Mike Simpson

Tie two newcomErs, lho ETz 50 cc .ra EI4 125 cc modols hrve much to liv. up lo: their predecesso.s rnd .uroni cousins witL in lho Vespa rango have 30ld !5-millior sting h may be 50, [ut there s still plenty ol life left ln fie Vespa, the sc0oter tftat grsw lrom being a cheap means 0f mass tmns[ort t0 tecome an intemational icon. MlKt SlMPS0ttl wentto lhly I0rdre celebmtion !!q t was a vrrAr ErtMtm lI{ Gnffmy Ptcx axD [ thnhr,.n'. .fl"d. r. litrd .r.rn,l ^fld.., i,im rsr Lo,"nl" ol the silver "i".iic I deon- Bomn Hotidat. trmoB directDr f reda ;o rellinilound ; phce hr n in his acclained movie ol fte same eta, La lhhe Vita. Tough goy John Wtyno is said lo hnve swapped hi! horse for one while ctuisitrg arornd movi. sets. Ct.rlrtu lleston iid mtr.h the 3!me; onlyie subsritutEd his lor a Dharior wlil8 filming the classic, AeD flu,l ll was ar €xampl. which the makels ol som6 200 othGr lilms wsre ro lollow in thp noxt dEcados; as were th, producers ol arornd 4{l r6cords. Althor John Stointeck's Cuhlishe.s lited tie ido. so sp06.rEd on lhe cover of his book much, Ir, it Srora The obiocl in qulslior, ol courss, is the Vespa. Tha ltalian motor !cootor with a worldwide lame ro match !hot ol Sophia lor.n; an imn to alnost €ycry lralian bom in lhe post'war ora; a symtol lo '50s and '60s teenoqers trom all over the world who ,it aspircd to rfta tar€lro. ,a dorca litesryle; a cr.alor ot nytt and legend thal only Harl€y- Davidson at the v.ry opposite end of lhe two-$,heel scale - can .ital, 0l couBe, 6l,etr legetrds must rgo, bur the lialilns secm to do ir betrer thrn mosr lthe alor.me.diomd Lorco baing a case in poi'n), and rhr Vospa recently celshrated its 50ft binhdry with iomo style at rhe most rleganr scoolels worldwide since 1945. Thr.a compris! 89 models which tave lound their wE, !o overy comer ot ths eanh ard are cure ly nanulaclu.€d ir ltrly,lndia and lndonesir. "tvery cornea is no exrggerarion, eifier. As lar bacl( as the early 508, rnivorsily stu' derl Giamarlo Ti6"i look a Vesp. to fie Arctic Circle. AmericEtr, JamEs P. owen, drcv! one ro Tierru delFuego at rhe very rip ol So rh AmErica. tu Argenlinean adlorlrrcrtook one E.rlier ftis yenr, ecce ri6 llalian Giorgio Belrinelli srived in Cape Town aft6r ridirg his machine lrom Molbourns. Aoslralia atrd cowring 52 000 km and 22 countries in the proc.ss. Thi6 was hB second Vespa advon' lure,lhe [Is] heing an lS4M, when he mde 36 000 km across lh! lhroe Americas trom Anchorrge in Alaska lo Tiera deltuogo. olhci .dyenlures ol thc wo.ld s lal,ouriic scooler hrvo included ths Vespa-Alpha, developed lor screen 6ecrelagEntDick Sma( ad which could supposodly .lio ny ad drirc und.Naler. lhe Frencft military at ons slage ordored sDocially dosisned Vesnas lo canv amametlrs such as snti-lant weapoB while lhe ltalian rrmy commissionsd on. whic[ could be flsrschoted inlo aclioo. lndeed,lte ubi{uilo$ niure of lhs Vespa seems immediately to coniurs up palall€ls wiifi rnother loqend, rhe VW Boetlo. Borh dansd lile as'peopls's vehicles alld.volved inro lilestyl. sratemants; horh havo lound thsir way into more lian lhoir lair share ol