Thousands Celebrate Vespa's 80th Birthday in Rome

Thousands of riders from all over the world paraded through Rome on Saturday to celebrate Vespa's 80th birthday.

"The history of the Vespa, which accompanies the birth and rise of Italy after the Second World War, is in a way an iconic symbol of our history, of our culture," said Roberto Gualtieri, the Italian capital's mayor.

Designed to be an affordable means of transport, the Vespa, which means "wasp" in Italian, was launched in 1946 by Piaggio, a major aircraft manufacturer. It was "the symbol of an Italy emerging from the war and getting back on its feet," Gualtieri said.

Vespa's popularity in movies "Telling the story of 80 years of the Vespa is, in part, telling the story of how Rome has managed to capture the world's imagination," especially through cinema, Gualtieri said. Vespas were featured in cinema classics like the 1953 romantic comedy "Roman Holiday" and the 1960 drama "La Dolce Vita." The iconic scooter also appeared in other movies, including "The Talented Mr. Ripley” and, more recently, the animated "Luca."

Four-day Vespa celebrations in Rome

The four-day festivities began on Thursday with the inauguration of a "Vespa Village" at the Foro Italico in northern Rome. It culminated on Saturday with thousands of drivers zipping through the streets of Rome.

Vespa has been in continuous production for 80 years and is now sold in about 100 countries. "Today, the Vespa has become a global phenomenon; we are on the verge of 20 million vehicles produced" since 1946, said Matteo Colaninno, executive chairman of the Piaggio group.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery