The Piaggio Group reported an 11.6% drop in net sales for the first quarter of 2013, the result of a struggling economy and unseasonably cold weather in Europe and a flatlining two-wheeler market in Vietnam. There was however some good news in North America, Vespa sales in India and a 27.8% increase in Moto Guzzi sales.

According to the company’s first quarter report, Piaggio reported net sales of 303.4 million euros (US$396.8 million), down from net sales of 343.1 million euros reported the same quarter of 2012. Motorcycles and scooters account for net sales of 181.0 million euros (US$236.8 million), an 8.7% decline from net sales of 198.4 million euros reported in the first quarter of 2012. Overall, the Piaggio Group reported a net profit of 1.1 million euros, compared to 3.2 million euros reported in the first quarter last year. Continue Reading »

April 26, 2013, marks the 67th anniversary of the day Enrico Piaggio went to Italy’s Central Patents Office and filed his plans for “a motor cycle with a rational complex of organs and elements with body combined with the mudguards and bonnet covering all the mechanical parts” which later became the iconic Vespa scooter.

Piaggio created several prototypes of the Vespa – so named for its wasp-like body with a narrow “waist” and wide rear – before coming up with the MP6 pictured above with the help of designer Corradino D’Ascanio and draftsman Mario D’Este.

The public was first introduced to Vespa at the 1946 Milan fair, with sales beginning shortly afterward. Piaggio produced 2,484 Vespa scooters in Italy in 1946 before seeing production jump up to 10,535 in 1948. In 1950, Piaggio expanded sales to Germany, increasing production to 60,000 scooters. The rest, as they say, is history. Continue Reading »

The California Air Resources Board has agreed to settlements with Suzuki and Piaggio for selling motorcycles that the companies did not disclose could be modified to exceed the state’s strict emission standards.

Suzuki was hit with the larger of the two penalties, agreeing to a fine of $3,020,000, though the amount could be reduced by $1,812,000 if Suzuki follows certain provisions. The penalty is in addition to the previous fine of $885,000 levied by the Environmental Protection Agency for selling 25,396 LT-R450 ATVs and 62 RMX450Z dirtbikes with a racing map programmed into their ECUs that was not certified or tested. This racing map is not initially accessible to customers, unless they buy aftermarket devices to unlock the higher-performance engine mapping.

Under EPA and CARB regulations, manufacturers are required to disclose any such engine modifications when seeking approval to sell its vehicles. CARB did not specify the models involved in its own case, so other models besides the ones in the EPA case may be involved. CARB does say engine mapping significantly increases smog-forming emissions and therefore should have been disclosed. Continue Reading »

The Piaggio Group reported a 7.3% decrease in net sales and a 9.0% decrease in net profit for 2012, thanks in large part to a sharp decline in demand in Europe including an all-time low for motorcycle sales in Italy.

Piaggio reported net sales of 1.406 billion euros (US$1.842 billion) in 2012, down from 1.516 billion euros in 2011. Motorcycles and scooters accounted for net sales of 993.3 million euros  (US$1.301 billion), a 3.1% decrease from 1.025 billion euros reported for 2011. Overall net profit decreased to 42.1 million euros (US$55.2 million) on the year, down from 46.3 million euros.

The Italian company, which owns the brands Aprilia, Derbi, Gilera, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio and Vespa, sold 406,100 motorcycles and scooters in 2012, a 2.1% decrease from the reported sales of 415,000 units in 2011. Piaggio attributes much of the decline to the weak European market. Continue Reading »

Piaggio is laying off nearly 150 Derbi workers in Barcelona after failing to find a partner to acquire the Spanish motorcycle brand’s factory. Derbi, which the Piaggio Group acquired in 2001, has been based in Spain’s Catalan region since it was founded in 1922, but the fate of its Spanish staff was left up in the air after Piaggio announced plans to move production to Italy in 2011.

Workers gained a bit of a reprieve as Piaggio sought buyers for Derbi’s facilities. A deal was thought to be in the works last summer between Piaggio and Swiss investment company Giba that would see the firm invest 100 million euros to produce automobiles at the facility.

