The  Vespa  has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by                                                                Piaggio & Co.S.p.A. of Pontedera, Italy to a full line of scooters and one of seven                                                                        companies today owned by Piaggio.

                                                      From their inception, Vespa scooters have been known for their painted, pressed steel                                                              unibody which combines a complete cowling for the engine (enclosing the engine                                                                      mechanism and concealing dirt or grease), a flat floorboard (providing foot protection), and                                                        a prominent front fairing (providing wind protection) into a structural unit. In 1944, Piaggio                                                          engineers Renzo Spolti and  Vittorio Casini  designed a motorcycle with bodywork fully                                                              enclosing the drive train and forming a tall splash guard at the front. In addition to the                                                                bodywork, the design included handlebar-mounted controls, forced air cooling, wheels

                                                      of a smaller diameter, and a tall central section that straddled the scooter.

                                                      Officially known as the MP5 ("Moto Piaggio no. 5"), the

                                                      prototype was nicknamed "Paperino" (either "duckling"

                                                      or "Donald Duck" in Italian). Piaggio was displeased

                                                      with the MP5, especially the tall central section. He

                                                      contracted aeronautical engineer  Corradino D'Ascanio 

                                                      to redesign the scooter. D'Ascanio, who had earlier

been consulted by Ferdinando Innocenti about scooter design and manufacture, made it

immediately known that he hated motorcycles, believing them to be bulky, dirty, and

unreliable.

On the 23rd of April 1946, at 12 o'clock in the central office for inventions, models and

makes of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Florence,  Piaggio  e C. S.p.A. took

out a patent  a "motorcycle of a rational complexity of organs and elements combined

with a frame with mudguards and a casing covering the whole mechanical part". The basic patented design allowed a series of features to be deployed on the spar-frame that would later allow quick development of new models.

 The original Vespa  featured a rear pillion seat for a passenger, or optionally a storage compartment. The original front protection "shield" was a flat piece of aero metal; later, this developed into a twin skin to allow additional storage behind the front shield, similar to the glove compartment in a car. The fuel cap was located underneath the (hinged) seat, which saved the cost of an additional lock on the fuel cap or need for additional metal work on the smooth skin. The scooter had rigid rear suspension and small 8-inch (200 mm) wheels that allowed a compact design and plenty of room for the rider's legs. The Vespa's enclosed, horizontally mounted 98 cc two-stroke engine acted directly on the rear drive wheel through a three-speed transmission. The twistgrip-controlled gear change involved a system of rods. The early engine had no forced-air cooling, but fan blades were soon attached to the magneto-flywheel (which houses the points and generates electricity for accessories and for the engine's spark) to push air over the cylinder's cooling fins. The modern Vespa engine is still cooled this way.

 The MP6 prototype  had large grilles on the front and rear of the rear fender covering the engine. This was done to allow air in to cool the engine, as the prototype did not have fan cooling. A cooling fan similar to that used on the MP5 "Paperino" prototype was included in the design of the production Vespa, and the grilles were removed from the fender. Piaggio filed a patent for the Vespa scooter design in April 1946. The application documents referred to a "model of a practical nature" for a "motorcycle with rationally placed parts and elements with a frame combining with mudguards and engine-cowling covering all working parts", of which "the whole constitutes a rational, comfortable motorcycle offering protection from mud and dust without jeopardizing requirements of appearance and elegance". The patent was approved the following December.

The first 13 examples appeared in spring 1946, and revealed their aeronautical background. In the first examples, one can recognize the typical aircraft technology. Attention to  aerodynamics  is evident in all the design, in particular on the tail. It

was also one of the first vehicles to use monocoque construction (where the body is an integral part of the chassis). The company was aiming to manufacture the new Vespa in large numbers, and their longstanding industrial experience led to an efficient Ford-style volume production line. The scooter was presented to the press at Rome Golf Club, where journalists were apparently mystified by the strange, pastel coloured, toy-like object on display.

However, the road tests were encouraging, and even with no rear suspension the machine was more comfortable to ride

than a traditional motorcycle. Following its public debut at the 1946 Milan Fair, the first fifty sold slowly. With the introduction of payment by  installments, sales took off. Piaggio sold some 2,500 Vespas in 1947, over 10,000 in 1948, 20,000 in 1949, and over 60,000 in 1950.

                                                                                         The biggest sales promo ever was Hollywood. In 1952,  Audrey                                                                                                     Hepburn  side-saddled Gregory Peck's Vespa in the feature film                                                                                                 Roman Holiday for a ride through Rome, resulting in over 100,000                                                                                               sales. In 1956, John Wayne dismounted his horse in favor of the

                                                                                         two-wheeler to originally get between takes on sets. As well as                                                                                                     Marlon Brando, Dean Martin, and the entertainer Abbe Lane had                                                                                                 become Vespa owners. William Wyler filmed Ben Hur in Rome in                                                                                                 1959, allowing Charlton Heston to abandon horse and chariot                                                                                                     between takes to take a spin on the Vespa.

                                                                                         Vespa clubs popped up throughout Europe, and by 1952, worldwide                                                                                           Vespa Club membership had surpassed 50,000. By the mid-1950s,                                                                                             Vespas were being manufactured under licence in Germany, the                                                                                                 United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Spain; in the 1960s,                                                                                                           production was started in India, and Indonesia. By 1956, one million                                                                                           had been sold, then two million by 1960. By the 1960s, the Vespa—                                                                                           originally conceived as a utility vehicle had come to symbolize

                                                                                         freedom and imagination, and as a result four million by 1970, and                                                                                               ten million by the late 1980s.

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Improvements were made to the original design and new models were introduced. The 1948 Vespa 125 had rear suspension and a bigger engine. The headlamp was moved up to the handlebars in 1953, and had more engine power and a restyled rear fairing.  One of the best-loved models was the Vespa 150 GS introduced in 1955  with a 150 cc engine, a long saddle, and the faired handlebar-headlamp unit. Then came the 50 cc of 1963, and in 1968 Vespa 125 Primavera became one of the most durable of all models.