The Piaggio Group today celebrated its 130th anniversary with an event at the Vetra Theatre in Milan, attended by Chairman and CEO Roberto Colaninno. The celebration was packed with significant moments, and offered a window on the future of today’s leading European player in light mobility. Those present included Jeffrey Schnapp, author of the book FuturPiaggio and AD of Piaggio Fast Forward, and Stefano Belisari, aka Elio, the front man of “Elio e le Storie Tese”, who has always had a passion for classic Piaggio vehicles.
Since the company was established in the second half of the XIX century, its history has been interwoven with the extraordinary economic, civil and cultural growth of Italy and Europe. With the creation of the Vespa scooter, and having designed and produced a wide variety of cargo and passenger vehicles, Piaggio has become a worldwide symbol of Italian industry, revolutionising the concept of mobility, a synonym of freedom, on a number of occasions.
The Milan event was the occasion for the presentation of the book FuturPiaggio – 6 lezioni italiane sulla mobilità e sulla vita moderna [FuturPiaggio – 6 Italian lessons on mobility and modern life], a luxury book published in a limited numbered edition by Rizzoli. The volume has a unique and extremely sophisticated graphics design, inspired by an example of excellence in the history of publishing, Fortunato Depero’s bolted book from 1927, a clear reference to the Group’s industrial vocation and innovative spirit.
FuturPiaggio looks at milestones in the history of Piaggio, examining its most iconic products and the story of its men and brands (Vespa, Piaggio, Gilera, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia, Derbi, Scarabeo and Ape), names with a rich history and always at the cutting edge of innovation. A story now projected towards the future thanks to Piaggio Fast Forward, the Group company based in the USA, which has unveiled a new concept in mobility with innovative projects such as Gita and Kilo, the smart cargo robots presented in Boston a few weeks ago and currently under development and testing.
In covering the Group’s 130-year history, the book ranges from the roots of Moto Guzzi to the advanced motorcycling technology achievements at Aprilia Racing, from the creation of the Vespa to the worldwide success of the Piaggio brand as the Group expanded on the international stage. The pre-war period also has an important place and, like the other sections of the book, is illustrated with fascinating archive images, many never previously published, which recount an often surprising story.
At the same time, the luxury book also takes a look at the future, without neglecting the challenges awaiting the Piaggio Group as it prepares to confirm its role as a leader in the new age of mobility, or “movibility”, as the book’s author, Jeffrey Schnapp (Professor of Romance Literatures and Comparative Literature at the Department of Architecture and Design at Harvard), calls it in a Manifesto set out in the publication.
Source: Press release Piaggio Group
