Taking you back down memory lane with the history of Piaggio
Italian motor vehicle manufacturer Piaggio manufactures commercial vehicles, as well as two-wheelers such as motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters under seven brands, namely: Vespa, Moto Guzzi, Scarabeo, Aprilia, Gilera, Derbi, and Piaggio.
Piaggio has achieved success in the motor racing arena, clinching a total of 104 world championship titles, with 54 from Aprilia. Headquartered in Pontedera, Italy, Piaggio has production plants all around the world, such as Vietnam, China, and Venice. Financially, in 2016, the company has sold over 500,000 vehicles globally and has reported net sales of ~€1313 million in that same year. Mr. Roberto Colaninno is the current CEO and Chairman of the Piaggio Group.
Way back in 1882, Enrico Piaggio secured a deal to acquire a plot of land in Sestri Ponente, which he planned to construct a timber yard on. His young son, Rinaldo, soon joined him. A few years later, in 1887, Rinaldo opened his own company, Piaggio &C. It ventured into the railway sector two years later. By 1916, Rinaldo has converted the company and entered the aeronautical and aviation industry.By 1937, the company had begun producing vehicles and engines based on its own patents after the new factory in Pontedera was built. Subsequently, the company achieved 21 world records within the next 2 years. In 1938, Rinaldo Piaggio passed on and his two sons – Enrico and Armando, took over the reins.
During World War II, Piaggio was known to be one of Italy’s best aircraft manufacturers, and thus, the military wanted to destroy the company’s plants. The above mentioned plant in Pontedera was bombed. Furthermore, there was a recession in the economy and the roads were demolished. Enrico left the aeronautical field to tackle the increasing need for an inexpensive mode of transportation.
In April 1946, the first Vespa scooter was launched. The Vespa was a resounding success – within the next decade, one million Vespas were sold to the masses. Fast forward to 1969, Piaggio purchased European motorcycle manufacturer company Gilera – well known for its victories in world championships. In the next few years, Piaggio has seen a reshuffling of directors, and production of new scooters, such as the Sfera and Hexagon, released in the 1990s.
In 2004, apart from securing an agreement with Chinese Zongshen Group pertaining to the sales and manufacturing of engines, Piaggio signed the contract to acquire the Aprilia-Moto Guzzi Group. Subsequently, in 2009, the first-ever hybrid scooter was made available to the market. Three years later, the Vespa LX 125 was released at Delhi and production commenced at the same time with the opening of a new plant at Baramati.As mentioned in the beginning of the article, Piaggio manufactures two-wheeled vehicles with seven different brands such as Aprilia and Scarabeo. Two brands, Gilera and Derbi, also manufactures all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Piaggio is also a manufacturer of light commercial vehicles such as vans. More popular vehicles produced by Piaggio are the Ape, a three-wheeled light commercial vehicle, the Piaggio XEvo, and the Piaggio MP3 scooter, to name a few.
Piaggio List:
(Images: Piaggio Website)