Italian iconic brands Moto Guzzi and Vespa celebrate a centennial and a diamond respectively. Releases commemorative models
From 23 April 1946, the patent filing date, to 2021: seventy-five years of history during which the Vespa has taken the roads of the entire world up by a whole new gear. A period that has seen the Vespa lead new trends in social customs, music, youth culture, accompany the growth of countries and continents and become a timeless icon, a symbol of contemporary living, an example of Italian style and technology.
To celebrate the Vespa’s 75th anniversary as a true citizen of the world, a new special series, Vespa 75th, has been created for the Vespa Primavera (in 50, 125 and 150 cc models) and the Vespa GTS (125 and 300 cc). It will be available as from March and for 2021 only. A unique offer, which is also presented on the VESPA.COM website and the Vespa social media channels.
The Vespa 75th body, all-steel as always, is presented in “Giallo 75th”, an original metallic yellow. Developed specifically for the new series as a contemporary interpretation of hues in vogue in the 1940s, the colour evokes the heritage, innovative spirit and fashion-loving style of the Vespa.
The side panels and front mudguard display the number 75 in a slightly stronger shade, creating a quietly elegant tone-on-tone effect, which is repeated on the front of the scooter, where the traditional “tie” is an opaque pyrite yellow.
The two-wheeler also features a special nubuck leather saddle in smoke grey with piping, wheel rims painted in grey with a diamond finish and a host of chrome-plated details, including the “tie” ornaments, the badge on the front mudguard, the instrument cluster surround, the muffler cover, the rear-view mirrors and, on the GTS only, the foldaway passenger footpegs.
The rear luggage rack, another distinctive feature of the Vespa 75th, is also chrome-plated: it houses a round bag whose shape replicates the typical spare wheel holder. Made from velvety-soft nubuck leather in the same colour as the saddle, the bag has a shoulder strap for easy carrying, and clips on the luggage rack with a quick-release mechanism. It comes with a waterproof cover.
Like all Vespa special editions, the series is identified with a plate behind the leg shield.
In technology terms, the Vespa 75th represents the top of the Vespa range: all the models of this anniversary version (with a 50 cc plus engine) are equipped with a 4.3” TFT colour display, while the fully digital instrument cluster makes the best possible use of the capabilities of the Vespa MIA smartphone connectivity system.
In addition to all this, to mark the exclusivity of this special celebratory series, each Vespa 75th comes with a Welcome Kit including an elegant Italian jacquard-silk scarf with handsewn hems, a vintage steel Vespa plate, a personal Owner’s Book and eight collector postcards with images from the eight decades of the Vespa story.
Moto Guzzi turns a hundred
On 15 March 2021, Moto Guzzi celebrated its first legendary 100 years.
A century of history, splendid motorcycles, triumphs, adventures and extraordinary personalities, who together built the legendary Eagle Brand. Moto Guzzi celebrates this exceptional milestone at a time when it is enjoying a fresh new season of success.
The motorcycle range has been extensively renewed, with the deployment of state-of-the-art technical features in terms of electronic rider aids, while the brand values of style and authenticity have been kept intact. Each Moto Guzzi motorbike is constructed at the Mandello del Lario plant with craftsmanlike care and commitment to a unique, authentic identity, skilfully balancing the classic Moto Guzzi style with cutting-edge technology and reflecting a construction philosophy that creates an exclusive relationship between the bike and the rider.
“The Moto Guzzi centenary is a proud moment both for the Piaggio Group, which was joined by the Eagle brand in 2004, and for Italian industry as a whole, not just the motorcycling sector. A capacity for innovation, boldness in moving ahead of the times, a competitive spirit, love for the product and meticulous attention to production quality are the skills that over the years Moto Guzzi has combined with its unique relationship with the local community,” Piaggio Group Chairman and CEO Roberto Colaninno said.
“Ever since 1921, every Moto Guzzi bike that has gone out into the world has been built at the Mandello factory, the place where the company was set up exactly one hundred years ago. All this will continue through its second century of history. Moto Guzzi is an example of all-Italian excellence,” added Colaninno.
The eagle logo, the unmistakable Moto Guzzi emblem, has in itself helped to create the legend of a brand that has always been indissolubly tied to the history of Italy.
The spread-winged eagle dates back to the military service of the company’s founders, Carlo Guzzi and Giorgio Parodi, in the Italian Royal Navy’s Aviation arm during World War One. It was during the war that the two friends, and pilot Giovanni Ravelli, decided to go into motorcycle manufacturing once the conflict ended. Ravelli was killed in an accident in 1919 and was never able to achieve his dream. Guzzi and Parodi chose the Eagle as their symbol to commemorate their companion.
Over its one hundred years, Moto Guzzi has won victories on racing circuits around the world, raising the Italian flag for an impressive 14 World Championship Titles. It was the motorbike of the speed record, the symbol of growth of a country looking to the future, the motorcycle of the police force and the army, and extended its vocation to the international stage, equipping the Californian Police and, more recently, the police forces in Berlin and many other European cities, as well as the sovereign’s escort in Jordan. Moto Guzzi is also the motorcycle of the Corazzieri, the elite corps that escorts the President of the Italian Republic.
From the very start, Moto Guzzi has been the motorcycle of choice for long-distance travel. It was 1928 when Giuseppe Guzzi reached the Arctic Circle on his GT “Norge”, starting a tradition that still continues, with travellers setting off on their Moto Guzzi bikes every day, somewhere in the world, bound for distant lands.
The move back into competitive racing with the Moto Guzzi Fast Endurance Trophy, to be held this year on a European scale, and a new family of motorbikes have brought Moto Guzzi back to a prime market position and introduced its name to a younger public. The classic V7, which has just come out on the new 850 twin cylinder, and the classic enduro V85TT intended for travel and designed for comfort and easy riding, are the best-sellers of a brand that has been enjoying a revival for a number of years.
Moto Guzzi has always been admired and respected by bikers all over the world, whatever motorcycle they own, and bikers will be the protagonists of Moto Guzzi World Days at Mandello del Lario from 9 to 12 September, the clou event in the festivities for the Moto Guzzi centenary, the main celebration for this special anniversary.
Moto Guzzi World Days has always been an unmissable occasion for bikers and now makes its eagerly awaited comeback, ten years after the last edition. Tens of thousands of enthusiasts will arrive from every corner of the planet to enjoy a unique and unforgettable event, made possible thanks to the collaboration between Moto Guzzi, the Comitato Motoraduno Internazionale and the municipality of Mandello del Lario.
“It has gone down in our country’s history without ever losing its youthful spirit and continues to inspire genuine passion among thousands of Guzzi bikers all over the world,” Colaninno concludes.
Today Vespa and Moto Guzzi are part of the Piaggio Group, Europe’s leading constructor of motorcycles and scooters.