer Interaction at Stanford as a visiting scholar, and design at MIT as a postdoc. She holds faculty roles at the Harvard School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Graduate School of Design, and Berkman Center for Internet & Society.

SASHA HOFFMAN:
Co-founder of Fuzzy Compass, Active member of the Boston entrepreneurship ecosystem

Sasha Hoffman is the co-founder and CEO of Fuzzy Compass, a travel startup turning the world's top travel influencers into modern-day travel agents. Prior to that, she was Head of Business Development for Plastiq, a venture-backed payments startup. Prior to that, she worked as an investment banker in the technology group at Goldman Sachs, Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers, where she worked on transactions worth more than $100 billion including several highprofile IPOs and M&A deals for such clients as Facebook, Yelp, and SanDisk. Sasha is the Global Ambassador for Wanderful (Women in Travel) and part of Phocuswright’s 2015 Class of 35 under 35. She is passionate about tech and social entrepreneurship and is an active member of the community. She is part of the Board of BUILD Boston, the Overseers Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay, a TechStars mentor, an instructor at General Assembly, Youth CITIES, and the Startup Institute, is part of the Future Leaders Group of MITX, and guest lecture at Northeastern University.

INSIDE THE EVENT: THE COMPLETE VIDEO

INFO:
www.theshapeofthingstocome.net
Event

THE PIAGGIO GROUP OPENS IN NEW YORK
“VESPA MANHATTAN”

THE NEW FLAGSHIP CONCEPT STORE IS OFFERING THE COMPLETE COLLECTION OF PIAGGIO, VESPA, APRILIA AND MOTO GUZZI BRANDS. THE ACTOR AND DIRECTOR EDWARD NORTON GUEST STAR OF THE INAUGURATION PARTY


From left: actor, film producer and American director Edward Norton with Mario Di Maria (Chairman and CEO of Piaggio Group Americas Inc.) and Vespa 946 Emporio Armani

New York, NY, 14 October 2015 - Piaggio Group Americas, the Piaggio Group (PIA.MI) associated company with headquarters in New York, celebrated the grand opening of Vespa Manhattan, the Group's new single brand Concept Store in the heart of New York City. Vespa Manhattan is located at 6 Grand Street in Lower Manhattan, between 6th Avenue and Varick Street. The new dealership that opened yesterday evening offers all of the Piaggio Group's prestigious brands – Vespa, Piaggio, Aprilia and Moto Guzzi – under one roof. Vespa Manhattan is an innovative retail concept, aligned with the new global in-store experience the Piaggio Group is developing in the major metropolitan areas around the world with the Motoplex multibrand stores the Group has recently opened in cities like Milan, Shanghai and Beijing. The Vespa Manhattan grand opening took place during the 130th year of the Piaggio Group, founded in December 1884. “We are very pleased to celebrate the opening of this unique destination in the heart of New York City – says Mario Di Maria, Chairman and CEO of Piaggio Group Americas Inc. – Vespa Manhattan is the realization of wider vision of the Piaggio Group in the field of offering our vehicles and our relationship with customers and potential customers. Not only is this a showroom for Vespa, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia and Piaggio motorcycles and scooters, but it is also a fascinating experience of the renowned style, technology and heritage of two-wheeled vehicles which are proudly 'Made in Italy'."

"Vespa Manhattan is the first Piaggio Group Flagship Store designed to showcase all of the prestigious Piaggio Group brands under one roof" – says Andrew Hadjiminas, Chairman & CEO of the Vespa Manhattan store – "We are excited to bring these legendary brands to the greatest city in the world. The opening of Vespa Manhattan is not only an exciting time for us, it is a clear sign of the commitment that the Piaggio Group has made towards the North American market."

A UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT DEDICATED TO ALL TW0-WHEEL ENTHUSIASTS. In the Vespa Manhattan showroom New York customers will be welcomed into an environment where they can breathe in the stylistic and technological refinement that legendary brands such as Vespa, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia and Piaggio have skillfully infused into motorcycles, which have in turn become legendary and in scooters, which have forever changed the concept of individual mobility and freedom.

The new Piaggio Group Flagship Store in NYC takes up more than 2,000 sq. ft. It has, like all the other Stores that the Group has opened around the world, a unique and characteristic design that cannot be found in any other two-wheel dealership in North America. Architectural elements include a bi-level loft-style layout featuring a wall of floor-to-ceiling storefront windows, high ceilings and 25 different models of motorcycles and scooters, as well as a complete range of Official accessories and merchandise that the Piaggio Group has developed for its brands.

In addition to sales, the dealership offers complete bike and scooter service, accessories installation and vehicle customization through its certified Piaggio Service Center. The Vespa Manhattan store is a true "home" for all two-wheel enthusiasts, for those who have a passion for Italian bikes in their hearts, and it is conceived to provide a relaxing break during an otherwise hectic day with other enthusiasts in a unique environment.

INFO:
www.motoplexpiaggio.com/newyork-manhattan

A LEADER GROUP. The European leader in the two-wheel segment with a total of 14.6% of the market in the first half of 2015 which goes up to 24.8% in the scooter sector (about 12 percentage points ahead of the second competitor), with Piaggio Group Americas the Piaggio Group reported sales of EUR60.8 million in 2014 with 16,200 vehicles sold in North America and Latin America. In the first six months of 2015 Piaggio Group Americas – which, with Vespa and Piaggio, is one of the key players in the American scooter sector with more than 20% of the market share – reported sales of EUR40.2 million, up 8.4% with respect to the first half of 2014.