adveriurEsi both have been movie ard fV str13 in lieir owr ritht;.nd borh inspir? i ense loyslly and devolion tord€ritrg on the Tto scooror grcw out ol ric ruin3 ol atr lrlly dovasrstod by World W.r Two. Pi.ggio, its pare company, hrd alrDady teer ostablish€d sinco ltc provious c.r ory.od was en[ilcd in brildirg military ri.craft when hoilililies b.oke out Tftis trd i6 mad€ lho company home lown ol Ponteds.., rcar ihe city ol Pila in Tu3cary, a n6tu.sl larger lor Allied WhGn dre w'r endod, ownsr tnnco Pia!sio lasolvsd to re-brild his snatered industriesatrd saw lhe besl opponunily was ir plo- vidiu low-con But the party lor more than 3 500 grests from ,crcs$ lhe globo wnsn t mercly a ccle' bralion of ,.st glori.s. vcspa makeE nnd lans may hare wuxed trosi.lgic, bot tha lamoos hrand then immedi.lely retrewed ils vigour ard lhrew brck any iuggestions ol middl. aso by unveilin! rwo imovariyD new nodtls ainod al carryirs it youthlullv lor' wrrd inlo rhe new conury mobility lor rt6 mnsses. Hi3 inspirarion came liom anollier Pirggio which had nan{laclurEd a small motor' pla clcle lor palachutiBt3. The Irctotype. lnown as iho MP 5, was nicknamed Papetino lthe Italhn rame lor Donald Duckl bsca'rss of ils slraltr. shap€. hn Eo.ico Piagrio was r mpr8ssed, and nsked engin.er Corrrdino D'Ascanio to ro-design il. D'Ascario was nr .erorauticsl desiotrer and disliked molorcyclosj he lound theo lo To!: You canl do lhat on a scooter.. . Vespa sru leam was a lealure oI an intenational Vespa cluh gatftEring inPonrcdera. Middle: Beflinellis Molhoumelo ao Cape Town machine. te uncomlonahle, tulty and wilh ryres which were difiicuh to change alter B prndor. (a l.equort happcring in lhos! daysl. Worse still,lhe drivschain mnde everylhing dirty. TOPCAB . NOVEIT,IBEB ]996 a 8ut his ..rcmulical e4.ltis6 h.lped pt.tlclt him elir|inat. tlc Gh.in he nnagin.d a vehicle wilh t dro$-bea ng body .trd dincl meslt to male il ..!icr ro .idc h. pd fu $adot.i or li. t.ndlsba[ to mak. tyre chlnging e.sier h! de.iCned rot i lork, hlt a 3[[Dodin! .m sim_ il to ai rircralt tlodc1c.rri6gc, Fiialh. hG dcri0ned r body whici wo[ld 0rotoct the d]i- find m I I v ansr.r ro .ll lhese . To grtillg diny and dirhcwll.d. Th. ro3.lr u.r lhat. d6cad.. belorc ysr lroln srgonomio .tudies hscam. th6 rorm, thc id- posilioo ol lhi. .cmt . wr5 d..i0trGd lo lct yo$ ril comfonrtly rnd srlGly, not btlanc.d prsc.riou3ly - a! on a high-t h..l iU h I d : circ! 1949, Dicluredat lwo-day galhering ol intEmalioisl Vespa Vespa and sidecar, o'Ascrrio s n.w d!!ign prodrced t m.chine which bore no resemtlanc.lo Prprriro. Whctr Enrico Pi.0gio t.w ii h. notld lie $,ide crraal prd wher. tho rid.. sar rnd tts narrowwaisr.rd proclrimedtlrt it loolcd llkG . ,rqp, - lh. ]tilisn word loi wr!p. So, in l916 the V..pa sDoolcr wrs .rlctioo exDrris and lh. pthlic wcre ' Uespa had become a symbol of a lifestyle; an icon which left an indelible mark on its time in history divld.d: or lhe om lide w.ro ihoso wto sEw . iiillitrt ti. VG3pr .s the .ealisatior ol on th. othar wers tfte sceplics who bclioved rhs corcsptwould revcrl ke ofl. ids.t Ih. l.iiar wora soon b cnrrte ihail ri. last months ot 19{7 ,mduction mind.. ln sxploded, and ir ti.lollowing y.rr a 125 cc - rd oyontr modal rppaai€d lo com0lct|rort ally bccomo lte successor to Sccmod.l, - th8 o ginal nl. Uespt milEcL td b.grr ln l!5 Pir!gio pur only 2 4C4 machinG! orto the mrrkrt Ihis fsllre becams t0 535 fia following y6al .nl br l9ll Dmdrclior wc ilrn r.dcr 20 m. When. in 1960, the frit Gem.