The Vespa has just celebrated its fiftieth birthday in the grand ballroom of Rome's Palazzo Colonna. This same elegant salon, trimmed with ornate gesso-work and goldleaf, was used by director William Wyler in 1952 for the Palace scene in the film "Roman Holiday ", which starred Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. In honor of the occasion, hosted by Giovanni Alberto Agnelli, president of Piaggio, the scooter was set against a background of works by Guercino, Tintoretto and Rubens. Over 600 international journalists were on hand at the "Vespa Day" event.

The Vespa Day festivities came to a close at the Villa Quintili on the Appia Antica. The historic roadway was contructed by the Romans in 320 AD, connecting the cities of Rome and Capua. It is graced today by a number splendid villas. Among the 800 guests attending the function were many VIPs, such as Susanna Melik, wife of the American Embassy's Minister of Economic Affairs.
The villa's halls resounded with the deep bell- tones of Pavarotti himself.

The Rolls-Royce of the "Dolce Vita"

For some time, the Vespa has figured among that tight little group of international cult objects, which also includes Coca-Cola, the VW Bug, the Lacoste crocodile and Chanel No.5. By linking the Vespa inextricably to the Dolce Vita period, the film industry has contributed greatly to its success.

In 1952, the Vespa carried one of the screen's fabled couples -Hepburn and Peck- through Rome's tepid byways resulting in over 100,000 sales for its producer, Piaggio. In 1956, Hollywood's most famous cowboy John Wayne dismounted his horse in favor of the two-wheeler. By the end of the fifties, Lucia Bosé and her husband, the matador Dominguin, as well as Marlon Brando and the entertainer Abbe Lane had become Vespa owners. William Wyler, still in Rome in 1959, filmed "Ben Hur" at Cinecittà Film Studios. In tune with the times, actor Charlton Heston abandoned horse and chariot between takes to take a spin on the Vespa. More recently, the young independent Roman film-maker Nanni Moretti presented "Caro Diario" at the Cannes Film Festival in 1993. The narrative road-film opens onto the main character as he rides along on a Vespa (wearing a helmet, of course, in compliance with new safety regulations).

The Vespa Style: Union of Nostalgia and Modern Technology

The Vespa was originally designed in 1945 by Corradino D'Ascanio, an aeronautical engineer, and mass-produced in 1946.

The design is characterized by a certain smoothness. Its fine and nimble lines have been subjected to close examination by semeiologists and design writers . Umberto Eco, author of "The Name of the Rose", dedicated a piece to fascination with the Vespa. In honor of its 50th birthday, Piaggio has launched a new model Vespa onto the market which is reminiscent in style of the 1946 prototype. The motor is centrally located. The protective fairing is less squared than that
of the original and the level of exhaust emissions has been reduced. Contrary to the common practice of using plastic bodies, the Vespa of the third millenium has retained a steel chassis. The worldwide advertising campaign surrounding the launch of the new Vespa, realized by the Milanese agency of Ammirati Puris Lintas, is centered on the concept of Vespa as "Timesurfer", spanning decades from the 1950's to the threshold of the year 2000.

The American consumer, already fond of the Italian scooter affectionately referred to as "The Italian Stallion", can now add a new member to the stable.