Vespa, in Italian, is not only the name of the stingy and frightening wasp. The word also identifies one of the world’s most famous examples of industrial design, dating back to 1946, and made internationally famous by the 1953 Hollywood motion picture Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.
The creator of this iconic scooter — an example of a perfect blend of ingenuity, style and appeal — was Corradino D’Ascanio. An aeronautical engineer from my home region, Abruzzo, he also designed and built the first helicopter, whose first test flight took place in the city of Pescara, a town near Popoli, a small village in the hinterland where D’Ascanio was born.
Although the various models produced over the years have retained the original character, the lines of the old ones are still striking, as shown in this photo of a Vespa used as a prop in a shop display in Via del Tritone, Rome.
I took the photo with my Nikon 35TI just before it broke down after years of service in various part of the world. Maybe there will be some chance to bring it back from the grave, but that is another story.
Share this post:
Comments
Jeffery Luhn on Sting of the Vespa – A One Shot Story
Comment posted: 06/03/2025