Vespa, the iconic Italian scooter, celebrates 75 years since the first patent was presented by Piaggio on 23 April 1946. One of the top Made in Italy brands, Vespa's landmark birthday coincides with the milestone of reaching 19 million scooters produced, with the vehicles sold in 83 countries worldwide.

Vespas have been manufactured, uninterrupted since 1946, at the Piaggio plant in Pontedera, near Pisa, in Tuscany. The story of the Vespa dates back to the tail end of world war two, after the Piaggio factory that made Pontedera bomber planes was demolished by bombing.