[ lic.l|lee .l3o st rlod onclrtions, ouhm boped 60 m v.hiln m scoolcl6. Jusr tlrc€ yeaE rfrer ift ers l6ltlie m.ndaolu.iq plants. Olher fo..igr mrrtel. slso w.tchei lhe birth ol th. scooter with ioler!3t, with ttE public rrd press toth expre$in0 cuaosity .dmiralio!. Th. oh-so-.ltioll' bd hifhly a i lu.ntirl, British new*prj.t,lhc fin 5, call.d itrs complarely ll8li prcduct, such 5t wo have mt sem rillco llc ch.riot'. Enrico Pi.lsio corrtru.d lo encouragelhc s[ord ol tI. VosI. .broad. esrrblishirg .r .!Itic. l|Gixloll all oro] ErropG world. Slill not srliifiod, hc and mainl.ircd a comtant lccliu ol extsosive al|d the resl ol c.s.Ld tic c|nlorioll| .nd cxcit mEd .ruund his ploduct ty iriri.liyes ruch Er tho cr.ttion ol PCAS . NOVEMBES IS96 rn integnlpanol thliar, and Errclolllore. Ihree cx.nples ftom comptry cllendaB ol tic l$0s. V€spa is C.an 8t Scooters to r a comeback hc I I I i mavnothavo b6en much ol s seller in souttr ltrica torman,,e.,. t,r rt'" counny srill hords a irimrnenr place rn ll was on these shores thrr rhe linle scoorer, still snoggling io esi.hlish its placo in the world, rerched tha milestone ol l0llm0 sal8s in lhe esrly 1950s- To msrk ihe occ.siotr, the Sourh Arricao disrributor hrd r warch inscribld. Today ir can still be iound on fie wrist ol current Piaggio VG.D. Cluns Th. i, ma0y psi. litrl. .cootcr o, rhe wodd. blcame ih€ Piaggio prr .xc.lLnce, al,d by rhe mid- 5as son6 l0 0(n Vespa seruice poirts ir Europ.. A6i. ,nd America. Despite ths rEivrl ol. rival 3coolor product th8 lnrocGnli tambr€tia, club m6mbo6hip [ad soarcd to Ctodttct lhcrc 50 w.r. By tne end ol lftrr decadc fie Vespa wEs also boins boilt ir lrdi! .r'd 8lazil, and sold in placEs like lran, Chin{, Auslrali..nd Soulh Africa, where it w's known $ttre hronpooiThB Soviol Urioo 6ven prddfted the Vialka 150cc, !n almoil p.rleclclone oI tle ad$rtirirg. So, what doo3 the lulure hold for the Vospa? tveo i, p.odoction ceased roday, the Ircl thal l5-million have tecn produced would m.tn fi.1lhousards of modsls would continue lo be in circularion well into the But lhpre's no overall scootor markei in turole has heen srcwins E.*cdly in rccenlyea6. The compsny is conlid€nt that a Vespa tuned to thc lim.s will ride rhis wave and conlinuo th6 3uccols itoryi rnd !o thi. end rsEd lhD pom0 rtrd splendoll] ol lhe machines golden annive.sr.y celebBtions in nome to hunch it3 Dew-look products, lhe Ef2 atrd ETI- Boii models mw use adomatic gsa.s wili a conlrilllgal variatoT. which liecs rhc driyer lrom lftc otbn cumbe'some llse ol the chtch and tradilior.l gear seleclor. h nddi- tion, rhs naw g.n.r.lion ol nichines olters eleDt.ac pu!h-bllxon .tarlitrg, althouth the rrnditional kick strrrer is retained lor em€r- ons ot scoros