Piaggio & Co. SpA
Type	Public (Borsa Italiana:PIA)
Founded	1884
Headquarters	Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
Key people	Roberto Colaninno chairman
Industry	Motorcycle
Products	Aprilia Derbi Gilera Ligier Moto Guzzi Piaggio Vespa
Website	Piaggio.com

Piaggio is a company based in Italy that produces cars, motorcycles, scooters and aeroplanes. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Borsa Italiana S.p. ... Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Italian small city in Pisas district. ... Leaning Tower of Pisa. ... A variety of parked motorcycles A motorcycle or motorbike is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an engine. ... An Aprilia RS125, model of 1998. ... Derbi is a brand of motorcycles, scooters, and recreational ATVs (quads) produced by Nacional Motor S.A.U., a Spanish subsidiary of Piaggio. ... Gilera exhibit Gilera is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. ... Ligier Automobiles logo. ... Moto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer that was established in 1920. ... Vespa Logo Classic Vespas in Perth, Western Australia The Vespa is a line of motor scooters that was first manufactured in Pontedera, Italy in 1946 by Piaggio & Co, S.p. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos and other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML...

History

Founded by Rinaldo Piaggio in 1884, Piaggio initially produced locomotives and railway carriages. During World War I the company focused on producing airplanes. Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

During World War II the company produced fighter planes, but Piaggio emerged from the conflict with its Pontedera plant completely demolished by bombing. Italy's crippled economy and the disastrous state of the roads did not assist in the re-development of the automobile markets. Enrico Piaggio, the son of Piaggio's founder Rinaldo Piaggio, decided to leave the aeronautical field in order to address Italy's urgent need for a modern and affordable mode of transportation. The idea was to design an inexpensive vehicle for the masses. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Italian small city in Pisas district. ...

For the full story, see separate article on Vespa

Aeronautical engineer Corradino D'Ascanio, responsible for the design and construction of the first modern helicopter by Agusta, was given the job of designing a simple, robust and affordable vehicle by Enrico Piaggio. The vehicle had to be easy to drive for both men and women, be able to carry a passenger, and not get its driver's clothes dirty. Consequently, in 1946 Piaggio launched the Vespa (Italian for "wasp") scooter, and within 10 years over a million units had been produced. Vespa Logo Classic Vespas in Perth, Western Australia The Vespa is a line of motor scooters that was first manufactured in Pontedera, Italy in 1946 by Piaggio & Co, S.p. ... A South African Air Force A109LUH Agusta (now part of AgustaWestland) is an Italian helicopter manufacturer. ... Vespa Logo Classic Vespas in Perth, Western Australia The Vespa is a line of motor scooters that was first manufactured in Pontedera, Italy in 1946 by Piaggio & Co, S.p. ...

Development

Piaggio had a strong cash flow emanating from the success of the Vespa, and decided to develop other products. In 1957 they produced the Vespa 400, a tiny passenger car. Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... The Vespa 400 was a tiny passenger car with a 349cc engine built in both 2 and 4-seater versions. ...

In 1959, Piaggio came under the control of the Agnelli family, the owners of car maker Fiat SpA. Resultantly, as the wider ownership of Fiat in Italian industry, in the 1964 the two divisions (aeronautical and motorcycle) split to become two independent companies; the aeronautical division was named IAM Rinaldo Piaggio. Today the airplane-company Piaggio Aero is controlled by the family of Piero Ferrari, who also still holds 10% of the famous car maker Ferrari. Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fiat S.p. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... Piaggio Aero Industries is an aircraft manufacturing company born from the former Rinaldo Piaggio SPA, an Italian company. ... Ferrari Enzo. ...

In 1969 the motorcycle company purchased Gilera. Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Gilera exhibit Gilera is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. ...

