99 - VESPA - c. 1950–60

VESPA - c. 1950–60 “Service” (French version). Original double-sided enamel advertising sign. Generous size: 80 cm in diameter. “Emaillerie Alsacienne de Strasbourg-Hoennheim” In superb overall condition— The colors are spectacularly well-preserved and display a beautiful luster on both sides. Note: there are some minor imperfections, including tiny chips near a mounting point and two small ones within the image. The sign still has two original brass eyelets around the mounting points. At the top, there is a coat of arms featuring the letter “P” of the Italian manufacturer Piaggio, surmounting the inscription “A.C.M.A. Paris.” This emblem certifies that the product was manufactured in France under an official license. The inscription refers to the Paris headquarters of the Ateliers de Construction de Motocycles et Accessoires. These types of plaques were meant to be hung outside on the facades of Piaggio dealerships and authorized agents to indicate an official service center. On April 23, 1946, industrialist Enrico Piaggio and aeronautical engineer Corradino D’Ascanio filed the founding patent for the Vespa in Florence; which means “wasp” in Italian due to its shape (the Vespa was named in memory of Enrico Piaggio’s reaction when he first saw the vehicle: “It looks like a wasp!”) This scooter with a self-supporting body was born in the Piaggio factories in Pontedera, near Pisa (Italy), before going on to conquer the world.