When Roger Gendron finished the frame-off restoration of this 1950s Italian-made scooter, it presented with exquisite inimitability. Finished in a PPG orange base/clear coat paint by First Choice Auto, the three-wheeled cargo scooter is powered by a 17.5 HP OHV Briggs and Stratton engine with a hydrostatic transmission. Rolling on small-diameter wheels with chrome- dome hubcaps and black tires, the pilothouse features black handlebars and a chrome parking brake lever, along with a small bench seat covered in black vinyl upholstery. Enclosed, this Piaggio could be used to deliver a multitude of items all year round. With twin sideview mirrors and a small rack atop the cargo hold, it’s not likely another will show up anytime soon. Piaggio has a fascinating history, beginning with Rinaldo Piaggio building railroad cars and locomotives, later evolving into antisubmarine motorboats, airplanes and seaplanes. From there, the company continued to build planes, aircraft engines, trams, buses, nautical fittings and even aluminum frame doors and windows. After World War II, Rinaldo’s father, Enrico, felt there was a need for small, affordable transportation to serve the citizens of Italy. Beginning by marketing its parachutist motorcycle, Enrico felt the design wouldn’t resonate well with the market and commissioned aeronautical engineer Corradino D’Ascanio to redesign it. To D’Ascanio, this was a golden opportunity; he wasn’t a fan of motorbikes, seeing them as cumbersome, uncomfortable and difficult to mount and dismount. He initially created the step-through design for Ferdinando Innocenti, who disliked the idea of a pressed-steel frame, but employed the design for the new Lambretta scooter. Piaggio, while he liked the design, asked D’Ascanio to create something more robust, but stylish—something both men and women could ride comfortably with a passenger and, possibly above all else, keep their clothes clean. The Vespa was born with the help of Mario D’Este, the basic design also translating over to Piaggio.
