The Piaggio group has revealed details of the famous Vespa motorcycle that will be sold in Brazil in partnership with the investment company Asset Becley.
The Italian company, which signed an agreement last July, will bring the Primavera models with 125 cmü and 159 cmü engines, both with 4-stroke engines and ABS brakes, the Vespa Sprint 150, sporty and dynamic, with 12-inch wheels , rectangular headlight, the GTS 300 with front and rear brakes and digital panel, and the 946 Emporio Armani.
The last one, with a retro design, electronic injection and ABS, was created to celebrate Piaggio's 130th anniversary and Emporio Armani's 40th, the two symbols of “Made in Italy”.
The “Primavera” model will receive a special version, with just a thousand numbered units, and will be sold from next Monday (10) online.
However, prices were not disclosed. “We will follow the market price. We are selling an experience. Vespa is Vespa”, said Longino Morawski, president of Piaggio Brasil.
During the launch event, the first copy was given as a gift to actor Caio Castro, “ambassador” of the brand in Brazil. The Piaggio group intends to take advantage of the increase in scooter sales in the country, which grew by around 60% between 2009 and 2015, to obtain a share of at least 10% of the market over the next five years.
The goal by the end of 2016 is to sell 2 thousand Vespa units. In 2017, 12 thousand and in 2018, 35 thousand units of the brand's products. “Brazil is going through scooterization. Our study points to growth in the coming years. We believe in the market and Vespa is part of a very promising market”, said Morawski.
According to Giuseppe de Paola, vice-president of Asset, “the best things happen in the middle of a crisis because that is where the opportunities lie”.
“Trends show that in the last five years the sale of scooters has grown,” he added.
Initially, Vespas will be imported, but the idea is that a factory will be built in the country with production starting in 2018 to guarantee supply to the local market, including export to Latin American countries.
“We are talking to a large automaker in Brazil to carry out the assembly,” said Santo Magliacane, CEO of Asset Beccley.
Vespas will be sold in so-called boutiques, which offer a different environment from dealerships, with a contemporary, interactive retro look, a “sensation” space (where it will be possible to simulate a ride on the back of a scooter), a café lounge and a workshop.
“Our boutiques will be charming and elegant. All with one Italian charm, classic and vintage,” said Morawski.
The first two stores will open on October 22, in the Iguatemi chain, in the JK shopping malls, in the south of São Paulo, and Iguatemi, in Campinas. The street store will open in November, in the same region of São Paulo.
History
Created on April 23, 1946, in the city of Florence, Vespa is an Italian company for the creation and assembly of two-wheeled vehicles, whose founder was Reinaldo Piaggio, succeeded by his son Enrico Piaggio.
The initial idea was also shared with engineer Corradino D'Ascanio and designer Mario D'Este.
The three aimed to create a vehicle that combined the “popularity of the bicycle with the elegance and comfort of a car”. After some prototypes, the trio came up with the ideal model, which was named Vespa because of the thin central part of the bike that resembled the waist of a wasp.
However, Piaggio was responsible for popularizing the brand and creating a new means of transport that met the daily mobility needs of Italians after the Second World War, a time when Europe was trying to recover from the economic crisis that was shaking the continent.
The motorcycle is one of the icons of Italian culture and is also an indispensable part of cinema classics, such as “The Princess and the Commoner”, directed by William Wyler, “A Doce Vida”, by filmmaker Federico Felini, among others.
To date, more than 18 million units have been manufactured and its name is a symbol of elegance and style. (by ANSA)
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