INFO:
www.piaggiogroup.com
Event

VESPA 946 EMPORIO ARMANI DEBUTED EVEN IN ASIA LAUNCHED IN JAPAN, VIETNAM AND INDONESIA

TOKYO, JAPAN

Following its launch in Italy and Europe on 10 June, the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani scooter is September ha made its debut also on the leading Asian markets: Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia.

HANOI, VIETNAM

The Vespa 946 Emporio Armani was developed as a cooperation project between Giorgio Armani and the Piaggio Group to celebrate two of the world’s most familiar Italian symbols. The unique new version of the Vespa 946 is signed by Giorgio Armani and presented in an exclusive colour, created by the stylist from a special palette of greys with the barest hint of green, which can only be seen in certain lights.

JAKARTA, INDONESIA

The Vespa 946 Emporio Armani is being launched in 2015, the 40th anniversary of the Giorgio Armani fashion house and the 130th anniversary of the Piaggio Group. After its debut in Europe, it now is also available in Japan and shortly in Vietnam and Indonesia, strategic markets for Piaggio Group operations in Asia.
In Tokyo, the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani was also shown at the Emporio Armani in Aoyama, during Vogue Fashion's Night Out held on 12 September.

Vogue Fashion's Night Out 2015, Emporio Armani in Aoyama, Japan

The Vespa 946 Emporio Armani has also be launched during September even in Vietnam, in Hanoi – on 18 September – and in Indonesia, in Jakarta, on 21. Here some pictures regarding the events.

LAUNCH IN HANOI, VIETNAM

LAUNCH IN JAKARTA, INDONESIA

BUSINESS GROWTH. In the first six months of 2015, the Piaggio Group reported revenue growth in its two-wheeler business in all the main geographical regions where it operates, and a 19.4% rise in turnover on markets in the Asia Pacific area. Its worldwide Vespa brand revenues were up 9.3% from the first half of 2014.

NEW YORK PRESENTATION

Milan, October 22, 2015 – Following its launch in Europe in June and on the main Asian markets in September (including Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia), the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani scooter is now making its debut in the United States, where the Piaggio Group operates through the Piaggio Group Americas subsidiary. The US launch of the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani was marked with an event on October 14 at the Emporio Armani store in SoHo, on 410 West Broadway, New York. In the USA, the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani will be available from Piaggio Group Americas dealers in major cities, including New York City, Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.

The prestigious new scooter has already been presented to customers and potential customers in the Piaggio Group’s new multibrand store in New York. Created as part of the global Motoplex flagship store formula, the new location on 6 Grand Street, Lower Manhattan, opened a few days ago. The next launch event for the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani will be in Beijing, in the People’s Republic of China, on October 30.

Event
IN MUMBAI

VESPA GLOBAL BRAND AMBASSADOR
ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO
LAUNCHES THE NEW 150 RANGE IN INDIA

“Alessandro Del Piero is the world-wide Vespa brand ambassador,” headlined a press release released August 17th in India, which went on to explain, “VESPA, the premium Italian lifestyle two-wheeler brand, proudly announces Alessandro Del Piero, as its world-wide Brand Ambassador. Alessandro Del Piero is a legendary football player and winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup with the Italian team. Alessandro Del Piero will pay visit to India on the 1st of September, for a spectacular Vespa event. The event will be a special day for all Vespa lovers and football lovers to gather and celebrate their idol in real life.” The news was circulated by the media all over India and shared everywhere. The Vespa event included many activities, including meetings with journalists and Vespa fans, and an exclusive evening cocktail party featuring the two Italian icons: Vespa and Alessandro Del Piero.

Commenting on the new partnership, Managing Director of Piaggio Group’s subsidiary Piaggio India PVPL Stefano Pelle said, “We are thrilled that Alessandro Del Piero has joined up with the Vespa family here in India. Vespa and Alessandro Del Piero have many things in common: they are both Italian icons famous around the world, recognised for their achievements and for the profound impact they have on public opinion. Both have an innate class, a contagious free spirit, and the ability to influence people in a positive way.” Over the years, Vespa (founded in 1946) has become known as an icon of Italian design and culture worldwide. With the presence of Alessandro Del Piero, one of the all-time best Italian footballers, we witness the union of two legends appreciated around the world for Italian style, quality, and excellence.

THE BIG EVENT: VESPA AND ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO. Here the report of the extraordinary and intense day of Alessandro Del Piero in India on September 1 (landed at the airport in Mumbai August 31, greeted by a crowd of fans). The Piaggio India team confirmed that Del Piero took part in all of the planned activities with pleasure and even went beyond what was in the agenda. He spent the morning and afternoon in a series of interviews with the most important newspapers, including Men's World, Sport Illustrated, The indu, ET Panache, NDTV, The Times of India, Radio One, and Deccan Chronicle. Thrilled with the welcome that he received, Del Piero reaffirmed his willingness to participate again in future events in India.

PRESS CONFERENCE

From left: Stefano Pelle, Managing Director of Piaggio India (PVPL) and the football champion Alessandro Del Piero, in the role of Vespa Global Ambassador

The press conference followed in the afternoon, during which Alessandro Del Piero was the star of the launch of Vespa’s new 150cc range (models SLX and VXL). Del Piero shared the stage with Stefano Pelle and recounted his experience as “Vespa Ambassador,” which began last June in Hanoi, Vietnam for the launch of the new Vespa Sprint (article and photos in Wide n. 3-2015). After that experience he said he couldn’t possibly miss the launch of the new Vespa range in Mumbai, and he continues his endorsement, commenting that, having lived in India, he understands the reality of the large Asian countries and the aspirations of the “local youth”, concluding that a vehicle that performs as well as the new Vespa 150cc is well suited to their needs.


