Vespa

The Vespa (lat. / Ital. Wasp for ) is a motor scooter by the Italian company Piaggio. It is among the world's best known and most popular scooter types.

History

The first Vespa, the Vespa 98, 1946 came on the market and was nicknamed " Paperino " ( duck ); they had 98 cc and was a maximum of 60 km / h. Its inventor Corradino D' Ascanio was - an engineer whose dream was to build a helicopter. He " invented " the concept of Vespa shortly after the war on behalf of Enrico Piaggio. As a former designer of warplanes, he wanted more than the production of pots and pans with the existing tools out.

The original Vespa " 98 " should be simple, economical and easy to ride - and be build with the existing production facilities. Because Corradino had never designed motorcycles, he went totally unbiased approach this task. The drive and the transmission should be as simple as possible and so he opted for a system Unit Swing without secondary chain, since the chain drive at that time of need was almost impossible for lack of material. The Vespa should have no engine parts, where you could get dirty. Therefore, the motor was housed completely concealed. The tire change should be like a car so easy.

Concept and dissemination

For the development of the concept of concern that at Piaggio Aero Industries, a former wartime aircraft manufacturers, with a small project, the exploitation of certain resources ( plant, material, design experience) should be optimally guaranteed. The users who had mostly still suffering the privations of war, needed a cost-effective, but attractive means of transport, which includes driving on damaged roads could wear nothing. These restrictions arose out - as so often in the history of technology - an ingeniously simple concept, the Vespa. Your name was registered on April 23, 1946 for a patent. She arrived with only 3.2 hp at a speed of 60 km / h

The next type " Vespa 125 " (1953) had 5 hp and was 75 km / h fast. Among other improvements, now was the headlights mounted above the handlebar. Further innovations followed in 1955 with a 150 cc engine, four-speed transmission, long double saddle and 100 km / h top speed.

In the fifties, Vespa was also known north of the Alps and a favorite vehicle especially the young generation. In Switzerland, the first Vespas were exported in 1947, according to Germany they came around 1950. Jacob Oswald Hoffmann graduated in 1949 with Piaggio a license agreement and built in the Rhenish Lintorf from the spring of 1950 Vespas for the German market. Between 1950 and 1953 he built the HA model and only in 1953 the model HB.

Under great expense Hoffmann developed without permission of the Piaggio works on the Vespa and eventually brought in 1954, the "Queen " on the market. Piaggio announced Hoffmann then the license agreement without notice.

In addition, Hoffmann put great effort similar to the BMW Isetta in the development of a scooter scooter ( Hoffmann cabin). Due to the very large similarity and thus violated patent rights of BMW Group sued the Hoffmann -Werke. BMW won the case, so the end of 1954 had to file the Hoffmann -Werke bankruptcy. The Vespa production was continued in the Messerschmitt works at Augsburg. 1965 over three million Vespas have been sold worldwide, after their run in Europe ebbed slowly, because now for the masses also was affordable. The Vespa but was in India and parts of Asia and some countries in Africa to one of the main means of transport and it is partly up today. Except in Germany various Vespa models were built in all parts of the world under license, for example, in India by Bajaj and LML, in France by ACMA, in England by Douglas, Pakistan, Iran and Malaysia. In the USSR the GS3 has been copied and built under the name Vyatka without a license in a slightly modified form in large numbers.

The scooters, which are still produced today have achieved cult status. The first Vespa clubs have been founded in the late forties. These local clubs were each teamed by umbrella organizations in individual countries (eg Vespa Club of Germany, Vespa Club of Switzerland, etc.). In Europe, as was the Vespa Club d'Europe, which subsequently merged with the FIV ( International Federation of the Vespa Clubs). The FIV in turn end of November 2005 announced its resolution known and has been replaced by the new "Vespa World Club ".

For older and rare models such as the Vespa U, Hoffmann Vespa, Vespa SS50 and SS90, or the French military Vespa TAP 56 or 59, from the license production of the company ACMA, fancy prices are paid.

With the manual transmission Vespas there is criticism that the technical equipment is not the current state of the art equivalent ( ergonomics, environmental, etc. ), while they have several advantages based on it: the independent fashion design or the ability to self-repair.

The supply of spare parts for vehicles made ​​by Piaggio is good, also, the market offers a wide variety of additional items.

Past and current types

From the earlier types, only a selection is given:

Models in the current sales

  • S 50 (two- or four-stroke ), S 125/150 i.e. 3V ( air-cooled 3- valve four- stroke engine, fuel injection, variator )
  • Vespa GTS 125 i.e. Super ( Water-cooled 4-valve 4- stroke engine, fuel injection, variator ).
  • Vespa GTS 300 i.e. Super ( water cooled, 4 -V 4- stroke engine, fuel injection, variator ).
  • Vespa PX 125/150 (new edition of the old PX, air-cooled 1 -cylinder 2-stroke engine, 4 - speed gearbox, manual).
  • Vespa 946 ( air-cooled 125cm ³ - and 150cm ³ four-stroke engine with 3 valves, variator, ABS and ASR)
  • Vespa Primavera ( air-cooled 50cc two-stroke engine, 50cc - 125cc - and 150cm ³ four-stroke engine, variator )

The motorized " wasp " (Vespa ) also has a relative who "Bee " ( Ape ), as the popular tricycle transporter performs very well especially in the region around the Mediterranean today.

Driver and Social

In particular, owners of classic Vespas are often organized in clubs, associations and regular tables, while also regular meetings (Vespa Alp Days, Vespa World Days ) or rallies take place.

In the scene, a distinction is commonly between " screwdrivers " and so-called Prodomo drivers - the latter was originally an insult for those scooter riders, who were not willing to commit to body and soul to their vehicles that figuratively were willing therefore, instead of real espresso happy to give with a brewed coffee as Dallmayr Prodomo. Meanwhile, there are also self-confessed " Prodomisten " and " Prodominas ".

Vespa in art

Since the 1960s, artists modify their scooter custom scooters. Under the title " equipment & real estate " realized the German artist Eberhard Bosslet four photo series on the Canary Islands, Spain. Came to use an old Vespa Sprint, which he often painted in alternating dialogue with the backgrounds.

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