Return of the legendary Vespa special

| Mon, 08/06/2007 - 07:30

New scooters hit market starting in September - Piaggio has restyled the famous Vespa Special and the new Vespa S is expected to hit the market sometime in September of this year.

The scooter, with its characteristic square headlight, became an Italian icon during the 1970s.

The new Vespa S sports a light frame and a quick 50cc motor perfect for the younger crowd. The 125cc model equipped with a modern and ecological propeller (per Euro 3 standards), was designed for the 'open road' outside the city.

New additions include an electronic ignition and automatic gear shifts.

The Vespa S will sell for 2,500 euros, while the 125 will go for 3,200 euros.

The Vespa legend is still alive and well, especially in Europe and the U.S. where Leonardo di Caprio and Steven Spielberg are just two stars that cruise Hollywood with theirs.

Production data confirms that passion for the scooters just keeps getting stronger over 100,000 were produced in 2006, which was double the 2004 manufacturing totals.

Estimates for 2007 are already well over 110,000.

Piaggio has held out against factory outsourcing and every single scooter is manufactured in the Pontedera (Pisa) plant right here in Tuscany.

During the 1950s industrial boom Enrico Piaggio outsourced Vespa production to India, Singapore, Belgium, Germany and the U.K.

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