Despite a dispute about the actual date of birth of the 50cc 'bees', people across Italy are already celebrating the anniversary of the iconic vehicle's birth. They can be seen buzzing down (often the middle) of many an Italian country lane but these days are just as likely to make an appearance, restored, in the fanciest thoroughfares of major cities. Piaggio's iconic 3-wheeler, the Apecar, celebrates 70 years since the first models were released onto the market in 1947. 

Enthusiasts disagree over the Ape's exact date of birth: prototypes were made available for sale in 1947 although the ape was only officially released in 1948. Diehard fans however have already started celebrating the vespa's cousins birth. The Italian Ape Club are due to meet in the northern city of Aosta for a series of celebrations next month. The classic lightweight model, the 'Apetta', has a 50CC engine and only 2.5 horsepower, yet it can carry weights of up to 205 kilograms. A staple of post-war Italian agriculture, more than 2.5 million 3-wheel, 4-wheel and even 5-wheel models have been sold in Europe alone.