Under New Ownership

In 1959, Piaggio came under the control of the Agnelli family, the owners of car maker Fiat SpA. Vespa thrived, until 1992 when Giovanni Alberto Agnelli became CEO - but Agnelli was already suffering from cancer, and died in 1997. In 1999, Morgan Grenfell Private Equity acquired Piaggio, but a quickly hoped for sale was dashed by a failed joint venture in China. In Italy, Piaggio invested 15 million euros ($19.4 million) in a new motorcycle but dropped it after building a prototype. By the end of 2002, the company had run up 577 million euros in debt on revenues of 945 million euros, and booked a loss of 129 million euros. Fiat S.p. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... This article is about the year. ... J. S. Morgan & Co. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

Then came Roberto Colaninno: A lot of people told me I was crazy. Piaggio wasn't dying. It just needed to be treated better. Piaggio's financial was in a bad shape, but its brand was still well known and its product were featuring in more Hollywood films thanks to the Vespa ET4. In 1995, Colaninno had pulled off what was then Europe's largest-ever hostile takeover when he took control of Telecom Italia SpA. In October 2003, Mr. Colaninno made an initial investment of 100 million euros through his holding company Immsi SpA in exchange for just under a third of Piaggio and the mandate to run it. Chief executive Rocco Sabelli, redesigned the factory to Japanese principles, and redesigned the factory so that every Piaggio scooter could be made on any assembly line. Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Unlike the turnaround recipe applied at U.S. auto makers, Mr. Colaninno didn't fire a single worker - a move which helped seduce the company's skeptical unions. "Everyone in a company is part of the value chain," said Colaninno. All bonuses for blue-collar workers and management were based on the same criteria: profit margins and customer satisfaction; and air conditioning was installed in the factory. He also gave the company's engineers, who had been idled by the company's financial crisis, deadlines for projects - they rolled out two world firsts in 2004: a gas-electric hybrid scooter; a scooter with two wheels in front and one in back which grips the road better.

One of Piaggio's problems Mr. Colaninno couldn't fix from the inside was its scale. Even though Piaggio was the European market leader, it was dwarfed by rivals Honda and Yamaha. A year after rescuing Piaggio, Colaninno decided to salvage another Italian brand: scooter and motorcycle maker Aprilia. The logo of the Honda automobiles The logo of the Honda motorcycles Honda Motor Company, Limited )   (TYO: 7267 , NYSE: HMC), or simply called Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, engine manufacturer and engineering corporation. ... Yamaha Motor Company Limited ) (TYO: 7272 ), a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company (whose HQ is at 2500 Shingai, Iwata, Shizuoka), is part of the Yamaha Corporation. ... An Aprilia RS125, model of 1998. ...

In 2006, Piaggio floated on the Milan Stock Exchange, becoming a Public Company. Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Brands and models

Group brands

• Aprilia - motorcycles and scooters
• Derbi - motorcycles, scooters, mopeds and recreational ATVs (quads)
• Gilera - motorcycles, mopeds
• Ligier - 4wheel micro automobiles
• Moto Guzzi - motorcycles
• Piaggio - scooters
• Piaggio Aero aircraft
• Vespa - scooters and mopeds
• Laverda - super sports motorcycles

An Aprilia RS125, model of 1998. ... Derbi is a brand of motorcycles, scooters, and recreational ATVs (quads) produced by Nacional Motor S.A.U., a Spanish subsidiary of Piaggio. ... A picture of several mopeds from a ride sponsored by the Moped Army. ... The term All-Terrain Vehicle or ATV is used in a general sense to describe any of a number of small open motorized buggies and tricycles designed for off-road use. ... Gilera exhibit Gilera is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. ... A variety of parked motorcycles A motorcycle or motorbike is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an engine. ... A picture of several mopeds from a ride sponsored by the Moped Army. ... Ligier Automobiles logo. ... “Car” and “Cars” redirect here. ... Moto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer that was established in 1920. ... A modern scooter A scooter is a two-wheeled motor vehicle with a step-through frame. ... Piaggio Aero Industries is an aircraft manufacturing company born from the former Rinaldo Piaggio SPA, an Italian company. ... Vespa Logo Classic Vespas in Perth, Western Australia The Vespa is a line of motor scooters that was first manufactured in Pontedera, Italy in 1946 by Piaggio & Co, S.p. ... A moped is a motorized two-wheeled vehicle subject to local speed regulations. ... Laverda Logo Laverda is an Italian manufacturer of Combine harvesters and at one time a maker of high performance motorcycles. ...

