The Vespa is such a potent symbol of Italian lifestyle that it is often a surprise to find that other cultures have embraced the iconic scooter. One country that I never thought would embrace the Vespa is America. The country that gave us large-displacement v-twins and gargantuan V8s designed to cover the vast distances across the country seems like the last place a stylish yet diminutive scooter would ever find a toe-hold.

Well, it seems I am wrong, as the Vespa Club of America is happy to point out to me. In June of this year, up to 800 scooter owners will congregate in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St Paul on June 22-26 for a five day extravaganza of scooter-related fun!