Vespa is a line of motor scooters that was first manufactured in Pontedera, Italy in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A. Piaggio continues to manufacture the Vespa today, although the Vespa was much more widely used in the 1950s and 60s, when it also became the adopted vehicle of choice for the UK youth-culture known as Mods. The classic Vespas had unibody chassis pressed from sheets of steel, with bodywork covering the legs for protection from rain and mud. The direct drive engine was covered completely by a steel cowling, which in contrast to motorcycles, concealed the mechanicals (along with any dirt or grease) while also providing wind protection. Piaggio developed the first globally successful scooter with the Vespa, revolutionizing the two-wheel industry with a design which continues to influence the scooter industry today.
Piaggio sold some 2,500 Vespas in 1947, over 10,000 in 1948, 20,000 in 1949, and over 60,000 in 1950. Improvements were made to the original design and new models were introduced. The 1948 Vespa 125 had rear suspension and a bigger engine. The headlamp was moved up to the handlebars in 1953, and had more engine power and a restyled rear fairing. A cheaper spartan version was also available. One of the best-loved models was the Vespa 150 GS introduced in 1955 with a 150cc engine, a long saddle, and the faired handlebar-headlamp unit. Then came the 50cc of 1963, and in 1968 Vespa 125 Primavera became one of the most durable of all. Vespas came in two sizes, referred to as "largeframe" and "smallframe". The smallframe scooters came in 50cc, 90cc, 100cc, and 125cc versions, all using an engine derived from the 50cc model of 1963, and the largeframe scooters in 125cc, 150cc, 160cc, 180cc and 200cc displacements using engines derived from the redesigned 125cc engine from the late 50's. The largeframe Vespa evolved into the PX range (still in production in 125 and 150cc versions - update Piagio just stopped production July 2007) in the late 70's, while the smallframe evolved into the PK range in the early 80's although some vintage-styled smallframes were produced for the Japanese market as late as the mid 90's.
The appeal of the Vespa to the style conscious Mods was the weather protection - as opposed to their counterparts the Rockers, who rode classic British oily twins like Triumph Bonneville and BSAs, and needed to dress up in leather against both the elements and their oily bikes. Mods would modify their Vespas, adding lights, mascots, accessories, various racks and crash bars (profusions of mirrors were NOT a 60's fashion it became one after the realease of the quadrophenia album and film which featured scooters customised this way in the 70's). The whole phenomenon was dramatised with varying degrees of accuracy in Quadrophenia,the film based on The Who album of the same name. The dominance of the Vespa declined through the 1970s, as small car ownership increased and cheap and reliable commuter bikes like the Honda Super Cub hit sales. Despite the introduction of the more modern 'P' range in the 70's however, the lack of development cost Vespa, and like other markets the sales fell off drastically in the economic boom 1980s. Then Vespa introduced the trendy automatic ET2, London introduced the congestion charge - and partly with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's indirect help from his BBC2 series - sales suddenly leapt.
Piaggio first came back into the market in 2001 w/ the ET2 (two stroke 50cc) and ET4 (four stroke 150cc). In 2004, the PX (model year 2005) was re-introduced to North America to meet classic market demand. Growth in the US market and worldwide environmental concerns meant the need for larger and cleaner engines, so Vespa developed the LEADER (Low Emissions ADvanced Engine Range) series of four stroke engines. The larger Granturismo frame, with larger 12 inch wheels, was introduced to handle the additional power. The bike in 2006 spawned a GT250ie version, with an upgraded suspension and the new QUASAR (QUarter-liter Smooth Augmented Range) 250cc fuel injected engine, capable of 80+ MPH. In 2005, the ET was withdrawn from Europe and North America and replaced by a new small-frame scooter, the LX range. These were available in the USA in 50cc and 150cc versions, while Europeans could choose a 125cc.