Sometimes there are experiences in the life of a Vespa enthusiast that you simply never forget. The weekend of June 25–28, we were in Rome to celebrate 80 years of Vespa. But the real excitement began much earlier.
Our journey didn’t start in Italy, but in the cool west of Germany. Together with the Colombian delegation—including my longtime friends Vivi Ramirez (President of the Vespa Club Colombia) and Andrés Archila (board member from Vespa Club Bogotá)—we first flew to Cologne to visit the legendary Scooter Center. After touring the store, we picked up our trusty vehicles for the next few days: two GTS models, fully loaded with parts from Scooter Center. Ahead of us lay 1,500 kilometers and three days of pure adventure.
We practically breezed through the German autobahn in one go—it was all about racking up the kilometers. But once we reached Austria, the high-speed driving was over. The Alpine landscape was so breathtaking that we felt compelled to stop every few kilometers to take photos. Pure picture-perfect idyll!
Once we arrived in Italy, we first stopped in romantic Verona. But our true compass was pointing in a very specific direction: Pontedera, the absolute birthplace and Mecca for each of us. After this emotional stopover and a brief stop in Pisa, we were finally on the home stretch: Rome!
Once we arrived in Rome, we met up with friends from all over the world. And yes: Europe was sweltering under a relentless heat wave. But the breeze and the euphoria quickly made us forget the sweat.
For three days, we were completely swept up in Vespa fever. Among the absolute highlights were:
The Vespa “Ottantesimo”: We got to admire the exclusive 80th-anniversary special edition up close. An absolute dream for collectors!
The Vespa Museum & Store: In the temporary museum, we were left breathless by all the historic treasures. And the Vespa Store? Let’s just say this: We left the store with happy faces but completely empty pockets. None of us could resist the merch craze!
The parade at the Colosseum: According to Piaggio, there were well over 20,000 Vespas in the Eternal City. As we all rode past the Colosseum together, with the roar of the engines in our ears and the sun on our faces... it was an absolutely spine-tingling moment that took our breath away.
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An experience like this is actually hard to put into words—you have to see it in the photos to truly feel the magic.
It was a unique journey that showed us once again: Vespa isn’t just a scooter. It’s a global family that knows no boundaries.
¡Viva la Vespa!
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