Information AboutVespa |
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| 1946 establishments | |
| piaggio group | |
| motor scooters | |
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| transport in italy | |
| transport in pakistan | |
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The Vespa is a line of Motor Scooter s that was first manufactured in Pontedera , Italy in 1946 by Piaggio & Co, S.p.A. Piaggio continues to manufacture the Vespa today, although the Vespa was much more widely used in the 1950s and 60s when it became the adopted vehicle of choice for the UK youth-culture known as Mods , and later Skinheads . The classic Vespas had unibody chassis pressed from sheets of steel, with bodywork covering the legs for protection from rain and mud. The Engine was covered completely by a steel cowling to appeal to a broader market of people, often turned off by the dirty/greasy stereotype often applied to Motorcycle s. Piaggio revolutionized the two-wheel industry with the Vespa and provided a model on which nearly every other scooter made since has been based. HISTORY ]] Most older Vespas have manual transmissions that are controlled by twisting the left handgrip while pulling the clutch lever and selecting between the 3 or 4 gears. They also had Two Stroke Engine s, requiring a mixture of oil with the gasoline in order to lubricate the Piston and Cylinder . The mixture of oil in the fuel produced high amounts of smoke. Increasing environmental restrictions compelled Piaggio to pull out of the US market in 1985. Vespas would have completely disappeared from the American scene if it weren't for the enthusiasts who kept the vintage scooters on the road by rebuilding and restoring them. : Vespa in transport business]] Vespa returned to the US market in 2001 with a new, more modern style, and offers several models that have automatic transmissions and using both Four Stroke and cleaner Two Stroke engines. First came the ET2 (50 cc) and ET4 (50-124cc). Next came the larger 200 cc Granturismo 200. In 2004 they reintroduced a modernized PX 150. In 2005 a LX model that comes in both 50 and 125 cc versions in the UK and 50 and 150 cc version in the US. Most Vespas feature either a rear Pillion for a passenger, or a storage compartment, just behind the driver's seat.However,some vespas have a storage compartment located on the 'back of'/behind the front shield, not too dissimilar to the glove compartment in a car.Also, the fuel cap is located underneath the (hinged) seat, which is why many vespas seats have a lock on seats . The Vespa is recognized as the epitome of Italian design and with its elegant lines and classic aesthetics, there is a dramatic increase in the number of urban commuters who have purchased new or restored Vespas. The difficulty of parking cars and the Vespa's low running costs are two reasons for this upswing in Vespa (and other scooter) popularity. Vespas acquired popularity beyond Europe and North America. In India, Piaggio transferred Vespa technology to Bajaj Auto, which continues to make scooters derived from Vespas of the 1960's. Bajaj used to sell in North America in the early 1980's but later withdrew from the market, owing both to the aforementioned environmental constraints, and patent infringement accusations from Piaggio. Bajaj scooters are back in the North American market, though most of the Vespa pedigree has been engineered away (other than the body shape). Another Vespa clone producer in India is LML Motors, which manufactures the "Stella" range of Vespa clones that are sold in the USA. ''Vespa'' is . Piaggio was, and is today with Piaggio Aero , an aircraft factory. After World War II , recognizing the need for conversion to civil market, it approached this idea using internal skill, expertise and spare parts: in the first exemplar one can recognize the typical aircraft technology of molded steel sheets riveted at the edges, the front wheel with lamp was actually a landing gear, the engine was derived from a starter of an airplane engine, attention to aerodynamics is evident in all the design, in particular on the tail. It was also one of the first automobiles to use monocoque construction (where the body is an integral part of the chassis). Vespa scooters came in two sizes in the 1970's. They were referred to as "large frame" and "small frame," despite the fact that their molded steel bodies eleminated the need for a conventional frame. If you bought a 90 cc Vespa, for example, it was a small frame, while large engine models like the Vespa Rally 180, were large frame. Vespa also made scooters for Sears and Cushman. The Sears models were nothing but 125 cc Vespas rebadged as Sears Allstate Cruiseaires. Cushman, manufacturer of the motor scooters by the same name, sold rebadged Vespa scooters as Cushmans, but many Cushman dealers refused to market a "foreign" machine. However, collectors prize the Cushman Vespa because it is relatively rare. MODELS Historic models made by Vespa:
also:
Recent models made by Vespa:
Current models being offerred include:
VESPAS IN FICTION Fictional people who own Vespas
Movie, book, and web references to Vespas
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