History

In 1884, Rinaldo Piaggio, then just twenty years old, founded Piaggio to manufacture naval furnishings in Sestri Ponente, Genoa, on land his father had purchased two years earlier to establish a woodworking plant for naval supplies. The company was modern, efficient and mechanised.

Piaggio entered the railway sector in 1906 with the acquisition of a new workshop in Finalmarina, in the province of Genoa. Aeronautical production, which began in 1916, contributed to rising employment and to Italy’s national economic development plan.
In 1920, Piaggio adopted a new corporate structure, with Attilio Odero as Chairman and Rinaldo Piaggio as Managing Director. Determined to develop the aeronautical sector, Rinaldo Piaggio hired engineers Giovanni Pegna and Giuseppe Gabrielli, assigning them the design of the first prototype of the Rondine aircraft.

Dopo l’acquisto dello stabilimento Oneto a Pisa, poi sostituito con un nuovo impianto, Rinaldo Piaggio ricerca ulteriori spazi per la costruzione di motori aeronautici su licenza. L’obiettivo viene raggiunto con l’acquisizione di una moderna officina a Pontedera. È il primo passo della nascita di una nuova realtà industriale.

The high level of technological sophistication achieved by Piaggio vehicles was demonstrated by the 21 records set between 1937 and 1939 by aircraft and aeronautical engines built in Pontedera.

Rinaldo Piaggio passed away, and his two sons succeeded him as Managing Directors. Armando took charge of the Genova-Sestri and Finale Ligure production units, mainly dedicated to aeronautical and railway activities, while Enrico focused on the Pisa plants.

Piaggio unveiled the vehicle that best demonstrated the progress it had made in the field of aeronautical engineering: the four-engine P.108.

The Pontedera plant was severely damaged by the war and production activities were moved to Piedmont. Once the war is over, reconstruction begins. In 1945, work began on the first Vespa prototypes: the idea was to contribute to the country's motorization with a simple, low-cost vehicle that could be used by everyone. To create it, Enrico Piaggio avails himself of the collaboration of Corradino d'Ascanio, a brilliant aeronautical designer.

After an initially lukewarm reception, production took off. The success was extraordinary: one million units were produced in ten years, and expansion into international markets was immediate and widespread.

As Vespa exports continued to grow, new products were introduced. 1947 saw the birth of Ape, which contributed to the revival of trade in post-war Italy. In 1949, Piaggio launched the Moscone, a small and innovative outboard motor nicknamed “the Vespa of the sea”.

A corporate separation took place between I.A.M. Rinaldo Piaggio, focused on the aeronautical and railway sectors, and Piaggio & C., dedicated to scooters. Following the death of Enrico Piaggio, his son-in-law Umberto Agnelli became Chairman of Piaggio & C. Vespa strengthened its success thanks to the Vespa 50, which had been on the market since 1963.

Ciao was born, becoming the forerunner of a new generation of modern mopeds. Boxer, Bravo, Sì and other successful models would follow. In 1969, Piaggio acquired control of Gilera of Arcore, one of Europe’s oldest motorcycle manufacturers, renowned above all for its racing achievements

With the T111, Piaggio entered the field of small agricultural tractor production. The Bravo moped was also launched.

Vespa reached the milestone of 10 million units produced. That same year, Giovanni Alberto Agnelli, Enrico Piaggio’s grandson, joined the Board of Directors.

Sfera was launched: the first scooter with a plastic body produced in Pontedera. It marked the beginning of a new generation of two- and four-stroke scooters with automatic transmission, including Zip, Hexagon, Liberty, X9 and Beverly.

The start of the 1990s saw Piaggio & C. become a holding company. In 1993, Giovanni Alberto Agnelli was elected Chairman of Piaggio Veicoli Europei S.p.A.

To mark Vespa’s fiftieth anniversary, the new Vespa ET was launched.
In 1997, Giovanni Alberto Agnelli passed away, and the Piaggio Group entered a period of transformation in its ownership structure.

Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd., a Piaggio subsidiary founded in 1997, began production of Ape at the Indian plant in Baramati.
In March 2000, the Piaggio Museum and Historical Archive opened to the public in Pontedera.

Piaggio acquired Derbi-Nacional Motor S.A., the historic Spanish manufacturer and leader in small-displacement motorcycles. Gilera returned to racing and achieved an extraordinary victory: Manuel Poggiali won the Riders’ World Championship in the 126 cc class.

In 2003, management control of the Piaggio Group’s Italian and international operations passed to Immsi S.p.A., an industrial and real estate services holding company listed on the Milan Stock Exchange and controlled by entrepreneur Roberto Colaninno.

Piaggio reached an agreement with the Chinese group Zongshen for the production and sale of engines and vehicles featuring Italian technology for the Asian market.
With the acquisition of the Aprilia-Moto Guzzi Group, Italy’s leading two-wheeler hub was created: 6,000 employees and 8 industrial plants worldwide.

Piaggio & C. was listed on the Italian Stock Exchange.
The first three-wheeled scooter, the Piaggio MP3, arrived on the market.