Negotiations fell through however and Giba withdrew its interest, leading Piaggio to file a record of employment regulation (ERE), a procedure in Spanish law allowing a company to terminate labor relations. Continue Reading »

Piaggio launched its Vespa scooter brand at last January’s Indian Auto Expo to much fanfare but sales have fallen short of expectations. The Vespa LX125 launched in Indian showrooms in April as the first new Vespa scooter offered in the country in 13 years, but Piaggio has only sold about 25,000 units.

That might seem like a lot, and would be, for the U.S. market, but in India, it’s a sliver in a market that bought 2.5 million scooters in 2011. Remember, this is a market where some Hero MotoCorp sold a half million units in a single month. Of course, the Vespa LX125 is positioned as a premium product with a relatively high price and limited production. That being said, the new assembly plant in Baramati, India, has a production capacity of 150,000 units this year, with plans to double capacity by the end of 2013, so sales of 25,000 units is disappointing. Continue Reading »

The Piaggio Group announced it has secured a €60 million (US$77.6 million) financing deal with the European Investment Bank to fund the development of new products.

The seven-year loan will fund research and development projects at Piaggio’s Italian facilities. The loan is in addition to investments Piaggio already budgeted for the period from 2013 to 2015 to develop new products. The new research and development projects will focus on three fields: safety, fuel-efficient combustion engines and alternative fuel technologies.

For safety, Piaggio will be working on active, passive and preventative safety measures. This is especially important in light of recent legislation enacted by the European Parliament to make ABS mandatory for motorcycles and scooters with engines larger than 125cc by 2016. Piaggio has already gotten a start toward that goal, gradually adding ABS to models such as the 2013 Aprilia RSV4 R and RSV4 Factory. Continue Reading »

Italian law enforcement agents seized six scooter models from the 2012 EICMA show in Milan, Italy, after receiving complaints they were counterfeits of Vespa scooters.

The six scooters were seized by the Guardia di Finanza, a law enforcement agency operating under Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance whose responsibilities range from combating smuggling and financial crimes to counterfeiting and copyright violations.

Following a complaint by the Piaggio Group, authorities seized the following six models:

• The Roman by the TaoTao Group
• The WL 101Z by Ningbo Wanli Weiye International Trade Co.
• The Luxury by Bertini S.r.l.
• The Reset Ecologic by WRS S.r.l.
• The Miami by E-Tropolis Italia S.r.l.
• The Milano by E-Tropolis Italia S.r.l.

Continue Reading »

The first images of the Aprilia Caponord 1200 broke last week but Piaggio has released new details and photographs of the adventure-tourer at the 2012 EICMA Show in Milan, Italy.

Sharing its engine and frame with the Dorsoduro 1200, the Aprilia Caponord 1200 is the latest competitor in the adventure-touring segment, albeit with limited off-road aspirations. The closest competitor to the Caponord 1200 is probably the Ducati Multistrada 1200. Both models are equipped with 90-degree V-Twin engines, ABS, traction control, multiple ride modes, adjustable windscreen, hand guards and optional semi-active suspension.

The Caponord’s semi-active suspension (named Aprilia Dynamic Damping) reads data from wheel sensors and calibrates damping for changing conditions in a similar “skyhook” concept  as the Multistrada. ADD is available in Aprilia’s Travel Pack which also includes cruise control, color-matched panniers and center stand (bags and stand are also available separately.) Continue Reading »

We got a peak at the new Vespa 946 late last week but Piaggio has now released more pictures and information on the bold new scooter. Presented at the 2012 EICMA Show a year after its original concept was unveiled.

The new Vespa 946 is a mix of both the past and the future. It maintains many of Vespa’s signature features and traces a lineage back to the MP6, the original Vepsa prototype from 1946. The designers at Piaggio’s Pontedera Style Centre merged the classic styling with futuristic elements in the cantilevered seat, sleek curves and the latest technological advancements.

For the first time, Vespa is moving away from its steel body to an aluminum alloy for reduced weight and improved fuel economy. Another first for Vespa is the horizontally-mounted rear shock absorber which also features four adjustable preload positions. Like other new Piaggio-family scooters such as the Aprilia SRV 850 and Piaggio BV350, the Vespa 946 comes equipped with ABS and traction control. Other modern touches include LED lighting and LCD display. Continue Reading »