Its birth -
Vespa today is the symbol of freedom but Vespa has had many different meanings to many different generations. With its birth it started out as being the symbol of economic rebuild after the second world war had demolished Italy severely.
Piaggio emerged from the conflict with its Pontedera fighter plane plant completely demolished by bombing. Italy's crippled economy and the disastrous state of the roads did not assist in the re-development of the automobile markets. 
Enrico Piaggio, the son of Piaggio's founder Rinaldo Piaggio, decided to leave the aeronautical field in order to address Italy's urgent need for a modern and affordable mode of transportation for the masses.
Corradino D'Ascanio, responsible for the design and construction of the first modern helicopter, was given the job of designing a simple, robust and affordable vehicle. It had to be easy to drive for both men and women, be able to carry a passenger, and not get its driver's clothes dirty. D'Ascanio, who hated motorbikes, designed a revolutionary vehicle. It was built with a handlebar gear change, and the engine mounted directly on to the rear wheel.
When the design was shown to Enrico Piaggio and he heard the buzzing sound of the engine he exclaimed: "Sembra una vespa!" ("It resembles a wasp!") The name stuck. 
The First Vespa’s -
The first 13 examples appeared in spring 1946. The Vespa's had a two-stroke 98 cc engine and a three-speed transmission. Since then the Vespa has proven to be a great success that will never be matched again. The Vespa became a synonym for scooter and an international timeless symbol for Italian style and flair as can be seen in the many Holywood movies from those days.
By the mid-1950s, Vespa’s were being manufactured under licence in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Spain; in the 1960s, production was started in India, Brazil and Indonesia. By the 1960s, the Vespa—originally conceived as a utility vehicle—had come to symbolize freedom and imagination.
To the present day it still does......
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