In its early days, the Vespa was a cheap and efficient way of zipping around bombed-out Rome. Now, it stands atop a multi-billion dollar scooter industry, chosen by the world’s elite because of it’s style and sex appeal. But how did all that happen?

Today, more than 16 million Vespa motor scooters have been made and sold across the world. The simple bike was designed by a distinguished aeronautical engineer, Enrico Piaggo. Upon completion, he named the bike a ‘Vespa’, which is Italian for ‘Wasp’.

Even in the 1950s, the Vespa was a seductive machine. It had everything you might want in terms of style, usability and reliability, but the price tag remained low. It’s step-through frame meant women could use it while wearing skirts, and it’s hidden engine gave it a modernistic allure that had been missing from two-wheeled vehicles of the time.

Most importantly, the Vespa was fun. In a morbid, post-war Italy that had shifted its focus to modest machines produced on a tight budget – the Vespa was a welcome breath of fresh air.

Hollywood also played it’s part in immortalising the Vespa. It appeared in the 1953 romantic comedy ‘Roman Holiday’, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck – and that movie alone is credited with the sales of 100,000 scooters.

The audience was enamoured with glamorous Hollywood couple, as they spun around Rome on one of the scooters, aimlessly and stylishly. The Vespa had captured their imagination – and now everyone wanted one.

But the free advertising for Piaggio’s mechanical wasp continued unabated. Other stars and films followed. From Angie Dickinson, who rode glamourously on her Vespa in ‘Jessica’ (1962) to Gwen Stefani, racing one in the 2007 video for ‘Now That You Got It’.

This year, Piaggio launched its 946 model, which draws its stylistic inspiration from Piaggio’s original. But, it has four times the power of the original, and comes equipped with ABS brakes and traction control, too.

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[ Source : BBC]