At the end of the press conference, Alessandro Del Piero presented an award to the winner of the online competition (launched before the event on Vespa India’s social channels with almost 2 million hits in two weeks): Mr. Rishab Nambiar, who had the opportunity to participate in the event with Del Piero, going up on stage and receiving an autographed t-shirt.

Alessandro was then occupied by journalists once again, staying beyond the allotted time for photos and autographs.

“VESPA FOR CHILDREN” AUCTION

The evening party was attended by celebrities, VIPs, editors, and socialites. It was an event full of glamour and lifestyle. The first part was more formal, with the central moment of the auction featuring a Vespa autographed by Alessandro Del Piero (all proceeds go to charity as part of the international “Vespa for Children” initiative of the Piaggio Group, following the previous auction in Hanoi during which a Vespa signed by Del Piero was offered with proceeds going to the National Pediatric Hospital of Hanoi). During the auction, Del Piero spoke of his own previous experience in Vietnam, interacting with guests in the room and allowing himself to be photographed during the auction’s highlight moments. Finally, the “special” Vespa was auctioned for about 3.5 times its market value, reaching the remarkable sum of 375,000 rupees.

VESPA PARTY

The Indian singer Mansee Scott performing at the Vespa party

The evening then continued with entertainment, including DJ sets, a free bar, and a performance by Mansee Scott, a famous local singer. Alessandro, who had planned to leave after the auction, decided instead to stay a bit longer to enjoy the show and grant photos and autographs. The main Indian influencers from the world of fashion and entertainment were present at the party, and had the opportunity to interact with him and take and post selfies. It was an unforgettable day in India for Vespa, Alessandro Del Piero, and all of their fans.
PIAGGIO IN INDIA. Piaggio Vehicles Private Limited (PVPL) is a 100% subsidiary of Piaggio Group, founded in 1884, leader of the European powered two-wheeler market. The Group manufactures scooters and motorcycles as well as three and four wheeled commercial vehicles with an impressive portfolio of brands including Piaggio, Vespa, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Apé. PVPL commenced its India operations in 1999, with the launch of the Apé, which became India’s favorite three-wheeler brand in a short span of time.
Piaggio invented the Vespa in 1946. Having successfully established itself in the world wide two wheeler segment Vespa was launched in India in April 2012. The Company has a state-of-the-art plant in Baramati, Mahrashtra, India where it manufactures the iconic Vespa alongside its wide range of 3 and 4 wheeled commercial vehicles.

INFO: www.vespa.in

Markets

PIAGGIO GROUP ENTERS NEPAL MARKET WITH THE VESPA

Roberto Colaninno, Piaggio Group chairman and CEO: “It’s a further expansion that will also take us on to new markets such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.” New flagship shop Moto Guzzi in Shanghai. In India, launched two new Vespa models and Piaggio Vehicles Private Ltd. strengthens its leadership of the Cargo segment in three-wheel commercial vehicles.

Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal: the Italian Ambassador in India Lorenzo Angeloni visit the D-Lifestyle Lounge. (September 2015, source: https://www.facebook.com/dlifestylesofficial).


13 August 2015 – IThe Piaggio Group announced from Katmandu that it was beginning commercial operations with the Vespa brand in Nepal. Produced in the Piaggio Vehicles Private Ltd. (PVPL) factory in Baramati, the Vespa VX and Vespa S 125cc scooters will be immediately available in three different showrooms in Katmandu owned by D-Lifestyles, a company in Nepal’s Dev Jyoti consumer goods, IT and energy group.
Our entry on to the Nepalese market with vehicles exported by the Group’s Indian manufacturing facility is a further expansion of Piaggio operations in Asia”, said Piaggio Group chairman and CEO Roberto Colaninno. “We have already had a very positive response in terms of orders from Nepalese customers, confirming that Vespa brand values are familiar and appreciated all over the world. This is the first step in a growth program that will also take us on to new markets such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh”.

Kathmandu: Snapshots from the Official Vespa + Polaroid Launch on 28th August 2015, by D-Lifestyles, at Hyatt Regency (source: FB-D Lifestyles).

INFO: www.d-lifestyles.com

“Nada 2015: @ House of Fashion at La Vespa Teatro” (September 2015, source: FB D-Lifestyles).

In the two-wheeler sector in Asia, the Piaggio Group’s launch of the Vespa range in Nepal will be flanked – in early September – by the debut in India of two new 150cc Vespa models (See related articles in the section Event of this issue of Wide, Ed.).

Meanwhile, in the People’s Republic of China, the Piaggio Group recently opened a new Moto Guzzi dealership in Shanghai.


The Chinese government’s devaluation of the renminbi in the last few days will not have a negative impact on Piaggio Group operations, indeed it could be an important opportunity,commented Roberto Colaninno. “On one hand, volumes on the Chinese premium two-wheeler market are still very low, due to the regulatory restrictions on two-wheeler use in metropolitan areas. On the other hand, the Group has been equal owner of a production joint venture in China for years, in Foshan, in the province of Guangdong. The facility’s exports had lost some competitiveness due to the appreciation of the renminbi, so now the devaluation of the Chinese currency could provide fresh impetus".

