VESPA, famous for their scooters have just produced the 100,000th Vespa this year, it was a red Vespa GTS 250. Vespa production volumes and shipments have made impressive progress in the last two years: production volumes in 2004 were just over 50,000, approximately 87,000 in 2005, and more than 100,000 in 2006: an increase of 16% in the last 12 months alone.
Vespa's record-breaking success will also have an important social impact: as Roberto Colaninno announced on 27 April during the celebrations to mark the Vespa's 60th anniversary, the Piaggio Group is to donate one Euro for each Vespa sold in 2006 and 2007 to the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association (AISM), a body set up in 1968 to provide social and medical assistance, raise public awareness about multiple sclerosis and promote scientific research into the disease.
The record output of 100,000 Vespa scooters in 2006 is a direct reflection of the success of the world's most famous scooter range, which this year welcomed the Vespa GTV and LXV vintage line, as well as the Vespa GT 60°, a limited edition whose 999 numbered units"produced to mark the iconic scooter's 60th anniversary"were purchased within days by collectors and scooter enthusiasts around the world. Yet another indication of a brand appeal that has continued to flourish over the years, an accomplishment that very few brands can match.
Since the launch of the Vespa 98cc in 1946, the model that laid the foundation for the myth, the Vespa has sold all over the world, for a total of nearly 17 million scooters.
