ROME: Ever since Audrey Hepburn took control of her Vespa in the 1953 classic “Roman Holiday”, the Italian scooter has been a symbol of joy and style and on its 75th birthday, many Italians remain fondly attached to theirs.

“I’ve had a Vespa for 12 years, I’m on my third,” said Marco Guerrieri, a Roman accountant in his 40s.

“I wanted a more original two-wheeler than the Japanese scooters, plus it’s made of metal and not plastic, it’s much more resistant,” he told AFP.

While it is mostly a practical mode of transportation for him, he laments that for many “it’s a status symbol — in my neighbourhood all the successful people have a Vespa”.

Hepburn and Gregory Peck’s adventures in Rome made the Vespa famous in the 1950s, but its history dates back to April 23, 1946, when the first patent for its manufacture was registered in Italy.

Legend has it that the name — which means “wasp” in Italian — came from Enrico Piaggio, founder of the eponymous motor company, who compared the noise of its engine to the insect’s buzz.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2021