REVENUE GROWTH; PIAGGIO INDIA IS MARKET LEADER IN THE CARGO SEGMENT. In the first six months of 2015 the Piaggio Group reported revenue growth in its two-wheeler business in all the main geographical areas, with net sales of 394.4 million euro in the EMEA and Americas areas (+5.2% from the first half of 2014), 90.5 million euro in Asia Pacific (+19.4%) and 11.3 million euro in India (+35.9%). In the scooter sector, the Group reported revenue growth for the Vespa brand (+9.3% worldwide) and for the Piaggio Mp3 three-wheel scooter range (+24%). Net sales also improved in the motorcycle sector, with a revenue improvement of 24.7% for Moto Guzzi and 16.4% for Aprilia. Piaggio Group net sales also rose for commercial vehicles in the EMEA and Americas areas, with an increase of 19.6% in the first half. In India, revenue at the subsidiary PVPL amounted to 158.5 million euro (+15.5% from 137.2 million euro in the first half of 2014).

The PVPL manufacturing hub also exported 10,407 three-wheel vehicles. In India, Piaggio is strengthening its role as market leader in the Cargo segment, with a market share that has risen to 55.4% (52.6% in the first half of 2014). “Although data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers show a decline in performance in the three-wheel sector as a whole in July, Piaggio continued to boost its share of the Cargo segment,says PVPL general manager Stefano Pelle. “We also hold a large share (26.3%) of the Passenger segment, and had a 32.4% share of the overall Indian three-wheeler market in the first half, confirming us as one of the leading players on the Indian market.

INFO:
www.piaggio.co.in
www.vespa.in
Markets

AUSTRIA: PIAGGIO LIBERTY E-MAIL
THE ECO-FRIENDLY “MAIL CARRIER”


Liberty e-mail for Post.At – Austria

For many years now, the Piaggio Liberty scooter in the “mail delivery” version has been one of the favourite scooters of the European postal services. There’s also the Liberty “e-mail” version: a zero-emission Electric Liberty scooter, equipped with front and rear baggage rack. This model has been chosen by Austria – Österreichische Post AG – for its renewed postman vehicle fleet (comprising also other two-wheel vehicles: bicycles!), after having launched a tender and having examined the proposals of different producers.

Through the importer based in Austria – Faber Group – Piaggio has been awarded the new supply, comprising 232 mail version electric email Liberty scooters (plus 25 additional 50cc 2-stroke scooters), with customized colours and logo of the company. The supply will start in October 2015 and will be concluded in March 2016.

The Piaggio Group has been a supplier of the Austrian Postal Service for many years. A very important client who, once again, has chosen Piaggio as the best partner for the supply of totally electric scooters. The Liberty e-mail scooters are eco-friendly, with zero noise and gaseous emissions, and are agile, flexible and easy to drive (ideal in traffic). The Austrian market represents – at a worldwide level – the best performance for Piaggio for this product, confirming the leading position of the Italian group in the green mobility field, thanks to this extraordinary “success case”.

MAIL DELIVERING IN LIBERTY SCOOTER ALSO IN SPAIN, THE NETHERLANDS, SLOVENIA AND SLOVAKIA. The Piaggio Group has recently been awarded other tenders for the supply of mail carrier version Piaggio Liberty scooters. Here’s an overview of some of the European mail services that have chosen the bestselling scoter, whose supply will be finalized within the end of 2015. The Spanish postal service (Correos) has acquired 1,000 Piaggio Liberty 125cc scooters, as part of the vast program of renewal of its fleet; the Dutch postal service (PostNL) has improved its vehicle fleet with 980 50cc Liberty scooters; the Slovenian postal service (Posta Slovenije) has acquired 120 scooters, both 50 and 125cc; and 20 Liberty e-mail scooters have been purchased by the Slovakian postal service (POSTA Slovenska).

IN FRANCE, THE LIBERTY ROCKS FOR FOOD DELIVERY

In addition to the Postal Service, even vehicle rentals choose Piaggio Liberty: among the most recent and successful cases, there’s “scOOtlib”, a multinational rental company, oriented towards food delivery professionals (delivery of food products such as sushi, pizza, etc.). Through its French selling agency, the Piaggio Group sells approximately 400 Piaggio Liberty scooters per year to “scOOtlib”, in the 50 and 125cc versions with rear top case. In this picture, three elegant Liberty scooters with black color scheme, exhibited in a “scOOtlib” showroom. The rental system is fast and efficient: online contact and fast delivery of already insured vehicles to the client, who can use them right away.

Markets

1/NEW BUSINESSES:
TOURISTIC TOURS RIDING A VESPA


In recent years, in Italy and abroad, two-wheel touristic tours have grown: they are offered by small companies, often managed by young people, aimed mostly at a dynamic public and foreign visitors passionate about scooters. Similar services are offered in many European capitals, from Rome and Paris, to Madrid and many other cities. There are couple and group tours, perfect for having fun and meeting new people.
Or, you can simply rent the vehicle and move around freely. As in Barcelona, where you can enjoy a sightseeing tour riding a Vespa; the idea was launched by two young Italians, and the motto stamped on their scooter is: “Next Travel Generation”, translating in a self-tour with GPS, “combining romanticism and modern technology”. Without the risk of getting lost.

Vesping.com Self Guided Tours Barcelona | GPS Tours Barcelona

Scooters have taken over the Mediterranean territory, Italy, Greece and Spain, made available to the tourists by many vehicle rentals; with a passion for Vespa, riding which – for example – you can visit the Island of Mallorca.

In Naples there are “day trips” riding a vintage Vespa, with unconventional tour guides with whom discover renowned and less known places, uncovering the authentic spirit of the city. There are also multi-day tours, from the city to the Amalfi Coast.

