When the first Vespa scooter rolled off the Piaggio production line in 1946, nobody could have guessed that it would become a legend more than 75 years later.
In the end, all the ideas had been realized, only to be refined again and again over the following decades and brought up to the latest technical standards:
- a practical and robust means of transportation
- small and maneuverable
- low maintenance and travel costs
- Traffic jams are no longer an annoying obstacle
- no worries about parking
A brief history of Vespa Clubs
Having initially been regarded as a workhorse and a pure means of transportation, the Vespa quickly became associated with fun and joie de vivre.
Vespa became the ultimate symbol of freedom, independence and casual Italian elegance – “Dolce Vita” at its best.
Vespa clubs soon sprang up, first in Italy, then throughout Europe and finally worldwide. This enduring passion finally led to the founding of the Vespa World Club in 2006.
In 2006, the VWC celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Vespa scooter, which had now achieved iconic status. The Vespa World Club now covers 66 countries worldwide. This gave rise to the annual international Vespa World Days, where thousands of Vespa fans meet in a different country each year to celebrate the culture and history of the legendary scooter.
Great program in Pontedera for Vespa fans
To give you a brief overview, we have picked out just one day of the four days. The times were roughly the same every day, only the topics changed. So if you would like to take part next year, you can already get a taste of what to expect.
Around 30,000 Vespisti from all over the world brought around 20,000 Vespa scooters with them. This made tight organization necessary, which was only possible by registering participation in many events in advance.
In Italy in particular, the birthplace of the Vespa, there were of course the famous Piaggio Museum and the Vespa Boutique to visit in addition to the festival exhibitions. There was a Vespa Village especially for the Vespa World Days, with spare parts stores and local customer service for all your needs.
Thursday, April 18
- 11:00 to 21:00: Vespa spare parts stores in the Vespa Village
- 14:00 to 18:30: Test Ride Vespa opening in the Vespa Village
- 14:00 to 24:00: Vespa stand in the Vespa Village
- 15:00: Opening of VWD 2024 in the Vespa Village with musical interlude
- 15:00 to 15:30: Meet and Greet at the Museo Piaggio, title: the construction of the Vespa from 1946 to today (Italian, this event was also repeated in English)
- 17:00: sweet break Amedei: tasting experience in the Amedei factory
- 18:00: Official opening “Welcome to the Vespisti” of the municipality of Pontedera, with opening concert
- from 18:00: various book and film screenings
- 21:00 to 24:00: live music show and tastings in the Vespa Village
In between, numerous very interesting presentations, such as:
“Piaggio engine manufacturers, the entire engine design from blank sheet to CAD modeling to testing”.
The speakers were senior engineers and designers, such as: Michele Livi, Head of Advanced Engineering and Project Management, or Marco Lambri, Head of the Design Center with his team.
A team from the SIP Scootershop was also present and was able to gather some impressions. Starting in Landsberg am Lech, they battled their way through the freezing cold to finally enjoy the warming sun in Italy.
Highlight of the VWD-2024: big Vespa parade
The big Vespa parade on Saturday broke all records. More than 15,000 Vespa scooters set off from Pontedera and wound their way around the Valdera hills. This colorful, 16 km-long snake of metal impressively represented the rich Vespa history.
Leading the never-ending Vespa queue was Rudy Zerbi, music producer, film star and avid Vespa fan, on a fantastic GTV 300.
After that, all the Vespa models from 78 years of Vespa history were on display:
- the first and extremely rare 98cc from 1946
- the legendary 125cc “Faro Basso” from the 50s
- the 50cc from 1964, the 125cc ET3
- rally bikes from the 70s
- an ever-growing number of Vespa PXs were also represented
Conclusion
Although the journey for the SIP team from Bavaria across the Alps was not necessarily enjoyable in the lousy, wet and cold April weather, we Vespisti made the best of it. Always according to the motto:
There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. The best time to get new functional clothing!
The Italians have put together an event that will be very difficult to top.
The next Vespa World Days 2025 will take place in the Spanish city of Gijón. With the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop, this will certainly be a huge advantage, at least in terms of open-air events.
With this in mind: have a safe journey!
