Ciao, Bella

Until the advent of the Vespa and Lambretta, most motorcycles were essentially heavyweight bicycles with an engine mounted in the middle of the frame. While perhaps the optimal arrangement from an engineering standpoint (the basic concept remains unchanged to this day), it left something to be desired in ergonomic terms. The rider was required to straddle the machine, an arrangement considered immodest, especially for women, in some conservative countries. As late as the 1960s, it wasn't uncommon to see female motorcycle passengers in rural Italy riding sidesaddle. On a scooter, however, the pilot could keep his or her knees together.

What scooters also offered was weather protection, isolation from the noisy and smelly engine, and thus the ability to ride around in a cashmere sweater (like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday) rather than a grubby waxed-cotton jacket. Not surprisingly then, scooters were a big hit with fashion-conscious European teens, and they created a whole new market of "non-motorcyclist" riders – including many women. Scooters were clean, quiet, economical transportation, and fashionable to boot. ...

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