Piaggio Models

• Vespa ET2 (50cc) & ET4 (150cc) 1996-2005
• Vespa LX50 (50cc) LX150 (150cc) 2006 - Replacement for the ET series
• Vespa GT200 / GTS250ie (Also known as the Grand Turismo and Grand Turismo Sport)
• Vespa LXV150/GTV/GT60 (special edition and Limited run Collector's Editions of the LX150 an GTS250 models)
• Vespa PX125/150/200
• Piaggio Ape 3-wheel submicro pickups.
• Piaggio Porter 4-wheel micro-vans and micro-pickups, same as a Daihatsu Hijet.
• Piaggio P180 Avanti business aircraft.
• Piaggio MP3 3-wheel scooter.
• Piaggio BV500 - neo-classic style, automatic transmission, top-speed 100mph
• X9 125/250 cc Evolution - the Evolution models superseded the previous X9 models in 2004, which were fitted with Honda engines.
• X9 500 cc Evolution-features that are not fitted on 125/250 cc models: hydraulic centre stand - pics: integrated rider-to-pillion communication system - mobile phone charger in front dash cubby hole.
• BV200 / BV250 / BV500
• FLY50
• FLY125
• FLY150
• Typhoon (50cc)
• Sfera NSL (50cc & 80cc) 1991-1995
• Sfera RST (RST standing for Restyle) (50cc 2-Stroke & 125cc 4-Stroke) 1995 - ??
• NRG mc1-3 (50 cc) (mc standing for mark.)
• NRG Power PureJet (50cc Fuel Inj, Water Cooling)
• Zip (50cc 2-Stroke & 125cc 4-Stroke)
• Liberty (50cc 2-Stroke, 125 cc & 150 cc Quattrotempi)
• Liberty S (50cc & 125cc)
• Skipper ST (125cc)
• Ciao (50cc)
• Si (50cc)
• Grillo (50cc)
• Bravo (50cc)
• Boxer (50cc)
• X8 (125cc)
• X8 (250cc)
• X8 (400cc)
• Beverly (125cc; 250cc; 400cc; 500cc: Beverly is the Italian name for the BV models)
• Carnaby (125cc & 200cc)
• Free 50 (50cc)
• Hexagon (125cc; 150cc; 180cc; 250cc)
• T (125cc; 150cc)
• Zip 2000 (50cc 4-Stroke)

pk 50/100/125 Vespa Logo Classic Vespas in Perth, Western Australia The Vespa is a line of motor scooters that was first manufactured in Pontedera, Italy in 1946 by Piaggio & Co, S.p. ... Vespa Logo Classic Vespas in Perth, Western Australia The Vespa is a line of motor scooters that was first manufactured in Pontedera, Italy in 1946 by Piaggio & Co, S.p. ... Vespa Logo Classic Vespas in Perth, Western Australia The Vespa is a line of motor scooters that was first manufactured in Pontedera, Italy in 1946 by Piaggio & Co, S.p. ... Vespa Logo Classic Vespas in Perth, Western Australia The Vespa is a line of motor scooters that was first manufactured in Pontedera, Italy in 1946 by Piaggio & Co, S.p. ... Vespa Logo Classic Vespas in Perth, Western Australia The Vespa is a line of motor scooters that was first manufactured in Pontedera, Italy in 1946 by Piaggio & Co, S.p. ... The Piaggio Ape (pronounced ah-pay - Italian for bee [1]) is a three-wheeled light commercial vehicle built by Piaggio. ... The best selling North American pickup truck, the Ford F-Series. ... Look up micro- in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The best selling North American pickup truck, the Ford F-Series. ... Daihatsu is a Japanese manufacturer of cars, especially compact/small cars. ... A Piaggio P.180 in flight, demonstrating the unique design. ... The Piaggio MP3. ...

External links

• Official website
• Piaggio Vans UK