Vespa: Style in Motion

by Piaggio Foundation (Editor & Contributor)

From Roman Holiday to Quadrophenia, the Vespa scooter has long been a symbol of youthful independence as well as one of the most recognizable pop culture icons of the 20th century. Immortalized as a design classic, the ever-growing ranks of Vespa dealers and scooter clubs worldwide attest to its enduring popularity at the street level. For the first time, the complete history of this chic mode of transport is celebrated in Vespa: Style in Motion. Fully authorized by and drawn from the archives of its manufacturer, Piaggio, this mighty volume tells the Vespa's story from its birth, right after World War II, to the brand new Granturismo model. Vespa is filled with hundreds of film stills, advertisements, and period photographs, offering a visual homage for any fan of Italian flair. Specifications and diagrams of all 41 scooter models, plus in-depth profiles of 15 classic Vespas, provide a detailed reference for true aficionados. Always in vogue, the Vespa remains the ride of choice for hipsters and internationalists everywhere. This, for them, is the last word.

Genres: Vespa

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Tom Glatch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is everything you want to know about the iconic Vespa scooter, and so much more. Written by multiple authors and translated from Italian, the book not only details the history of the Vespa, but puts it in historical context. That historical context can be burdensome for a reader that is not from Italy or even Europe, but it does set the stage for the various developments and models over the years. The typesetting also cut off some characters at the beginning or end of lines. But the graphics and overall design are excellent, and I would give this impressive tome 4 1/2 stars if I could. How interesting that one of the greatest examples of Industrial Design was created by an engineer, not one of the great Italian designers. Highly recommended!

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous book! It does, however, lead to Vespa envy.