Vespa 98 was the first Vespa scooter. It was launched in the year 1946. Vespa 98 was the strong foundation that appealed to the masses. The unique shape that resembled a ‘wasp’ (hence the name Vespa, which is ‘wasp’ in Italian) has stood the test of time.
Vespa 98 Corsa Circuito Sales of the Vespa 98 were slow at first but it quickly took off when Vespa introduced payments via instalments; another important decision Vespa made to help the people of Italy to commute easily. Vespa even turned one of the 98 into a racer known as the Vespa 98 Corsa Circuito.
1949 Vespa 125 – The 98’s successor Vespa 125 was to Vespa 125 Corsa “alloy frame” (1949): In 1949 Vespa was first built with a race chassis which was made from the same aluminium alloy used for the construction of aircraft. the front suspension arm plus an engine cover that lifted upwards for easier access.
1950 Vespa Monthlery – The record-breaker As a fan of racing, Vespa was always active in promoting their brand in the field. The brand took a bigger step on April 7th 1950 with its streamlined and alloy-framed Vespa Monthlery that set numerous speed and lap records.
Vespa 125 (1951): It was the first Vespa model to feature in a movie. The model of 1951 became even more famous after it appeared in the movie Roman Holiday which told the love story of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Rome.
1955 Vespa 150 GS – A true beauty Many Vespa enthusiasts regard this model as the most beautiful Vespa ever made. The 150 GS changed the market in the 1950s as it appealed to a younger crowd and with its sports credential thanks to the Piaggio racing team.
1956 Vespa 150 Troupes Aéro Portées (T.A.P.) – The soldier The Vespa 150 T.A.P. was born out of a request from the French Ministry of Defence. As a result, around 600 Vespa 150s were equipped with a whopping 75mm M20 recoilless rifle that fired anti-armour rounds. It was later known amongst fans as the “Bazooka Vespa”.
1957 Vespa 400 – A Vespa car! Surprisingly, Vespa did make a car! One of Vespa’s founding engineers, Corradino D’Ascanio always wanted to design a car as he initial HATED the idea of a motorcycle. The car was launched in 1957 powered by a 393cc two-stroke engine, producing around 14hp at the wheel.
1966 Vespa 90 Super Sprint – The cult favourite The Vespa 90 Super Sprint (90SS) is highly sought after as it resembles the iconic 1955 Vespa GS.b It featured design improvements to front shield, top box and spare wheel placements, standing as a true collector’s piece. Although not as rare as some Vespa’s one-off specials, it is certainly a top fan favourite among hardcore Vespa enthusiasts due to its beauty and rarity.
Vespa Rally 200 (1976): After the great success of the Vespa 180, in 1972 Piaggio developed a model that was powered for the first time by a 200cc engine.
On its 70th anniversary in 2016, the iconic Vespa had launched scooter with a special commemorative series of models, including the nippy Vespa Primavera, the sporty GTS (in 125cc and 300cc versions) and the timeless PX.
Marking the 75th anniversary of the iconic Vespa scooter, Piaggio introduced a special commemorative series of models. They are available on the Vespa GTS and Vespa Primavera models. The 75th anniversary Vespa Primavera 125 and the Vespa GTS Super Tech 125 and 300 models will come with a 75th suffix and a unique retro-styled yellow paint scheme.
