Rome is rolling out the red carpet this week for one of Italy’s most iconic inventions — the Vespa scooter — as it marks 80 years since its debut.
The Italian capital is hosting “Vespa Roma 2026 – 80 Years of an Icon” from June 25 through June 28. The four-day celebration is centered at the Foro Italico and the Stadio dei Marmi, which has been transformed into a “Vespa Village” featuring exhibitions, racing events, parades, and club gatherings.
The Vespa was introduced in 1946 by Piaggio and quickly became a powerful symbol of Italy’s recovery following World War Two. Affordable enough for a country still rebuilding from the war, yet stylish enough to capture the world’s imagination, the scooter became a fixture on the narrow streets of Naples, Milan, and Rome.
The scooter’s cultural reach extended well beyond Italy’s borders. It gained international fame through appearances in films, advertisements, and travel brochures — perhaps most memorably in the classic film “Roman Holiday,” in which Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn rode through the streets of Rome together.
Over the past eight decades, the Vespa has never stopped rolling off production lines. The design has gone through approximately 160 updates, and close to 20 million units have been sold globally — with just over two million of those sold in the last ten years alone.
Today, the scooter is available in around 100 countries, with its strongest markets in Europe and Southeast Asia. It is currently manufactured at three facilities located in Italy, Vietnam, and India.
