Vespa and Lambretta remain the two most iconic motor scooter brands,
even four decades after the latter's demise. But what made them such a
European sensation in the postwar era? And why were they particularly
popular in Britain in the 1950s and '60s? Motor scooter expert Stuart
Owen explains the rise of Innocenti's Lambretta and Piaggio's Vespa,
from the wartime ruins of Italy, through years of plenty as the two
manufacturers exploited a ready market for affordable, economic
transport, and then their decline into more uncertain times as motor
cars trespassed on their success. He also explores the rich history of
accessorizing and customizing the scooters, their essential role in the
mod movement, and the revival in Vespa's fortunes following the release
of the cult film Quadrophenia.