The 19 millionth Vespa unit was an anniversary edition GTS 300. (Piaggio Group/)Vespa hit its 75th anniversary earlier this year and also celebrates 19 million scooters produced with a special 75th series that includes limited-edition versions of the Primavera and GTS. The actual 19 millionth unit was a GTS 300 produced at the brand’s Pontedera plant, where the whole story started back in 1946.
Vespa is using a special Giallo 75th colorway on its line of 75th series machines, drawing inspiration for the color from design aesthetics popular in the 1940s. In total there will be five anniversary editions available in 2021: 50cc, 125cc, and 150cc size Primaveras along with 125cc and 300cc editions of the GTS.
The brand that’s become synonymous with scooters around the world. (Piaggio Group/)Riders in the States will be able to choose from the Primavera S 50 ($4,499), the Primavera S 150cc ($5,849), or the GTS Super Tech 300 ($7,949) with units arriving this May.
The brand has established itself as the paradigm of scooters around the world and its designs have become synonymous with the word “scooter” for countless individuals. The company started just after World War II with a patent for “a motorcycle featuring a rational elemental and organic complex combined with frame and fenders and an engine hood covering all mechanical parts.” Two years later the Vespa 125cc was debuted and by 1949 there were enough Vespa enthusiasts to hold the first Unione Italiana Vespa Riders convention with 30 different clubs in attendance.
The Primavera and GTS anniversary editions will come with special badging to mark the occasion. (Piaggio Group/)Over the following years Vespa gained a foothold in the popular culture of the mid-20th century thanks to movies like Roman Holiday and ever broadening availability throughout Europe and beyond.
Vespa has entered units in the Paris-Dakar rally, has seen its scooters successfully make the trip from Rome to Saigon and Alaska to Tierra del Fuego; it has set scooter speed records and pushed scooter technology forward again and again.
Vespa developed a special colorway to honor the aesthetic popular in the 1940s. (Piaggio Group/)Recent years have been a boom for Vespa as well, with almost 2 million of its total 19 million units being produced in the last 10 years alone.
And with its step into the electric market with the Vespa Elettrica, the Italian brand appears poised to carry forward well into the future.
