Vespa to launch scooters in March, 35 cities in 1st phase

Piaggio Vehicles the wholly owned Indian subsidiary of the Italian Piaggio Group, unveiled the original, iconic Vespa at the Delhi Auto Expo. The Vespa brand will re-entry the Indian market after solely without any Indian partner like before.

Vespa is a unique example of immortal design that has gone beyond a mere commuting product to become a part of social history and way of life.

The Vespa is an ageless brand that is now a symbol of a distinctive lifestyle in market after market around the world. Invented by Piaggio in 1946 as the world’s first scooter, the Vespa rose rapidly in popularity to become a loved and revered emblem of ‘made in Italy’ and ‘a new, unique way of enjoying mobility’. The Vespa is present in more than 100 countries with over 17 million units being sold since its inception.

With its Indian foray, Piaggio intends to create an exclusive, premium segment for the brand. The Vespa will be positioned as a lifestyle, iconic, timeless and ageless product that goes beyond mobility and leverages its heritage and unique values.

Vespa in India will meet the aspirational needs of the fashion, style and brand conscious individuals who would like to be a breed apart. Predominantly aimed all over the world at a premium segment of consumers who are looking to own nothing but the best, Vespa will be a disruptive force in the 2-wheeler segment in India.

The Vespa will be positioned as a lifestyle, iconic, timeless and ageless product that goes beyond

The Vespa will be retailed through a new set of Vespa dealerships, with 50 of them coming across India in 35 main cities.

Disc brakes will be optional, while the scooter will be built very solidly with 3-coats of paint. The Vespa scooter being launched in India is the LX125 variant. This Vespa model is powered by a 125cc, 4-stroke motor.

Piaggio India has set up a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Baramati for the production of the Vespa. The plan has an initial capacity of 150,000. The Vespa will hit Indian roads in April 2012 and will initially be available in 35 main cities.