NapolinVespa Tour - A day trip to panoramic Naples
And, of course, in Tuscany you can enjoy a ride on the Piaggio Zip and Vespa, in the historical, landscape and food-wine tours; riding slowly, among the hills and the small medieval towns, to fully enjoy the treasures this territory has to offer.

Italy By Vespa

IN VIETNAM, PHOTO TOUR WITH VESPA GTS 150

Photo Tour 2015
Unforgettable the experience of the “Photo Tour 2015”, where the participant of the 400 km long event organized by Vespa have rode the Vespa Sprint and Vespa GTS 150 immersed in the beautiful and breathtaking territories of the Langbiang. A success, as the previous editions, that combines travel, discovery, adventure, friendship and passion for photography. The most photographed object? The Vespa, of course!

INFO:
www.piaggio.com.vn

MIAMI, GRAFFITI-TOUR RIDING A VESPA

Miami sanctions graffiti, elevating them as contemporary art pieces. And it does so with guided Vespa tours, to discover the most amazing murales of the city. We’re in the Wynwood district, one of the trendiest areas of the metropolis, where a local tourist operator (Roam Rides) organizes two-hour guided tours riding Vespa 50 and 150. During the tour, you can enjoy the historical murales of the district and also the artists at work. You can also rent the Italian scooter to visit Miami and its amazing surroundings.

Markets

2/NEW BUSINESSES:
TOURISTIC TOURS WITH APE CALESSINO

Sightseeing, food-wine and cultural tours with Ape Calessino. A unique, classy and original vehicle, highly requested also for weddings (instead of the usual and boring sedan), and as shuttle service for hotels, resorts and harbors.

New Ape Calessino 200 HL
From Versilia, Sicily and Apulia, to Paris, the trend of the three-wheeled tour has spread rapidly. And the reason is quite comprehensible: you just have to sit on the comfortable loveseat on the back and let yourself be delicately swept away! What a “sweet life”!

VIPS IN TAORMINA

This photo gallery features famous writers and artists – such as Luis Sepulveda, Nicola Piovani, Alan Friedman – aboard elegant white Ape Calessino, used for the shuttle service at the last year Taobuk (Taormina International Book Festival).

“SASSI TOUR” IN MATERA

Matera, in the Basilicata Region, is famous worldwide for its “Sassi”, recognized, in 1993, as UNESCO World Heritage Site; the city has been nominated European Cultural Capital for 2019. The Sassi are ancient cave dwellings, once abandoned, that in recent years have been internationally renowned as an extraordinary natural location for leading film productions (such as the biblical movies “The Passion”, directed by Mel Gibson, and “King David”, featuring Richard Gere, and many more). Tourism has grown in this area and you can visit the city and the astounding surroundings with the “Sassi Tour” service, on-board of an Ape Calessino.

CRUISE PASSENGERS IN PALMA DE MALLORCA

The “The Thomas Circus” company, based in Palma de Mallorca (specialized in touristic tours) manages a specific service for Costa Crociere: the cruise passengers of the ships setting sail from Genoa and arriving in the capital of the Island of Mallorca (Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands) find the Ape Calessino waiting for them to take them on a tour, discovering the most amazing sites in the area. “Different Experience” is the promise made to all the tourists: seeing the island aboard of the elegant three-wheel vehicle is a unique and exhilarating experience. And if the weather is hot, you just need to lower the sunroof and you can enjoy the air while traveling at a slow pace.

“THE GIRA”: WHAT AN ADVENTURE!

This is the Great Italian Rickshaw Adventure
Young entrepreneurs sensing new business opportunities are increasing: this is the case of “The Great Italian Rickshaw Adventure”, vacations in Italy from North to South and vice versa, aboard the Ape Calessino, a successful novelty of Summer 2015. And the 2016 tours are already under way, with new destinations abroad: Barcelona and Seville.

INFO:
www.thegira.it

INTERVIEW

OLIVER ASTROLOGO:
A TRIBUTE TO ROME, WITH THE VESPA

THE CAPITAL SHOWS ITSELF OFF TO STUNNING EFFECT IN THE VIDEO OF THE YOUNG DIGITAL DIRECTOR, PHOTOGRAPHER AND VIDEOMAKER. HIS SHORT FILM HAS BEEN SEEN AND ADMIRED AROUND THE WORLD. IN THIS INTERVIEW WITH WIDE, ASTROLOGO TELLS US ABOUT HIMSELF. THE VESPA, HE SAYS, IS “ETERNAL, LIKE ROME”
Love can take you a long way, even in your profession. And the love Oliver Astrologo has for his hometown is evident in his video – a wonderful tribute to Rome – which has been seen all over the world: the recognition and fame he has achieved have happily “overwhelmed” him. The video reveals the beauties of the capital – celebrated and less well-known places, architecture, streets, squares, faces – against a background of sounds and voices. So watching the video is a “full immersion” that thrills and confirms the unique personality of one of the world’s most beautiful cities, consigning it once again “to eternity”. One of the co-stars of the video is the Vespa, ridden by a young couple on an exploration of a fascinating “secret” Rome, away from the stereotypes of the postcards. Here is the video, followed by an interview with the author.

ROMA BY OLIVER ASTROLOGO


WHO IS OLIVER ASTROLOGO?
“I’m 35, I was born in Rome… I’m a Roman through and through. Digital director and partner at the Hangloose Studio, photographer and videomaker. I’m not the only creative member of the family, I often work with my brother Nils (www.vimeo.com/iamnils), a professional videomaker and vagabond surfer. Nils is the person who helped me make the RO M A video.”

