What Makes the Vespa Such a Classic
What Makes the Vespa Such a Classic?
The Vespa is one of the all-time classic vehicular designs. It has become synonymous with simple design, sleek lines, and youthful rebellion. The Vespa design has endured beyond the era in which it was designed and the hardship which provoked its creation. So why has the diminutive little budget bike from Italy captured the attention of the world for so long? This article takes a look at why the world still loves a Vespa.
Simplicity
The designer of the Vespa Scooter, Corradino D’Ascanio, wanted to keep things as simple as possible. The complexity of full scale motorbikes would have been completely inappropriate for what he had been tasked to design: an easy-to-maintain and drive scooter for cash strapped post-war Italian city dwellers. D’Ascanio’s simplification efforts helped make the design an aesthetic classic. The front wheel, for instance, is attached to a strut as opposed to forks. This was so that the wheel was simple to remove but lends the Vespa a unique asymmetry that any biking enthusiast will recognize a mile off.
A Rebellious Streak
Vespa scooters have had an association with youth and rebellion almost since they were first made. Because of their low price and simple construction, they were, for a long time, favored by rebellious young Europeans. For instance, Mod culture in the UK embraced the simplicity of the Vespa – in part because they could be modified so easily. Due to the subcultural adoption of the Vespa in the United Kingdom, the country even briefly overtook Italy as Piaggio’s biggest market in the 1960s! The Vespa’s association with youthfulness emerged as the first generation of British young people were able to spend their earnings on themselves instead of their families.
Aviation Heritage
Although the Vespa was first produced in the 1940s, its design is reminiscent of the beautiful aircraft of the interwar period: 1918-1939. Aircraft designs of the period featured beautifully curved silhouettes, metallic ornamentation, and bulging aerodynamically suggestive forms that have ever been rivaled in the aviation industry. The 1920s and 1930s are considered to be the ‘golden age’ of aviation. Why did Vespas look so much like interwar aircraft, you ask? The answer is simple: Corradino D’Ascanio was an accomplished aeronautical designer during the interwar and fascist periods, focusing on early helicopters. After the Vespa, D’Ascanio went on to help design the world’s first production civilian helicopter.
Photogenisis and Film
The Vespa’s classic status has been bolstered by its use in films – often portrayed as a beautiful accompaniment to the human body. Fellini’s romantic masterpiece ‘La Dolce Vita’ is perhaps the best-known example of a Vespa being portrayed in this way. However, the Audrey Hepburn classic ‘Roman Holiday’ might be almost as significant in bolstering the image of the diminutive little scooter.
Shape and Suggestion
The use of suggestive metaphor is a somewhat overused cliché when describing famous automobiles. In the case of the Vespa, however, there is a certain timeless eroticism to the Vespa and its interaction with the human body.
