What would an iconic scooter be without the corresponding lettering? When you hear the name Vespa, you often think of the lettering and/or the logo. They are unmistakably emblazoned on the front of the leg shield, on the cascade, on the rear or on the side bonnet. Since the beginnings of the Vespa, there have always been small changes to the logo and lettering. And not only does each model series have its own lettering, sometimes there were even changes within the individual model series. We give you a brief insight into the history of the Vespa logo and tell you what to look out for when you want to fit a new nameplate or replace the old one.
A logo with history
The first Vespas from 1946 to 1952 were only produced with the Piaggio logo of the time. This was rectangular and diagonally divided into two parts. The upper part was dark blue with a white “P” inside and the lower part was light blue with white Piaggio lettering. A separate Vespa logo was not created until 1952, which was designed in cursive script, underlined and usually placed diagonally. In terms of colour, it underwent a small evolution early on. While the lettering in the 50s was initially chrome-plated or painted green, it later changed to midnight blue and from the mid-60s to silver or polished aluminium. The cursive script disappeared for a short time in the 70s and was replaced by straight lower-case letters. With the appearance of the Modern Vespas, however, the script made a comeback and is still used today. The Piaggio logo has also undergone a change over the years. The once rectangular shield-shaped logo was replaced at some point by the now typical Piaggio Hexagon.
The right nameplate for every Vespa
If you value an absolutely original look, you should pay close attention to which lettering belongs to your own Vespa. But not only that – the placement on the scooter itself must also be right. Does the lettering belong on the rear, on the leg shield or on the side bonnet? What about the cascade? Which logo can go there? If you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, you can easily choose the wrong one, as some of the lettering and emblems differ only minimally. SIP Scootershop makes it particularly easy to choose and assign the right logo. In the online shop of the scooter professionals, all lettering and emblems are assigned to the respective Vespa models, including the border chassis number, and the differences are also described in detail. If you are not sure of the vehicle type, you can also filter and search by dimensions, material, name and fastening.
The fastening also makes a difference
There are various ways of attaching the lettering, some of which are very model-specific. Some lettering is attached with rivets. When choosing, pay attention to the number of rivets or holes in the lettering. For lettering with pins for the leg shield (which are also riveted), also pay attention to the number of pins and the hole spacing. This can be offset, which means that the lettering is attached diagonally. Both versions can be mounted perfectly with riveting pliers and suitable adapters.
Special care must also be taken with the emblems for the cascade. There are variants with clip fastenings, but these only fit models that were built with them as standard and have a corresponding recess. However, there are also universal adhesive and plug-in variants that are suitable for every model. In some cases, the original lettering was only glued or even painted on. Most newer Vespa models are equipped with self-adhesive lettering made of synthetic resin.
If you don’t necessarily want to stick completely to the original look, you can of course also let off steam with other colour variants, which can be found at SIP Scootershop under the designation “Accessory”. These can be used to give the Vespa another individual touch or to perfectly complement a beautiful paint job.
