What do you reach for when you sneeze? A Kleenex. There will always be many manufacturers of tissues, but the Kleenex brand does it best. The Kleenex brand name has become synonymous with tissues because of its quality and consistency. The same can be said for Vespa as the two-wheeled Italian icon is what comes to mind when most people picture a scooter. Why is this? What is it about Vespa that makes it a scooter?
All scooters are a two-wheeled mode of transportation. While a Vespa is transportation, and in fact was designed to provide low cost transportation for the masses following WWII, it is much more. Take the engineering and design for example. The Piaggio Group (parent company to Vespa) has its roots in airplane manufacturing, but wanted to make an affordable two-wheeled vehicle that would be fun and easy for everyone to ride. The result was a simple, but functional form that remains largely unchanged. The engine started on the right foot, and has been continually improved with Vespa using technologies to benefit the rider and the environment.
But a Vespa isn’t just great engineering. There are reasons it is THE iconic scooter; the curve of the leg shield, the bulbous cowls, and those sweeping lines of the body. If you ask an artist to draw a scooter, they usually draw the shape of a Vespa. The style of the Vespa sets it apart, making it more than just a scooter.
Like a sharp suit or a little black dress, the simple classic styling of a Vespa is what stands the test of time. Rarely does this style stop at the handlebars. It often extends to the rider, someone who appreciates and incorporates fantastic and original style in their life.
A scooter can be found in anyone’s garage but a Vespa is found where people want to stand out for their style and vow to live life with passion. The Mod subculture for instance, for whom fashion and style is paramount, are Vespa devotees.
A Vespa is also found where friends ride together. Vespa clubs around the world are evidence of this. A Vespa can be found on an enjoyable commute to work, not a boring ride to the office, as it’s the best way to get around traffic and not be a sardine stuck in a car on four wheels. A Vespa roams free in the environment, not separated from it by windows and roofs. Stuck in a car you never experience the wonderful smells of a bakery, or hear the waves crashing beside you, or feel the cool breeze of the canyons.
A Vespa is found where there is fun and excitement, on road trips where you truly experience the road and exercise your sense of adventure, and where you want to arrive to your destination on something fabulously unique.
A scooter can be found with anyone, but a Vespa is found in you.
Check out more pictures of Sean with his Vespa GTS 300 ie:
Sean Needham Piaggio Technical Representative 9 to 5, Vespa enthusiast 24/7
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