THE VIDEO IS A DECLARATION OF LOVE FOR ROME. IT HAS ACHIEVED HUGE POPULARITY ON THE WEB, BEEN RELAUNCHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA AND EVEN BEEN MENTIONED ON TWITTER BY THE ITALIAN EMBASSY IN THE USA. DID YOU EXPECT SO MUCH SUCCESS?
“No, I really didn’t, it’s gone beyond all my expectations. The video is part of a larger project on destinations in the world: I’d already produced a video, on Vietnam (on my Vimeo channel), which has had more than 350,000 views and received a series of tributes from the Vietnamese press and TV. Rome was posted at the beginning of September and collected 600,000 views in less than week, breaking every record.”

WHEN DID YOU START PLANNING THIS VIDEO TRIBUTE TO ROME AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO MAKE, FROM THE CONCEPT TO POST PRODUCTION?
“Some sections were shot more than a year ago, but the actual work from the idea to production took about six months, in my free time. I often got up at dawn to shoot with the best light and capture the city as it started coming to life. Editing, sound design and post production took about two weeks.”

THE VIDEO SHOWS A COUPLE ON A VESPA, RIDING THROUGH THE STREETS OF THE CAPITAL. WHY DID YOU USE THIS DEVICE, WHICH IMMEDIATELY BRINGS TO MIND TWO MOVIES, “ROMAN HOLIDAY” AND “DEAR DIARY”?
“The couple on the bike are two friends, Maurizio and Satia. Maurizio is a native of Rome and a great fan of the Vespa, of which he has several, including two very old models. He goes to work on this Vespa every day. The scenes were filmed in the morning when the streets were still empty, but during the day, you often see Rome residents using the Vespa to move round the city: that’s why I wanted to use it in my video.”

HOW DO YOU TRAVEL IN ROME? HAVE YOU EVER HAD A VESPA?
“I had a scooter, now I use a car; but I have to confess I’ve always wanted to buy a vintage Vespa for my free time.”

THE ICONIC VESPA IS ONE OF THE WORLDWIDE SYMBOLS OF MADE IN ITALY. FOR A CREATIVE LIKE YOU, WHAT DOES IT REPRESENT, WHAT DOES IT INSPIRE?
“The Vespa is like Rome: "eternal", even though it was designed more than half a century ago it is still loved and admired all over the world and is as up to date as ever.”

NEXT STEP? WHAT FUTURE WOULD YOU LIKE FOR YOUR VIDEO ON “ROME”?
“I’d like to continue my project on the destinations of the world... it would be great if the tourism boards sponsored my trips; and who knows, perhaps I could organise a trip on a Vespa! For Rome, I’ve lots of friends in the city who are highly talented creatives, photographers and videomakers. I’d be delighted if the public sector set up more initiatives (competitions, incentives and so on), providing funding to encourage people to create products that enhance the city, I’d be the first to support and contribute to this and business organisations could contribute too, why not?”

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR VIDEO?
“It’s been seen and promoted by almost all the city authorities in Rome – that in itself is a huge achievement for me.”

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN ROME?
“I love Trastevere, it’s where I go most often, after work I go there to meet up with friends or have a drink.”

OLIVER’S PASSIONS: ROME, TRAVEL AND…?
“Photography of course! It’s a real passion; I’ve got an Instagram account where I post my photos almost every day.”

OLIVER ASTROLOGO:
www.oliverastrologo.com
www.vimeo.com/oliverastrologo
www.facebook.com/oliver.astrologo
www.twitter.com/oliverastrologo
www.instagram.com/oliverhl

Adventure

CROSSING THE STATES ON A VESPA
FROM LOS ANGELES TO NEW YORK

THREE YOUNG GERMANS RIDING THREE PX 200 SCOOTERS, 9,253 KM COAST TO COAST IN TWO MONTHS. A DREAM MADE TRUE THANKS TO ENTHUSIASM AND DETERMINATION. AT LOW THROTTLE, TO SAVOUR EVERY MOMENT OF AN UNFORGETTABLE ADVENTURE

vespa adventure

This is the story of a dream. And of an American adventure involving people and places, lived with genuine spirit, almost with a devil-may-care approach. The dreamers are three German lads, who chose three vintage Vespa scooters, the standard PX 200 cc model, with a two-stroke air-cooled engine, to undertake a coast-to-coast ride across the United States, in the tracks of “Easy Rider”, the legendary movie that still inspires youngsters searching for something different and for themselves.

So, a journey of exploration, through an inner world too, to get to know oneself better and learn more about life. It takes courage, a spirit of adaptability, an irrepressible desire to discover the world, even if you don’t have much money in your pocket. You also have to choose the “right” vehicle, not just any two-wheeler: for almost 70 years, the Vespa has incarnated the values of freedom of movement, friendship, joie de vivre. “Promises” it has always kept. The result is a constant flow, decade after decade, of wonderful stories about journeys on the saddle of the world’s most famous and fascinating scooter.

Now there’s another story, fully documented with video and photos. Want to know what the three young Vesparados said at the end of the trip? Almost unable to believe they had made it, admiring the characteristic skyline of the Big Apple, they treated themselves to coffee and cheesecake, remembering the months of preparation for the journey, and the thousands of miles through city streets, deserts, and mountains, the faces and stories of the hundreds of people they met, in a great country that “showed us friendship”.


