Vespa, the ~ (f) (scooter) scooter, the ~ Noun. Vespa thrived until 1992, when Giovanni Alberto Agnelli became CEO, but Agnelli was already suffering from cancer and died in 1997. In 1951, the motorcycle manufacturer Douglas, with economic problems, began producing Vespa scooters licensed by Piaggio in Bristol, with a market that included some Commonwealth countries and the United Kingdom. They have recently started exporting to India for the first time (traditionally, that market had licensed Indian versions of the Vespa manufactured by LML and Bajaj). From all points of view, the most important global market for Vespa is still Italy, but as a result of the mod subculture that developed in the 1960s, the United Kingdom remains the second largest global market for Vespa and, at some point in the 1960s, the largest.
Vespa returned to the US market in 2001 with a new ET series with a more modern style, in two and four strokes of 50 cc and four strokes and 150 cc in four strokes. Cushman sold Vespa scooters renamed Cushmans, but many Cushman dealers refused to sell a foreign machine. Vespa resumed sales in the United States with the opening of its first store on Ventura Boulevard, in Sherman Oaks, California. Since their inception, Vespa scooters have been known for their unique pressed and painted steel body that combines, in a unified structural unit, a complete engine cover (which encloses the engine mechanism and hides dirt or grease), a flat board (which protects the feet) and a prominent front fairing (which provides protection against the wind).Once the collaboration ended, Bajaj continued to produce scooters based on the design of the Vespa, that is, the Chetak.
The 98 cc two-stroke engine of the Vespa, closed and mounted horizontally, acted directly on the rear drive wheel through a three-speed transmission. One of the most popular models was the Vespa 150 GS, introduced in 1955, with a 150 cc engine, a long saddle and a faired handlebar-headlight unit. In the 1950s and early 1960s, Vespa and Lambretta scooters competed against motorcycles and, often, they won the races. The dominance of the Vespa declined during the 1970s, as the ownership of small cars increased and cheap and reliable everyday bicycles, such as the Honda Super Cub, came to sales.
The scarcity of available parking for cars in large urban areas and the low operating costs of the Vespa are two of the reasons for the increase in popularity of the Vespa (and other scooters). Vespa clubs appeared all over Europe and, by 1952, the number of members of the Vespa Club worldwide had exceeded 50,000. Later, Vespa introduced the modern automatic ET2, the City of London introduced the congestion rate and, in part, thanks to the indirect help of famous chef Jamie Oliver with his television series of BBC2, sales increased suddenly.
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