Two Italian icons meet in New York

Two Italian icons, known and admired all over the globe, met for the first time, when the Amerigo Vespucci and the Vespa share the same berth on the docks of New York harbour, where the famous Italian training ship is moored ahead of the Sail4th250 celebrations, the US national festival marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America.

The Vespa model unveiled alongside the Amerigo Vespucci will remain on display there throughout the ship’s time in New York. This is no coincidence: the Vespa and the Amerigo Vespucci are two shining examples of icons that have transcended their original purpose, becoming bona fide cultural reference points.

Launched in 1931, the Amerigo Vespucci is the Italian Navy’s training ship, used to train officer cadets at the Naval Academy in Livorno. She is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful ships in the world and is the oldest in the Italian Navy. Universally known and admired, she serves as a true ambassador of Italian culture during her voyages across the world’s oceans.

The Vespa was born in 1946, 15 years after the Vespucci, and over the course of its eighty-year history – which it recently celebrated in Rome with tens of thousands of Vespa riders and fans from 67 countries – it has gone far beyond its mission to be a stylish, user-friendly vehicle offering mobility to all, becoming one of the finest examples of “Made in Italy” style and technology in the world.

The one-of-a-kind Vespa, which will be unveiled in New York, is adorned with the colours of the Vespucci’s famous metal hull; two large white stripes run along the Vespa’s glossy black bodywork, which is also made from steel, and are embellished with graphics designed as a nod to the portholes on the sailing ship’s topside.

The ochre accents under the saddle and on the upper part of the mudguard also match the Vespucci’s bulwarks, while the Vespa’s horn cover, or “cravattino” is finished in the same colour scheme, just like the training ship’s bowsprit. This exclusive Vespa model is also adorned with the official Vespucci graphic on the left of the front shield, featuring the ship with her sails unfurled and the Italian tricolore flag over the ship’s name.

A further unique feature is the finish of the saddle, which is entirely upholstered in Olona canvas, the same fabric used for the sails of the Vespucci. The classic colour of the natural hemp fibres brings a further touch of elegance, characterising a Vespa that seems born to conquer the oceans.