Vespa buzzes into Toronto

Toronto's own Eric Conforti imports vintage scooters from Vietnam to Canada

The Dolce Vita, the great Roman times when Cinecittà was the Hollywood on the Tiber River. The Sixties, Via Veneto, the Stars and the paparazzi... Thousands of photos that made news around the world, most of them with one thing in common: the Vespa.
It's been few years since those "vintage" pieces made their debut on Toronto's streets, and now the arrival of the newer model of popular scooter, as well as the success of the "historic pieces," is turning into a phenomenal trend.
Many of us spent our youthful winters fixing the Vespa in the "officina" next door in Italy, probably adding the "so cool" Polini muffler or filling the original with plaster to achieve the "Polini effect." For this group of Vespa fanatics the appeal of the vintage model never ends.
Unfortunately there are not many left in Italy to be imported in Canada; and in the U.S., the "vintage" is having a great comeback. But Eric Conforti, a young Canadian of Italian heritage has solved the problem; he is bringing perfectly restored vintage Vespas from the largest market in the world for these scooters: Vietnam.
"I found them during a vacation in the Far East; at that time I wasn't even interested in the scooter world, but the Vespa was always present in my father and nonno's memories," Conforti explains. "In Vietnam there are thousands of them so, if you search well you can find some pieces that are well maintained, ready to be restored and than imported."
Conforti brings to Canada almost 150 Vespas a year and soon he's planning to try even the Lambretta and perhaps the Ape.

For more information you can visit www.vivavespa.com or call Conforti at 905-717-7511.


A Vespa History

The Beginning
Vespa's timeless design comes from an equally timeless company - Piaggio has been a distinguished innovator in the field of transportation for nearly 120 years.
Piaggio was founded in Genoa, Italy in 1884 by 20-year-old Rinaldo Piaggio. Rinaldo's business began with luxury ship fitting. But by the end of the century, Piaggio was also producing rail carriages, luxury coaches, truck bodies, engines, and trains.
With the onset of World War I, the company forged new ground with the production of airplanes and seaplanes. In 1917 Piaggio bought a new plant in Pisa, and four years later it took over a small plant in Pontedera in the Tuscany region of Italy. It was this plant in Pontedera which became its new centre for aeronautical production (propellers, engines and complete aircraft).
During World War II, the Pontedera plant built the state-of-the-art P 108 four-engine aircraft, in both passenger and bomber versions. However, the plant was completely destroyed by Allied bombers due to its military importance.

Rebirth
Piaggio came out of the conflict with its Pontedera plant in complete ruin. Enrico Piaggio was at the helm, having taken over from his father Rinaldo. Concerned about the disastrous state of the roads and the Italian economy, Enrico decided to focus the Company's attention on the personal mobility needs of the Italian people.
Enter Corradino D'Ascanio, Piaggio's ingenious aeronautical engineer who designed, constructed and flew the first modern helicopter. D'Ascanio set out to design a simple, sturdy, and economical vehicle that was also comfortable and elegant.
D'Ascanio, who could not stand motorcycles, dreamed up a revolutionary new vehicle. Drawing from the latest aeronautical technology, he imagined a vehicle built on a "monocoque" (French for "single shell") or unibody steel chassis. Furthermore, the front fork, like a plane's landing gear, allowed for easy wheel changing. The result was an aircraft-inspired design that to this day remains forward-thinking and unique among all other two-wheeled vehicles.
Upon seeing the vehicle, Enrico Piaggio remarked "Sembra una Vespa!" ("It looks like a wasp!") This was a real two-wheeled utility vehicle. But it did not resemble an uncomfortable and noisy motorcycle. The steel frame's shape protected the rider from road dirt and debris. It emanated class and elegance at first glance.
By the end of 1949, 35,000 units had been produced. Italy was getting over its war wounds and getting about on Vespas. In 10 years, one million were produced. By the mid-fifties, Vespa was being produced in Germany, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Spain and, of course, Italy.
Vespa has lived on from one generation to the next, subtly modifying its image each time. The first Vespa offered mobility to everyone. Then, it became the two-wheeler of the post war economic boom. During the sixties and seventies, the vehicle became a symbol for the revolutionary ideas of the time. Advertising campaigns like "He Who Vespas, eats the apple", and films such as Quadrophenia have symbolized eras in our history.
And the story continues today with the new generation of Vespa models, represented by the Vespa ET2 and Vespa ET4. Vespa is not just a scooter. It is one of the great icons of Italian style and elegance, and with more than 16 million units produced, is well known throughout the world. For more than 50 years, Vespa has fascinated millions of people and given the world an irreplaceable icon of Italian style and a means of personal transport that has become synonymous with freedom.

Publication Date: 2004-08-22
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=4313