Aprilia won the Constructors’ World Championship titles in the 125 cc and 250 cc classes. Italian rider Marco Simoncelli, riding a Gilera, won the 250 cc World Championship, while French champion Mike Di Meglio, riding a Derbi, won the 125 cc World Championship.

The design of a new hybrid engine for the Piaggio MP3 was completed. It was the world’s first hybrid scooter, powered by two engines — one electric and one internal combustion — working in synergy.
Piaggio Vietnam Ltd., the Piaggio Group’s Vietnamese subsidiary, officially began selling the Vespa LX on the local market, produced in the province of Vinh Phuc.
Aprilia launched the RSV4 supersport bike, which made its debut in the World Superbike Championship.

Just one season after its debut, the Aprilia RSV4 and Max Biaggi triumphed in the World Superbike Championship, winning both the Constructors’ and Riders’ titles. It was a historic victory: the first time an Italian rider on an Italian motorcycle had won the world’s top competition for production-based bikes.

At the end of the 2012 season, in which the world’s greatest manufacturers battled until the final corner, Aprilia triumphed in the World Superbike Championship.
In April, the state-of-the-art Baramati plant was inaugurated, producing Vespa models for the Indian market.

Aprilia became Superbike Constructors’ World Champion. It was the fifth title in the previous four years, and the 52nd world title for the Noale manufacturer.

In June 2014, the first Motoplex opened in Mantua. Motoplex is a new and revolutionary concept store designed to showcase the very best of the Piaggio Group in a single space. Much more than a simple store, the Motoplex concept connects the physical and digital worlds, creating a true motorcycling experience inside a high-quality environment capable of informing and engaging the public like never before.
French rider Sylvain Guintoli won the SBK Riders’ World Championship, also bringing Aprilia the Constructors’ title. This brought Aprilia’s total number of world titles across all categories to 54.

Piaggio Fast Forward, known as PFF, was founded in Cambridge, USA. In 2019, it launched gita®, a unique “follow-me” robot carrier.
Aprilia returned to compete in MotoGP, the most advanced and prestigious category in motorcycle racing.

Since 2016, Vespa and (RED) have actively collaborated in the fight against pandemics. A portion of the proceeds from the purchase of every (VESPA)RED, as well as the dedicated apparel and lifestyle product line, is donated to support life-saving programmes in the countries most in need.
The Piaggio brand introduced Wi-Bike, evolving the concept of the pedal-assisted bicycle.

Vespa Elettrica was born: a contemporary icon of the finest Italian technology. Vespa Elettrica stands for advanced connectivity and quietness, personalisation and accessibility, respect for the environment and unmistakable style.

The first edition of Aprilia All Stars was held at Mugello: a brand celebration that drew tens of thousands of enthusiasts to admire Noale’s historic motorcycles and modern MotoGP bikes alongside Aprilia riders and the great champions of the past.
The first edition of the Moto Guzzi Fast Endurance was also held.
Following the opening of the 500th Motoplex in Istanbul, the number of Motoplex stores worldwide has now more than doubled.

Vespa continued its partnerships with internationally renowned artists, fashion designers and creatives, including Armani, Dior, Sean Wotherspoon, Justin Bieber and Mickey Mouse. Vespa 946 celebrated its anniversary with a special edition dedicated to the Year of the Rabbit.

Moto Guzzi celebrated its centenary by announcing a complete renovation plan for the Mandello plant and a full renewal of its product range.
The Piaggio Group introduced its new range of four-wheel light commercial vehicles: the new Porter NP6, the first city truck with exclusively eco-friendly powertrains.

Aprilia achieved its first MotoGP victory and, with rider Aleix Espargaró, remained in contention for the world title until the final races. With eight podiums and two pole positions, Aprilia closed its best-ever season in the premier class of motorcycle racing.
In November 2022, the Jakarta plant in Indonesia was inaugurated, becoming the Group’s eighth industrial hub.

Vespa GTV made its debut in a completely redesigned version, while retaining the unmistakable references to the origins of the legend.
Aprilia launched the new RS 457 twin-cylinder sports bike.
In Mandello, the new sports version of the Moto Guzzi V7 Stone Corsa was unveiled, together with the new Stelvio on-off road model, featuring the PFF rider assistance solution developed in Boston by Piaggio Fast Forward.
Matteo Colaninno was appointed Executive Chairman and Michele Colaninno Chief Executive Officer of the Piaggio Group.

In 2024, Piaggio celebrated 140 years of dreams, innovation and journeys around the world.

Moto Guzzi presented the new V7 Sport, reviving a legendary name with the most advanced technology.
Aprilia Tuareg won the gruelling Africa Eco Race, finishing in Dakar, for the second consecutive time.
Aprilia Racing completed its best-ever 2025 MotoGP season, taking second place in the Constructors’ standings and third in the Riders’ standings, with three Grand Prix victories, three Sprint Race wins, fifteen podiums and five pole positions.
The Vespa Officina 8 special series was launched, celebrating the origins of Vespa.

On 23 April 2026, Vespa celebrates its 80th anniversary. This extraordinary milestone sees Vespa as a global icon of Italian elegance and the most evolved mobility. Present in markets all over the world and produced in more than two million units over the last ten years, Vespa is experiencing one of the happiest moments in its unique history.