Vespa turns 80, the history of Piaggio's Italian icon

In 14 photographs we look back over 80 years of a vehicle that has entered the collective imagination worldwide, from 1946 to the present day.

The Vespa's first 80 years have been truly intense: since that 23 April 1946 when the patent for the MP6 prototype was filed by aeronautical engineer Corradino D'Ascanio, later renamed Vespa by his 'boss', Enrico Piaggio, the Pontedera scooter has conquered the world, declining into more than 160 different models. Widespread in the four corners of the globe, the Vespa has become an iconic vehicle that has moved millions of people from the tough but enthusiastic post-war years to today's frenetic and anxious future. Here is a short journey from the first Vespa, the 98, to the anniversary commemorative model, the Gts300 80th; between the two images, many stories of men and adventures