of silver screen stais ol lhe '5lls and'6&t0lallin love with lhe Iamous scoolsr. Bonomr Hbloric Vespa lhree-wheelerwas a cent e ol atlnctiotr at clubgatlering. TOPCAF . NOVEMBEF 1996 th. maierials h.ndlinq ssclor and inilially bec.me inlerested in Piaggo's ihree wheel lighl iruck raige .s a solution to . cla6nt's male sls handling prcblems. After conl.cling Piaggo ho lound lhal none ot lh. compary's producis wsrs rcprcsenied ii SA, .nd r distribution .groement was RGsileels $ere is sigrifcanl potential lor lie Ciao T16, .n opri rcooter wilh a Ircnl-nounted 100 tg losd srea, and rhe APE ranqa. a scool.r'based lh.Ee-wheeler wilh an anclo$d cabin rnd a load arua oI up lo 700 *s (dspsnding on model). The APE vehiclos aru available as pick-ups or anclosed vam and can bs spocially conIigured .s lippels, reluse removal vehi c[.nce ol thal tnppetritrg. Althoulh tho V63p. is no lorger Piaggio s hon.sollin[ lcool.r - hrlitrg been ovEraaken by modGls srch ailhe Typhootr and ZiI -the llriddlsrltalian aclor Vitorio G{ssman wrs According ro Tribob direcror, nob Bossi, ho has busiooss inleresls in sratura, in Iop: Vespa for tho gos. llew ET{ t25 cc modals piclurod in nomo. is marketing lhe r.rge rhrough Scooler World in 0urh.n, Srruki world in Cape Town and Vespa Alic6 h Joh.nneshury. Ponted- Cedainly,lhe V.spa was oowlar rcmoved Irom b€h0 simply a cftoap rwo-wheeler ridden by halians out ol ecommic recessity. lnstoad, ding om had tecome synonymous with lreEdom - plniculs y lor r younger 0eneIalion which no long€rfelt it noodod to live in the sh.dows ol its parcnts and g.nrdpar' ents.lt hod becomaa symbolofa lilesiylej an icon which left an iodelible ma* on ils time in history: in the cinoma, on tGlevision, in lit- m0. chanman, Giov6nni Agn.lli. t{ow V8spa,.nd other Pisggio prcducls, are se! lo havo . hi{her protil. in the SA n.*arpl3ce. Doft.n-brssd Tribob Salos has ohhir.d loc.l disrrihurion ights and The 50 cc ET2 is rhe lirst iniected twoslroke scooler in fte world, which reduces amission lEU.l. .nd imprcves fuel consumption, whilB ar tho same lime m.inraining pedomaocc. Tho bigger t25 cc ET{ ulilises four'strokG propulsion and a single-cylinder Bossisays initi.l mrrketing etfons will he aimed sl municipalilies snd governmenl depanmenis, which should lind the low runoinq costs, floxibility and low theft pot8nlial ol iho prodocls aflraclive. As re0ads scoolols, Tribob is ma*etinq rhe vespr, Froe, Si, Zip, Typhoon, S&ipp6r and HerEgon lrom the Piaggio stable. Bur Rossi believes lh6r ,nuch work has srill ro be done. "W0 naad lo re-inve ihe scoorer ma*et, to re-delioe ihe scooler as cost' EfieclivE, reliabl! and Bcooomic," hesays. a Fudhat inlorntrion lnn Tibob ot lal ) 519-315,n2. two-yalya ly, omc ruic. wl ch i. phced toiiroflrt ami[, omilliona hrve teen rcduced lusl comumplior impmved. 'TtG lir.s ol th! mw torsration Vespa have origir.lily and .motiyo appeal, while and carryin!loflad an unmi.takahlc dcsign her- ilage," say3 a 3tal6mont ty Pilggro e).eclrtivGs. "lt still ha! tho cadrcily lo satisry the domanft ol h.tion rnd tic useis immediats ,oods bofilrttrn ary olhrrlwo-wheeler." E a3