The classic coupling of Italian flair and efficient function is making Vespa scooters increasingly attractive to city dwellers in Australia.
Riders have embraced the Vespa as offering something beyond the affordability and smooth operation that scooters provide and have fallen in love with their iconic rides.
Enthusiasts of the classic Vespas point out the 1950s and 60s styling, the almost exclusive use of metal bodywork, manual shifting mechanisms and kick-starters as characteristics that give their vehicles a unique riding experience.
The scooters also feature the ability to be tailored to suit the owner’s individuality in ways that motorbikes cannot.
With extra bodywork for custom paint designs and a whole range of accessories available they lend themselves to more personal expression.
Although being highly economical, scooters do trade by their looks and it is important for their riders to feel they are on a stylish, well designed, classic machine.
Famous for being the only vehicles allowed into inner Italy it is little surprise that Sydneysiders are leading the scooter revolution in Australia.
The heavily trafficked city has become the epicentre of the scooter market in Australia, where Vespa outsells the nearest competitor by four to one, and has an ever increasing number of specialty stores catering to their maintenance, customising, spare parts, accessories and restorations.
Vespa appreciation clubs have also sprung up in Australia in over recent years, a phenomenon experienced in heavily populated cities worldwide.
Nearly 17 million Vespas - meaning wasp because of its slender waist and ample rear panels- have been sold since they first appeared in post war Italy, making it the best selling line in two-wheeled history.
Scooters are typically much less expensive to purchase than cars, have less insurance and cost less to maintain.
And besides being an alternative to increasing fuel costs, high parking prices and traffic congestion you get to smell the air, feel the breeze and pull over whenever and wherever your mood takes you.
Making going to work, school or the movies a journey with ease and style, the Vespa scooter has begun to take a hold on the Australian inner city landscape.
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