The trio write: “It was an intense, challenging adventure, fun, eventful, strange, illuminating, enriching and, above all, the realisation of a great dream.” They also declare their passion for their scooters, even if they are small and not very fast: “We call them Motorliebe, Love Engines. Love of the kind that binds us to the Vespa. At first sight, they didn’t seem to be suitable companions for this trip. Yet our three PX scooters opened up opportunities and horizons, inspired sympathy, and attracted a warm welcome from hosts of people. And they took us to our destination.”
CREDITS. Idea & video: Motorliebe. Taken from “VESPA USA” (Delius Klasing). Text: Lars Ringel, Michael Blumenstein, Dani Heyne. Photos: Daniel Phakos, Dani Heyne.

On the road

TRAVELING TO CAPE NORTH WITH AN APE:
THE ADVENTURE OF TWO YOUTHS FROM VALDAOSTA


Arrival: 25th of August 2015 in Nordkapp

HENRY FAVRE AND LUDOVICO BOTALLA LEFT ON THE 26TH OF JULY 2015 FROM AOSTA ON AN APE PIAGGIO, MINI CAMPERVAN VERSION. AFTER TRAVELING FOR A MONTH AND COVERING 5,200 KM, THEY ARRIVED TO NORDKAPP, IN NORWAY. THEN IT TOOK ANOTHER 40 DAYS AND 3,000 KM TO RETURN HOME. A SUMMER ON THREE WHEELS


Start line: 26th of July 2015 from Gressan, Aosta

“We are ecstatic” was the comment of the two young traveling friends, Henry Favre and Ludovico Botalla, when they arrived at Cape North. Their summer adventure – going from Aosta to Nordkapp, the northernmost point in continental Europe, with an Ape Piaggio – was completed, after 5,200 km and a month of traveling. These two young men from Gressan, not far from Aosta, left on the 26th of July on a small Ape, transformed into a mini campervan, with the help of sponsors, family and friends. They crossed Central Europe, going through Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, slowly, along state roads and even off-road in the last segment through the tundra.


Our heroes, from left to right: Henry Favre (19 years old) and Ludovico Botalla (20 years old)

Coming back took even more: 40 days on the road and almost 3,000 km, crossing the Baltic republics and Eastern European countries (Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic and Austria) to return home.

The journey was not entirely uneventful: they were rear-ended by a speeding car (“fortunately we were unscathed - states Henry - two blows with the hammer and the Ape was as good as new!”) and the fuel gauge broke 200 km from their goal Nordkapp, forcing them to take a break due to lack of petrol. Apart from this, supported by a great spirit of adventure and adaptation, they passed their incredible summer as young ones on three-wheels would do: Nordic scenery, reindeers, lake fishing, chilly nights in their “living cell” built over the Ape.

And a lot of people, faces, experiences along the entire 8,200 km of the journey. And as it was to be expected from two young “digital natives” like them, they transformed it into a media event: equipped with a tablet with unlimited Internet access, they shared each moment with images and videos on Facebook (where the pictures of this article come from) and with friends. This adventure was followed, km after km, by Grobeshaus Productions, with support from the Valle d’Aosta Film Commission, which will create a documentary, evocatively called “cAPEnorth”. A winning combination: two youths traveling in the third millennium aboard a vehicle - the tireless and even adventurous Ape - with over 67 years of history!

THE PRECEDENT: AOSTA-BARCELLONA ON A PIAGGIO CIAO AND A VESPA 50. These two friends have a special instinct for travelling on vintage vehicles: last summer they went to Barcelona, with Henry driving a Piaggio Ciao and Ludovico a Vespa 50: 2,853 km in 18 days, on two thirty-year old “fifty” mopeds, slowly (150-200 km was the daily average) and with a lot of enthusiasm and passion for discovering peoples and places. Their stories seem to come out of the last century, but that’s not so: the charm of Piaggio vehicles continues to attract even the younger generations!
Here is the weblink to Wide Magazine no. 5-2014 which chronicles the Aosta-Barcelona journey:
wide.piaggiogroup.com/archive/wide5_14/scooter/index_en.html#/OnTheRoad

Community

SUCCESS FOR BELGIAN VESPA DAYS 2015:
ALMOST ONE THOUSAND PARTICIPANTS ATTEND THREE-DAY EVENT

A record edition for the great “Vespa Days” rally, held this year in Belgium. In the town of Bilzen, to be precise, between Hasselt and Maastricht in the province of Limburg, in the last weekend of August. Almost one thousand people took part on vintage and new models. A true celebration of the Vespa, with scooters from a number of European countries. The Bilzen “three days” offered a rich program in an extraordinary setting, the castle of Alden Biesen, with participants meeting up for a welcome party on the Friday; a ride, parade, barbecue and music on the Saturday; a tour, gymkhana and award presentation at the castle on the Sunday. The rally was organised by the Vespa Club of Bilzen “Comedy Band”, in cooperation with the national Belgian Vespa Club and under the aegis of the Vespa World Club. Here are some video clips from the 2015 Belgian Vespa Days.

FROM BELGIUM TO THAILAND

The previous issue of Wide included a feature on the “Vespa La Festa” cycle of events, which began in March in Bangkok organised by the official “Vespiario” distributor (who is marking 68 years of activity with the Italian brand, which itself is 69, since the Vespa made its debut in 1946 in Pontedera, Italy), in cooperation with the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce. Below is a link to another great video, on the rally held in June in Chiang Mai, with the participation of the Official Vespa Society Thailand. Yet another demonstration of how the Vespa brings people together across the globe, in friendship and freedom.

