Piaggio was founded in Genoa, Italy in 1884 originally housing luxury ship fitting. In 1921, Piaggio bought a new plant in Pontedera, which was its new center for aeronautical production. Unfortunately, the plant was completely destroyed by Allied bombers due to its military importance. Concerned about the state of the Italian economy, Piaggio focused on the personal mobility needs of the Italian people. By the end of 1949, 35,000 units had been produced. In 10 years, one million were produced. By the mid-50s, Vespa was being produced in Germany, Great Britian, France, Belgium, Spain and Italy.
