Gherardo Magri, yesterday and today, in the saddle of his acid green Vespa.
September 2026 (G.T.) – The sender signs the envelope “Gherardo Magri, Vespa lover and traveller”. Inside, there’s a letter, along with a book entitled ‘Vespa in the clouds – My first 100,000 kilometers’ (‘Con la Vespa fra le nuvole – I miei primi 100.000 chilometri’, Prima Pagina Edizioni, 2020) along with a manuscript, ‘Records with my Girl’. The star is always the same: the Vespa.
Gherardo with his wife Donatella on his beloved bright green Vespa.
Gherardo Magri (Chief Happiness Officer, Azienda Umana, Bergamo, Italy) says: “I’ve been a huge Vespa fan ever since 1974, the year my parents bought me a beautiful Primavera 125 second series, with metallic brown paintwork and a cream-coloured seat. My epic adventures with my ‘Girl’, as I call her, are described in my book ‘Vespa in the clouds’ which I chose to dedicate to my exploits on my beloved Vespa, during which I’ve travelled more than 100,000 km. I’ve given copies of the book about my life as a Vespa lover (available online) to friends, relatives and clients.
I wrote it to remember that happy 16-year-old in the saddle of his first Vespa, those first journeys and the rides that followed over the decades, spanning places, people and stories that have since become memories. My first Vespa, which was stolen after six months, having already clocked up 8,000 km, was followed by my second: a white 1973 first-series Vespa Primavera with a black saddle, which at the time – after being bowled over by the sparkling green of a Beetle I saw – I had completely repainted in ‘Viper Gruen’, a shade of acid green. It was a sight to behold, and we certainly didn’t go unnoticed, my ‘Girl’ and I, and we haven’t parted since.”
The first Vespa Primavera: six months of love and 8,000 km; the second: together for half a century and over 100,000 km.
Magri continues: “Alongside my book, which was published in 2020, I also wrote a short story summarising my daily distance records on the Vespa (achieved in 1980, 2011 and 2012), where I really pushed the limits of human endurance in July 2026: 1,234 km in 24 hours from Bergamo (Lombardian region) to Santa Maria di Leuca (Lecce province, Puglia region), all in one go, obviously on A-roads, no motorways. I believe this is a record feat!
This unforgettable journey and adventure (made possible thanks to the support of my wife Donatella and also dedicated to my late friend Bruno Crotti, President of the Vespa Club Bergamo “Città dei Mille” for 25 years) was a very personal way of celebrating the Vespa’s 80th anniversary, and of expressing my gratitude to the company that has been manufacturing this scooter since 1946. For me, realising my adventurous dreams and telling the story of how I did so is a true act of love for the Vespa.”
And we, in turn, would like to thank manager and entrepreneur Gherardo Magri for sharing his story. But we wouldn’t dare ask him what he imagines his life would have been like without the Vespa, and he probably wouldn’t deign to answer. “Living with the Vespa and writing about it is a pure act of love, which for me will continue forever”, he concludes. It’s definitive – he’s head over heels.
Also available online.
https://www.primapaginaedizioni.com/libro/con-la-vespa-fra-le-nuvole
Source: back cover of Gherardo Magri’s book, ‘Con la Vespa fra le nuvole – I miei primi 100.000 chilometri’, Prima Pagina Edizioni, 2020. From the inside front cover: Born in Bergamo on 29 October 1957, father of Luca and Valeria, husband of Donatella, Gherardo Magri has had a long career as a business manager…He has always been a commuter, travelling back and forth to Milan for almost 40 years, driven by a passion for what he does. He is an optimist and a dreamer….
Photos courtesy of the author.
Members of the Vespa Club Bergamo “Città dei Mille” at the parade in the streets of the Italian Capital, during the big “Vespa Roma 2026. 80 Years of an Icon” event (Foro Italico, 25-28 June 2026).
Image source, FB page of the club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1409592450861595/
