Hero Image

Italy: Motion to protect gas-powered Vespa as cultural heritage

A political motion in Italy aims to protect the gas-powered Vespa as a piece of cultural heritage. This declaration should allow the iconic motor scooters to violate European environmental laws.

The Vespa, introduced in 1946 by Italian manufacturer Piaggio, is one of the most iconic vehicles in history. At times, the name of the little motorcycle was synonymous with the term motor scooter. As a cheap, simply built, and easy-to-ride mode of transportation, the Vespa became a beloved, world-wide success. It was especially popular as an early motorised vehicle for teenages since, in most countries, riding them is possible at a younger age than cars.

Thanks to its two-stroke engine, the Vespa also aquired a reputation as a heavy polluter. The characteristic stuttering of the little engine, accompanied by an equally distinctive, blue cloud of exhaust fumes with an obtrusive, penetrating smell, covered not only Italian streets and alleyways in a haze and odour deeply familiar to entire generations.

Due to increasingly restrictive, European exhaust emissions standards, the two-stroke models of the Vespa were gradually being replaced with models powered by four-stroke engines or electrical drive. Unfortunately, no new two-stroke Vespas have been produced at all since 2017. Nevertheless, some politicians fear that the Vespa could disappear entirely if environmental laws are strengthened further.

The Lega party is now trying to stop this from happening. A law proposed to partliament requests that the Vespa be protected as a piece of national heritage, referring to its historic, artistic, and cultural value. As a consequence of this protection, Vespas would be allowed to be driven on public roads without any certification restrictions, and therefore also be allowed to violate any legal limits on exhaust emissions.

Opinion

It's highly unlikely that new two-stroke models of the Vespa would be introduced, even if this law is passed. Still, it would be a welcome, symbolic act towards acknowledging, appreciating, and preserving the culture of the gasoline engine, which is at risk of being lost and forgotten. Even if the Vespa, like other small-engine motorcycles, emits a disproportionately large amount of pollutants relative to its size, it still pales in insignificance when compared to other sources of air pollution. Imposing such increasingly tough emission limits on the scooters over the past years was just a matter of gesture politics.

What this neglects is that these vehicles have high personal and nostalgic value, and played a crucial role in defining identities of entire generations. The true feeling of a real two-stroke Vespa cannot be simply replaced with one driven by a cleaner four-stroke engine or even an electrical model. The unmistakeable stuttering of the engine, the rattling of the handlebar from the vibrations, the pungent smell of the bluish fumes calmly puffing from the exhaust pipe – all of these are irreplaceable parts of what makes people love the Vespa. It would be a most welcome trend if politics focussed on the genuinely important areas of environmental protection, without taking from us such little pleasures of life.

Sources