Vespa is surely the most iconic of all scooter manufacturers in production today. Actually, scrub that. Vespa is surely the most iconic of all scooter manufacturers ever and the latest models combine modern day technology and performance with looks which pay homage to the famous models of old. Since putting the first Vespa in production back in 1946, parent company Piaggio created utilitarian transport and somehow turned it into a hugely desirable and fashionable brand.
Developed as cheap post-war transport to get the Italian population moving, the buzzy little two-strokes (called Vespa because the engine made a sound like a wasp – or vespa in Italian) became popular when Hollywood stars fell in love with the cutesy scoots. In the days before social media, Audrey Hepburn riding side saddle behind Gregory Peck in the 1953 romantic hit movie Roman Holiday created an icon of the age. It’s thought the movie itself was responsible for over 100,000 Vespa sales, and among the customers were fellow 1950s American superstars Marlon Brando, Dean Martin and John Wayne, whose ownership only added to the kudos of the utilitarian workhorse.
Although all Vespas have followed a fairly traditional classic scooter style, being famous for their distinctive pressed steel body design. However, they’ve evolved over the years to embrace all the modern technology you’d expect to find in a premium scooter, moving to automatic transmissions, four-stroke engines and even smartphone integration. These 10 models, however, are among the most important ancestors upon which the legend has been built, at least in our opinion.
1946: Vespa 98
The first Vespa just has to be in our list, for no other reason than it’s where it all started. It’s the genesis of the breed and gave birth to the brand we’ve come to love today. Powered by a 98cc two-stroke engine, over 20,000 were made in a two-year production run. With 3.2bhp and a top speed of 37mph, it was no speedster. In 1948 the engine was modified and the capacity increased to 125cc. Now producing 5bhp, top speed increased to over 45mph and rear suspension was fitted for the first time.
1955: Vespa 150 GS
Arguably the most famous of the early designs, the 150 GS featured the classic styling elements for which the scooters would become renowned. Capable of over 60mph (100kph), it had a four-speed manual gearbox with the classic handlebar-mounted headlamp, 10” wheels, long bench style saddle and an aerodynamic fairing. It enjoyed a production run into the 1960s, when the faster 160 model replaced it.
1964: Vespa 50
A significant model, the Vespa 50 was designed to circumnavigate Italian laws requiring larger capacity machines to be registered and display a number plate. This made it a hugely popular machine and is of extra significance, as it was the final design of Corradino D’Ascanio, the man who penned the original Vespa almost two decades earlier.
1965: Vespa 180 SS
From one extreme to the other, the 180 SS was the fastest Vespa ever at the time. Capable of 65mph from the 10bhp, 181cc, engine it received modified bodywork and better suspension to give better comfort and improved road holding.
1968: Vespa 125 Primavera
Translated from Italian as ‘Springtime’ the Primavera brought together the look many of us still think of when remembering the traditional Vespa scooter design. With a higher top speed than previous 125s and classic design touches like the now commonplace bag hook, it’s the kind of scooter popularised by the Mod revival and the movie Quadrophenia.
1983: Vespa PX 50/125
A new design, the P series Vespas swapped elegant lines for a chunkier look more typical of ‘80s design language. Available as a 50cc moped and a learner legal 125, this generation of Vespa introduced automatic transmission for the first time. The lack of a clutch lever saw the removal of the previously traditional footbrake and the arrival of the handlebar mounted brake arrangement we’ve come to expect from modern scooters, with the front brake lever operated by the rider’s right hand and the rear mounted on the left side of the handlebar. Other innovations around this period included the introduction of electronic ignition and an oil-injection pump, which did away with the need to pre-mix oil and petrol.
1996: Vespa ET4
Fifty years after the company’s first scooter, a new generation arrived with the first four-stroke Vespa, the ET4. Emissions meant that two-stroke engines were being legislated out of sale but, despite being a radical departure for Vespa enthusiasts, the reimagining of this classic brand was a huge sales success. A thoroughly modern twist and go scoot, it brought Italian style to the previously utilitarian 125 and 50cc scooter market.
2003: Vespa Granturismo
Things started moving fast in the early 21st century. Just as reborn versions of the Mini and VW Beetle were giving new life to classic car icons, so Vespa’s new four-strokes brought classic scooter design elements to the modern day powered two-wheeler. With a larger frame, it brought a dash of panache to the increasingly popular midi-scooter category. A 200cc engine meant that it wasn’t learner legal, but gave it over 20bhp and that meant that it could live up to its ‘Granturismo’ tag – with an ability to cruise in excess of motorway speed limits.
2005: Vespa GTS
Continuing to expand upwards (both in terms of spec and price) in the scooter market, the GTS arrived in 125 and 300cc versions and completed Vespa’s near 60-year journey from utilitarian to luxury. It’s a design which has been tweaked and refined over the past two decades, making it the ultimate luxury scooter you can buy today. Available in 125 and 310cc versions, today’s GTS is super refined and as much a fashion accessory as it is a practical form of transport. The name and looks might be very traditional, but the GTS is packed with the very latest technology.
2025: Vespa 946 Snake
Recent years have seen Vespa undertake some high profile collaborations as they continue to push their products to a wider audience and broaden their appeal beyond traditional scooter buyers.
Tie ins with the likes of Disney, Dior, Justin Bieber and fashion designer Sean Wotherspoon have generated massive headlines and created limited edition models which have sold for premium prices.
But for 2025 Vespa have gone on their own with a premium 125cc scooter called the 946 Snake. The 946 (the name inspired by Vespa’s founding year, 1946) has been a highly styled (and very expensive) model in the Vespa range for over a decade now, with this version built to celebrate the Chinese year of the Snake. The design is arguably the most traditional of all the company’s models.
The latest in a regular series of limited editions, Snake is built for collectors from the outset, with just 888 units built for sale worldwide. At more than twice the cost of a GTS 125 it’s not the choice of everyday commuter, however as an embodiment of the spirit of the modern day Vespa company it perfectly demonstrates how fashionable the brand has become.
