For nearly 80 years, Vespa has been building more than just scooters. It’s been shaping how people think about two wheels. Born out of postwar necessity after World War II, Vespa showed the world that riding didn’t have to be loud, intimidating, or exclusive. It could be friendly, stylish, and part of everyday life. That idea helped open motorcycle culture to people who might never have considered riding in the first place, and that ripple effect is still felt today.
That’s why Vespa’s 80th anniversary celebration in 2026 matters beyond one brand blowing out birthday candles. At the Goodwood Revival, Vespa will headline a special track parade made up entirely of pre-1966 scooters. These machines will lap the Goodwood Motor Circuit exactly as they were built, without modern updates or reinterpretations. It’s a deliberate move that puts history front and center instead of treating it like a museum piece.
More than 300 scooters are expected to take part, with Vespas making up the bulk of the field. They won’t be alone, though. Period machines from the likes of Lambretta, Italjet, and Iso will also join the parade, all tied together by a La Dolce Vita theme that celebrates design, leisure, and mechanical simplicity from the 1940s through the 1960s. It’s less about brand rivalry and more about a shared era that helped define two-wheeled culture as we know it today.
