Story

Vespa and Piaggio - icons of Italian industrial design

colour photograph of a light blue Vespa in a studio.

What is the history of the Vespa scooter?

by
Adrian Murphy (opens in new window) (Europeana Foundation)
Sofie Taes (opens in new window) (KU Leuven / Photoconsortium)

The Vespa scooter is an icon of Italian industry and design, a symbol of the 1950s. This blog looks at the industrial heritage behind the Vespa, which was produced by Piaggio company.

a black-and-white photograph of a young man and woman on a scooter driving up to a stage.

When was Piaggio founded?

Piaggio was founded in 1884 by Rinaldo Piaggio. Initially, the company focused on manufacturing railway locomotives and carriages, while during World War I, the company focused on producing aircraft.

a black-and-white illustration, a portrait of Rinaldo Piaggio.
a black and white photograph of a large engine.

What is the history of the Vespa scooter?

After World War II, the Piaggio factory was demolished from bombing and Italy’s aircraft industry was restricted and sanctioned by post-war agreements. Piaggio - now run by Rinaldo’s son Enrico - were faced with a need to diversify.

Italy’s war-damaged road network meant that cars would not be a viable option. Instead, they focused on producing a modern, comfortable and affordable mode of transport - the Vespa was born.

a black and white photograph of a Vespa scooter.
a black and white photograph of a Vespa scooter motor.

Designed by Corradino D'Ascanio, the Vespa was first presented in 1946 in Rome, though known at that time as Paperino (the Italian for duckling).

To ensure their scooter would sell, Piaggio introduced a pioneering tool: the ability for the buyer to pay in installments.

Into the 1950s, Vespa sales boomed. The scooter became associated with the cool image of Italy in the 1950s, La Dolce Vita and Federico Fellini. Perhaps its most enduring image is Audrey Hepburn zipping around Rome on the back of a Vespa in the 1952 film Roman Holiday.

black and white poster for a film 'Vacaciones en Vespa' with a photograph of a man and woman on a Vespa scooter.

And yet, while most associated with Italy, there is a more European dimension to the Vespa.

A large production facility for Vespa (and other scooter and motorcycle brands) was based in Madrid. This Spanish factory was established in 1952, employing more than 1000 people over its 51 years of production. It closed in 2003.

a black and white aerial photograph of a large factory.

Vespa sales soared in Italy and around Europe and the rest of the world through the 1950s and 1960s. In just three years, the 500,000th and 1,000,000th Vespas were produced.

a black and white photograph of a woman waving while sitting on a Vespa scooter.

Although not as popular today, the Vespa continues to be produced by Piaggio from their factory in Pontedera, and still evokes the cool image of 1950s Italy.

This blog is part of the 50s in Europe Kaleidoscope project, which joins heritage photography and new technologies to explore life in the 1950s.

Discover related stories