The little Vespa-based truck that was once such a familiar sight on Italy’s roads is an interesting comment on how self-indulgent much innovation can be. The tiny truck was perfectly suited to small farmers and tradesmen and was just the right size for the narrow streets of old European towns. It was also cheap to buy and, for its day, extremely fuel-efficient. Today’s van driver might not appreciate having to make deliveries in an Ape. However, as large, fast and heavy as today’s vans often are, they run three-quarters empty for most of their lives. An Ape with a tiny engine could often do the job.
After World War II, Italy was fertile ground for the development of new ‘minimal motoring’ solutions and, because Piaggio was barred from building aircraft, the aeronautical engineer and helicopter pioneer Corradino D’Ascanio (1891–1981) came up with a new, rational and integrated two-wheeler, soon to be called the Vespa (‘wasp’ in Italian) owing to its buzzing sound and pointed tail.
D’Ascanio’s clever integrated engine and drive package, as well as the pressed-steel frame and steering arrangement, made it easy to rearrange these elements in a light tricycle truck christened the Ape (‘bee’). The economy and versatility of the concept has appealed to artisans and retailers over the generations and Piaggio also has a huge production of these light trucks from factories in India, China and Vietnam.
Original 1940s poster.
Economy and suitability for small loads. The qualities that made the Ape a favourite in Italy for small traders and countrymen also made it a hit in many Asian countries.