classic* 1947 Vespa 98

Throughout the allied bombing campaign against Italy's military industrial infrastructure, Piaggio's Costruzione Meccaniche Nazionali di Pontedera industrial facilities in Finale Ligure, Genoa and Pontedera were completely destroyed. Within the publish-war renovation duration of the mid nineteen forties, Rinaldo Piaggio's boy Enrico made the decision the Piaggio firm would abandon the aeronautical area, and rather, concentrate on manufacturing affordable transportation which was urgently useful in helping rebuild Italy's devastated economy.

The Vespa MP6 'Wasp' Prototype

The job of creating a brand new, cheap mode of transportation was designated to engineers' Vittoria Casini and Renzo Spolti. In 1943, Piaggio introduced their first scooter built in a factory in Biella (Piemonte), the "Talkabout Piaggio 5" (MP5 Paperino), nicknamed "Pato Jesse" (Jesse Duck) through the factory employees. The Paperino used a 98 cc Sachs two-stoke motor produced in Germany.


1947 Vespa 98

Enrico Piaggio wasn't particularly thrilled with the feel of the MP5, so he switched the look work to Corradino D'Ascanio (1891-1981), who had been formerly an aeronautical engineer for Costruzioni Aeronautiche Agusta Health spa aviation. D'Ascanio design needs were to produce a two-wheeled vehicle which was affordable, simple to operate, and available to an extensive selection of motorists through the use of one step-through design which may attract both males and ladies.