In 1963, the Vespa 50cc motor scooter became an instant hit with the Italian youth and the transportation craze soon spread throughout Europe. For the next five weeks on LaVespaVita.com we’ll document the impact the Vespa 50cc scooter had on the transportation and cultural landscape since its 50cc engine inception.

Vespa 50cc History – Each Monday, Vespa will be sharing exclusive content about the history of the Vespa 50cc, from archived vintage advertisements to rare technical drawings.

Vespa Pop Culture by the Decade – Every Wednesday Vespa will revisit important art, pop culture, fashion, music, and films from each decade, with a uniquely Vespa perspective.

How Do You Vespa? – Each Friday, Vespa will feature passionate Vespa owners who share their stories and photos of their favorite experiences aboard a Vespa.

Did you fall in love with Vespa as an exchange student in Italy? Are you summering with Vespa? If so, we want to hear where you’re going and what you’re doing on two-wheels. Is your Vespa aboard your boat? Are you riding your Vespa in the city to beat public transportation and the underground subway heat? Short day trips to the beach in your area? Is your Vespa on the back of your RV for quick ‘in to town’ trips while vacationing?

Submit photos and your stories by using the hash tag #VESPAVITA on Twitter and/or Instagram to help us create a digital timeline of beautiful images of Vespas and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Vespa 50cc scooter. All submissions will be automatically added to La Vespa Vita’s mosaic gallery of photos.

His decision to take this trip was inspired by stories that he had heard of people who had taken motorcycle trips across country. Soon after his decision, he packed his bags and hit the road to Texas. “I felt free as a bird riding a calm wind as I listened to the vibration of the scooter,” said Barnes in an article published on Scooter City Sacramento.

One of the most challenging moments during his trip was when he encountered a steep hill and stormy weather in Arizona. At one point, he almost got into an accident when he was run off the road by a car and was forced down an embankment.

In the end, he made it to Austin, TX on his Vespa as he had envisioned. “The road to Austin was rough and rugged, but the Vespa was still going strong. I survived the ride without having any breakdowns or repairs,” stated Barnes.

To read more about Barnes’ road trip click here.

This week’s Contribution of the Week comes from Instagram user @TheStyleLine

Take notice of that old school logo with the wings, learn more about our logo evolution here.

This week’s Contribution of the Week comes from Instagram user @labovee.

We visited this booming city and shot street style photos, here are some of our favorites:

To view more pictures head over to the Vespa Americas Facebook page.

Rojas has always been highly influenced by mod culture; one of his favorite films is Quadrophenia which is about the mod movement that emerged in the 1960s and the soundtrack is by British band The Who.

In order to make his Vespa more “mod” he customized it with lights on the front.

After discovering his passion for mod culture and style he started to dress very mod as well, “it was one of the starting points for me to get into my suit obsession,” said Rojas, “I cut my hair shaggy and only wore suits around town.”

This week’s Contribution of the Week comes from Instagram user @VespaAZ

“J. Crew’s window display on Broadway. We love Italian cashmere and Vespas too! #vespavita” – Vespa Club NYC

This week’s Contribution of the Week comes from Instagram user @vespaclubnyc

This week’s Contribution of the Week comes from Instagram user @stephclarke