Vespa 98 Among the 12 Best Industrial Designs of the 20th Century

A study carried out by CNN has shown the Vespa 98 as one of the best industrial designs of the 20th century.



Even though there are many fellows out there who would never like to be seen riding a Vespa, we have to be honest and admit the iconic scooter is one of the major trend-setters in the two-wheeled industry.

Given the amazing popularity of the Vespa scooters and their reliable build, we got to see them in motion pictures, copied and sold in pretty much any country around the globe, and this contributed to enhance the profound impact this vehicle had on culture and society.

Speaking with CNN about the Vespa, the Italian designer Gianfranco Zaccai added: "Vespa's unisex design is genius: both men in suits and women in skirts can travel elegantly." The other 11 winners of the category are: Apple Macintosh, the escalator, the Virgin Galactic Space Plane, the AK-47 machine gun, the floppy disc, the iPod, the Aeron chair, the 1979 Bang & Olufsen stereo system, the Airbus A380, Ford Model T and the jet engine.

source autoevolution

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Vespa 125 Sei Giorni 1951

This was a vehicle developed for trial racing, in which it enjoyed considerable success. Its styling was very similar to that of the standard models, except for a larger fuel tank, wraparound leg shield and a larger right side sack to house the carburetor on the cylinder.
It earned its name by competing in the 26th International 6-Day Event of 1951, at which it won nine gold medals. The Piaggio racing team was composed of: Biasci, CAu, Granchi, Mazzoncini, Merlo, Nesti, Opessi, Riva, Romano and Vivaldi. In 1951 the Vespa 125 Sei Giorni also won the Motorcycle Italian Federation Trophy.  

Vespa 125 Sei Giorni

Engine: Two-stroke single cylinder engine
Bore: 54 mm
Stroke: 54 mm
Displacement: 124.2 cc
Top speed: 95 km/h
Suspension: elastic with coil spring on the front wheel, elastic with coil spring and hydraulic damper on the rear wheel Brakes: cast-iron drums with large cooling fins
Tires: 3.50-8


Source www.vespausa.com

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Vespa 125 - 1951

Vespa 125 - 1951

Vespa 125 - 1951

Very similar to the 1948 model, the 1951 Vespa was more comfortable, especially because of the addition of a hydraulic shock absorber to the front wheel. The major difference was the gear change, with soft control cables replacing the earlier push-rod linkage. From an aesthetical point of view, the rear lamp, round in the earlier models, was now rectangular; the saddle had a new color and design – it was closed in front to hide suspension movement.
Very popular in those years, this was the model on which Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck made their romantic escapade in the unforgettable “Roman Holiday” movie.

Engine: Two-stroke single cylinder engine
Bore: 56.5 mm Stroke: 49.8 mm
Displacement: 125 cc Top speed: 70 km/h
Suspension: elastic with coil spring and hydraulic shock absorber on both wheels
Brakes: drums Tires: 3.50-8

 source www.vespausa.com

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Vespa 150 GS - 1959

Vespa 150 GS 1959-1962

Vespa 150 GS - 1959

This was the last Vespa in the legendary GS series, first produced in 1955 with the successive engine and styling improvements made to the VS versions and numbered 2 to 5.

The VS5 front shield had a stainless steel rim and a die-cast handlebar that concealed the control cables, exactly as on the VS2.
It had a characteristic fan-shaped speedometer and the rear lamp had a stop light, which had become compulsory, with chrome trim. The front mudguard crest also had a new design. There were significant improvements to the braking system and the engine in general.
It had a new carburetor and cylinder head with a hike in horsepower to make running smoother and more flexible. This model was manufactured from 1959 to 1962.

Engine: Two-stroke single cylinder engine
Bore: 57 mm Stroke: 57 mm
Displacement: 144.5 cc
Top speed: 94 km/h
Suspension: coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers
Brakes: drums Tires: 3.50-10

source www.vespausa.com

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Vespa 98cc Race 1947

The first fabulous race Vespa was conceived for participation in various race circuits. With it, in 1947 Piaggio dealers could enter in speed contests.
The Vespa in fact took part in several gradlent and track races, with many victories in the scooter category, among which the Naples Grand Prix in 1947 and the chronograph climb at Rocca di Papa (Rome).
The Vespa 98 Corsas form derived from the standard production model, but it had a much smaller, bubble-shaped shield and small handlebars. The horn was taken off the steering column cover and seat is placed far back, so that the rider had to stretch to reach the handlebars. The rear brakes were also retracted to suit the riders elongated, aerodynamic position.

Engine: Two-stroke single cylinder enginewith cast iron horizontal cylinder and aluminum head
Bore: 50 mm
Stroke: 50 mm Displacement: 98 cc
Top speed: 80 km/h
Suspension: spiral springs on the front wheel, leaf springs on the rear wheel
Brakes: drums
Tires: 3.50-8


source : vespausa.com

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Vespa 98 series 2 1947

The second series of the Vespa 98 (1947), of which 16,500 units were produced, included significant improvements over the preceding model, design-wise as well as in terms of technical and practical aspects.
The front mudguard no longer had a hatch opening, and it had been reduced in size to make wheel changing easier in case of a puncture, a frequent occurrence in the post-war period because of bad roads. Magazines of the period noted that potential customers had to wait eight months for their Vespa 98. This led to the creation of a flourishing black market, with Vespas being sold at as much as double their normal retail price.

