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It was in April 1946 when Italian motorcycle manufacturer Piaggio introduced the Vespa motorcycle, ushering in an amazing and stylish mode of transport. Introduced just after the end of the Second World War, it gave the Italians a new sense of freedom and unprecedented mobility for the youth.
The name Vespa means “Wasp” in Italian and soon gained popularity as initial sales were made through a small dealer network at a starting price of 55,000 Italian lire, which was less than $100 in those days.
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The Vespa quickly became a pop culture icon that was made famous by the 1953 Hollywood film “Roman Holiday,” with stars Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck riding through the streets of Rome. Soon it became popular all over Europe and in just 10 years, one million units had been sold. By 1988, it reached the 10 million mark.
This year marks the brand’s 75th anniversary. With over 19 million units sold globally, it is arguably the world’s most beloved motorcycle brand.
The Vespa 75th
Vespa Philippines marked Vespa’s diamond year with the launch of a special 75th commemorative edition, which will be offered for the year 2021 only. Available in two models, it comes with exclusive livery, special finishes, a new saddle, and chrome plated luggage rack for a bag specially designed for the scooter.
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The Vespa 75th comes in a 150cc Vespa Primavera model and the 300cc Vespa GTS model, both of which will be presented in the “Giallo 75th” color, which is an original metallic yellow color considered popular in the 1940s. It comes in a special nubuck leather saddle in smoke grey with piping with its wheel rims painted in grey with a machine finish and a host of chrome-plated details, including the “tie” ornaments, the stickers on the front mudguard, the instrument cluster surround, the muffler cover, the rear-view mirrors and, for the GTS only, the foldaway passenger footpegs.
The chrome finished rear luggage rack is a distinctive feature of the Vespa 75th, which houses a round bag whose shape replicates the typical spare wheel holder. Made also from nubuck leather in the same color as the saddle, the bag has a shoulder strap for easy carrying and clips on the luggage rack with a quick-release mechanism.
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Just like in all Vespa special editions, the model comes with a specially marked badge plate behind the leg shield. Both models of the anniversary version are equipped with a 4.3-inch TFT color display and the fully digital instrument cluster features the Vespa MIA smartphone connectivity system.
Each Vespa 75th also comes with a special welcome kit, including a vintage steel Vespa plate, a personal owner’s book and eight collector postcards with images from the eight decades of the Vespa story.
Seiko x Vespa
At the launch event, Vespa Philippines also unveiled a Seiko x Vespa 75th limited edition timepiece for its Vespa customers and special guests. It is a Seiko 5 Sports Automatic watch in Fifty-Five Fathoms Homage gold tone finish. It has a 43-hour power reserve with a see-through caseback. Priced at P19,000 each, only 200 pieces were made and only 75 pieces of these timepieces were numbered. As expected the watches were quickly snapped up by Vespa and Seiko fans alike and only a few pieces remain.
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Vespa is distributed by the Autohub Group and for inquiries about the Vespa 75th and the Seiko x Vespa collab watch, contact Wayne Tee Ten at +63918-9995555 or checkout their Instagram account @autohub_group
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