Vespa Sets Design Powers To Stun For Its 80th Birthday. Look At This Limited Edition Scooter

A grand total of 1,946 of these absolute beauties will be sold worldwide. The US is getting only 25 of them, so you'd best place your order.

Photo by: Vespa

By: Janaki Jitchotvisut

Jun 25, at 11:00am ET

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The best designs, to my mind, are the ones that you can't possibly fully take in the first time you see them. Why? Because there are too many excellent details for your eyes and brain (and other senses, if you're seeing a thing in person and can touch, smell, and maybe also hear it) to fully process in that moment.

They're the designs that keep you coming back for more, occupying a space in your brain for longer than you're standing in front of them. The ones that keep you thinking about them for hours, days, and maybe years beyond that fleeting first impression.

It's too early to say whether the Vespa Edizione Ottantesimo is one of these designs; after all, I've only seen it myself for the first time yesterday. Still, since I've definitely mentioned here in the past how I feel about brushed metal (and how more OEMs should incorporate that look into their designs because it's gorgeous), if you're betting that I'll say this design took my breath away, you'd be correct.

Photos by: Vespa

Vespa seems to be on a bit of a matte finish tear these days with its special editions; first the Officina 8, and now the Edizione Ottantesimo. I, for one, love to see it. The combination of visual textures and finishes, coupled with the incorporation of a very special shade of green to hark back to some of the single-color models from Vespa's past, is the very epitome of the timeless elegance that Vespa works hard to channel. This one, incidentally, is based on the Vespa GTS 310.

Also, that body (-ody -ody, thank you Megan Thee Stallion) is made entirely of steel! This, too, was a deliberate choice; protecting it but leaving that raw steel texture exposed strips bare the past 80 years of Vespa craftsmanship, proudly showcasing them for all the world to see.

The saddle, incidentally, has a clever removable cover on the back; so it looks like a single-seater with the cover on, but you can easily pop it off and invite a guest to hop on the back if you choose. The wheel rims bring the same green seen on the saddle and take design cues from the original Vespa 98 from 1946, pulling in elements of the same distinctive '80' graphic you see depicted in green on the side of the Edizione Ottantesimo.

Photo by: Vespa

Each of the 1,946 individual Vespa Edizione Ottantesimo scooters to be released will come with a special numbered commemorative plaque, which is tucked in the underseat storage compartment. Additionally, each of these scooters will come with a matching commemorative helmet, and that design alone is worth your time to explore hungrily with your eyes. Good news for US-based Vespisti: This helmet will, I'm told, be homologated as a DOT-approved thing, so it will indeed be part of the package if you order a Vespa Edizione Ottantesimo in the US. Finally, people who buy this scooter will also receive a commemorative copy of the Vespa x Assouline coffee table book along with their purchase.

Under the gorgeous bodywork and up front, it's all modern Vespa all the time. As mentioned previously, this is based on the GTS 310 platform, and uses that 310 single-cylinder engine that makes a claimed 25 horsepower as a result. You get modern conveniences, including LED lighting all around, a 5-inch full-color TFT dash, Vespa's MIA connectivity system, keyless entry, traction control, and, of course, ABS.

Optional accessories for the Edizione Ottantesimo include a 36-liter color-matched top box, which can also be fitted with a backrest for your pillion that matches that gorgeous green saddle. A full range of other accessories is available as well, but those are the ones that match this special edition specifically.

Gallery: Vespa Edizione Ottantesimo

Source: Vespa

That's Great, But How Do I Order One?

So glad you asked. Vespa has decided to make the Edizione Ottantesimo available as of today, exclusively online. You'll need to go to the website directly to place your order.

What do you think?

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What'll it cost you? If you're in the US, the MSRP is $10,000. If you're in Canada, it's $14,000. If you're elsewhere in the world, pricing will vary. One thing that's clear is that with only 1,946 available worldwide, these probably won't last long.

Now, here's a question for you if you're planning to buy one of these: Would you wear the matching helmet on a ride, or would you immediately put it on display and take another helmet out instead? While I'm a big proponent of riding any bikes or scooters that you own, that helmet is so beautiful, I think that I might actually cry if it got scratched or dinged in some way. But, you know, that's one opinion, and it might not necessarily be the same as yours. Let me know in the comments!