68th Anniversary VESPA - La Festa
CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE USE OF HELMETS BY THAI CHILDREN

Vespiario (Thailand) Co. Ltd. supports a foundation promoting use of helmets by children who ride pillion on scooters and motorcycles every day. In Thailand, only 7% of youngsters wear helmets, so raising awareness about safety is important.

68th YEAR OF VESPA: LA FESTA supports child helmet use

FORTHCOMING EVENTS AND RALLIES

THE BEST VIDEO OF THIS ISSUE

ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO
& THE VESPA MASTERPIECE



What happens when a legend like the Vespa meets a hero of our time, international soccer star Alessandro Del Piero? Surprise: a riot of colour. Have fun watching this snappy video with the champion kicking paint-soaked balls against a wall, from which the unmistakeable silhouette of the Vespa then appears. At the end of the clip, the original “artwork” is signed… by impromptu artist Del Piero, the popular Vespa Ambassador in India.

Source:
www.vespa.in

The Vespa Masterpiece

DID YOU KNOW: ALEX AND RENAISSANCE PAINTER “PINTURICCHIO”

For 20 years, Del Piero has been nicknamed “Pinturicchio”, previously the alias of a great 15th-century Italian painter: Bernardino di Betto Betti, aka “Pinturicchio”, or little painter, because of his diminutive size; the artist used the nickname to sign a number of his works. Alex was given the name to compare some of his unforgettable “masterpieces” on the football pitch to those of Bernardino, one of the great figures of the Italian Renaissance. Nomen omen.
MY VESPA MOVIE

TURKEY: EFTIN AND HAKAN'S VIDEO
VESPA, LOVE AND FREEDOM



Beautiful is certainly the most appropriate adjective here: a beautiful story, with beautiful characters – she is Eftin Ardar, he is Hakan Anil Akgun – and they have created a beautiful animated video with a Vespa as the co-star. Created and directed by Eftin (a graphic designer), with the lyrics, original score and voice of Hakan (music composer, songwriter, DJ, producer). Beautiful and … Bravissimo! Here is their creation:

Love Stop Motion
ABOUT EFTIN. We want to tell our readers how we came to know about this fantastic couple and their video. Our editorial office received this email: “Hi, I'm Eftin Ardar and I'm writing to you to share an animated film that I have made about Vespa. I live in Turkey and I am studying graphic design at university. I have always been a fan of Italy and Vespas since I was young. I have always dreamed about doing a world tour on a Vespa. This spring I chose to make a stop-motion animation as my final academic project. I drew and animated myself and my boyfriend touring the world on the saddle of a red Vespa. The animation was then presented at my university, and received a positive reaction from the audience and teachers. Although it wasn't my goal, everybody thought that it was the launch of a new Vespa marketing video! And so I thought that the Piaggio Group, which manufactures Vespas, might also like to see this video.”

And we here at Wide Piaggio Magazine are very happy to publish it, because it deserves to be seen by the huge worldwide audience of our readers. Being curious, we also asked Eftin for a short interview to get to know her better.

Hi Eftin, can I ask how old you are?
“I'm 30.”
Where do you live?
“I live in Izmir, which is on the west coast of Turkey.”
Do you or your boyfriend, or does anyone in your family, have a Vespa?
“Unfortunately not, but I've always wanted to own a Vespa”.
What is your favourite Vespa model?
“I like the vintage models in particular. Maybe the reason is that they remind me of my childhood, but I would certainly never say not to a new model!”
Your video represents the key values of the Vespa brand: freedom, friendship and fun living. Are these your own values as well?
“Yes, exactly the same. I like to live without limits, sometimes without making plans, with many people around me, and enjoying every moment. Everything which keeps me constantly motivated and positive about life.”
What are your goals for the future?
“I would like to be an artist who breaks the mould with her unusual works and leaves marks for future generations.”
And what is your dream?
“I would like to travel all over the world – hopefully on a Vespa – and produce my artworks while I am travelling. That way I would be able to show off the beauty of the real colours of the world, which are disappearing and in danger of extinction.”

CONTACTS:
Eftin Ardar
Hakan Anil Akgun

THE LYRICS OF THE SONG

LOVE – STOP MOTION
LYRICS BY HAKAN ANIL AKGUN.


We're taking to the roads
And seeking for new hopes (instead of repair)
Sliding on the wheels
We can go to anywhere.

Just making some new friends
Together wanna dance (during the whole night)
People say we're crazy
Let them talk but we don't care
People say we're lazy
Let them talk but we don't care.

All parties still remain
But we wanna hit the road again (to discover more)
You can go back to your work
We hear you say "It's not fair".

Wherever we go on this sphere
Our dreams become more clear
World seems it has no end with a look from above
But it is not big enough to fill our love.

YOU AND YOUR VESPA
ON WIDE!


Every Vespa scooter, whatever its age, whatever the model, is a cult object, a collector’s item to be treasured, cared for and kept for years after any other vehicle would have finished its working life. The new WIDE feature “My Vespa Movie” is dedicated to everyone who rides off to work on a brand new Vespa every morning, to everyone who fondly conserves a Vespa handed down in the family from generation to generation, to everyone who lovingly cherishes a vintage Vespa.

MAKE YOUR
VESPA MOVIE!

Make a short video with your Vespa to tell us what the Vespa name means to you. You can tell the story of your scooter or recount a trip you’ve made together. You can include shots of daily life, or evoke the emotions you have shared.
The videos we select will appear on Wide, in the new feature “My Vespa Movie”, to present you and your Vespa, the most special scooter in the world, to Vespa devotees all over the globe. Because every Vespa story is unique.

Send your video clip video to: wide@piaggio.com