The Vespa is as much a part of Italy as pizza and the Colosseum. The cult scooter from Tuscany is celebrating its 80th birthday tomorrow, Thursday. On April 23, 1946, the Italian company Piaggio applied for a patent for the Vespa. There is no need to fear wrinkles with age on the popular two-stroke engine; today, just as in the 1950s, the “Wasp” still brings entire generations onto its bikes.