Engine: Two-stroke single cylinder engine.
Horizontal cast iron with press-fit cylinder in iron and light alloy head.
Bore: 50 mm
Stroke: 50 mm
Displacement: 98 cc
Top speed: 60 km/h
Suspension: elastic with spiral steel springs on the front wheel and rubber buffers for the rear wheel Brakes: drums Tires: 3.50-8

source :vespausa.com

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Vespa Monthery 1950

In order to promote the sporting image of the Vespa, Piaggio turned its attention to record breaking in the hope of reviving a glorious post-war tradition.
On April 7 1950, on France’s Monthery circuit, these riders took turns as the Vespa spent 10 consecutive hours acquiring 17 world records: over 1 hour (average speed 134 km/h); over 100 miles (average 129.7 km/h), 500 miles (average 123.9 km/h), 1,000 km (average 124.3 km/h), and over 10 hours during which the Vespa covered 1,049 km.

On a streamlined vehicle similar to this (the Vespa 125 Circuit alloy frame of 1949) rider Dino Mazzoncini also performed brilliantly in track races, most memorably in the head-to-head between Vespa and Lambretta that took place on the Genoa Circuit (Corsa Italia) and ended in a victory for Vespa in the motor class.
Engine: Two-stroke
Bore: 53 mm
Stroke: 56 mm
Displacement: 125 cc
Top speed: 136.92 km/h average
Suspension: front with coil spring, rear with rubber pad
Brakes: drums
Tires: 3.00-10 (for races) source : www.vespausa.com

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Vespa MP6 Prototype 1945

Vespa MP6 Prototype 1945 At the end of the Second World War, Enrico Piaggio gave Corradino D’Ascanio the job of designing a simple vehicle that was tough, economic, and elegant. It had to be easily rideable by anybody without dirtying their clothes, and have a seat for a passenger.

D’Ascanio, who was not a great lover of motorbikes as such, drew up a completely original vehicle. Digging into his aeronautics background he came up with the idea of a vehicle mounted on a chassis with the gear change on the handlebars. He also put the drive on the rear wheel so creating a highly original wheel-mounted engine grouping.

The front suspension arm, looking a bit like aircraft landing gear, made changing the wheel much easier.   This prototype, the MP6, was still without a name when in  September 1945 it was presented to Enrico Piaggio, who exclaimed, “It looks like a wasp!”

Engine: Two-stroke single cylinder engine, with the cylinder in iron and the cylinder head in light alloy. Bore: 50 mm
Stroke: 50 mm
Displacement: 98 cc
Top speed: 38 mph
Suspension: elastic with a steel spring on the front wheel and rubber pads near the rear wheel and engine
Brakes: drums
Tires: 3.50-8 source : www.vespausa.com

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MP5 Paperino 1943

Towards the end of the Second World War, Enrico Piaggio was driven to start up production again by the idea of offering the widest possible market low-cost product. And, with this in mind, the factory at Biella produced a motor-scooter (1943-1944).

This prototype, designed by the engineer Renzo Spolti and coded MP5 (Moto Piaggio 5), was christened "Paperino", which means "Donald Duck", by the workers.   But Enrico Piaggio didn’t like it, and passed the job over to Corradino D’Ascanio to review the project and build something different, more advanced both technically and stylistically.

However, before evolving into the Vespa, about one hundred Paperinos were produced, which are today highly prized by collectors.

Engine: Two-stroke single cylinder Bore: 50 mm Stroke: 50 mm Displacement: 98 cc Gearbox: Continuous speed-variator Transmission: chain or cardan Top speed: 60 km/h Suspension: 2 tubular holders with springs Brakes: drum Tires: 4.00-10 source : www.vespausa.com

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VESPA P200e

S p e c s: VSX1T

1977 - 1982
engine: single cylinder, air cooled 2-stroke
induction: disc valve
bore: 66.5 mm
stroke: 57 mm
cubic capacity: 198 cc
compression ratio: 9.8: 1
bhp at rpm: 12 @ 5700
lubrication: 2%(USA autolube)
transmission: 4 speed constant mesh
primary drive: 23/65
1st gear: 13.42: 1 (12/57)
2nd gear: 9.13: 1 (13/42)
3rd gear: 6.32: 1 (17/38)
4th gear: 4.71: 1 (21/35)
clutch: wet - multiplate
carburetor: Dell'Orto SI 24/24 E
(1981 & 1982 sometimes have a SI 20/20 D in a last ditch attempt to meet CA emissions- jet sizes below are for the 24mm carb)
venturi size: 24 mm
main jet: 116/100
slow running jet: 160/100
throttle valve: 8492.4
mixer tube: BE 3
atomiser: 300/100
starter jet: 60/100



ignition: electronic
ignition timing: 23 deg. BTDC
spark plug: NGK - B6ES
spark plug gap: 0.6 mm
voltage: 12 volt





wheels: 10"
wheel hubs: cast w/cooling fins
tires: 3.50 x10
tire pressure (front): 18 psi
tire pressure (rear solo): 26 psi
tire pressure (rear w/passenger): 36 psi
max speed: 65 mph
total dry weight: 238 lbs

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