The Vespa by Piaggio celebrated in Bahia Blanca as a universal symbol of Made in Italy

The Vespa by Piaggio is a symbol of Italian genius, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, known and celebrated all over the world. For the first time ever, the Consulate General of Italy in Bahia Blanca has celebrated the Vespa as a symbol of Made in Italy, precisely at a time when Italy has become the fourth largest exporting country in the world.

Vespa enthusiasts, collectors and lovers from many cities in Argentina - such as Mar del Plata, La Plata, Rosario and Buenos Aires, in addition to Bahia Blanca - gathered at the Consulate General on 23 August for an exhibition of collectors' Vespas. A number of Vespa models - from vintage 1950s models to the most recent ones - were displayed around the neoclassical-style building of the Consular Headquarter before being paraded, all together, through the main areas of downtown Bahia Blanca. The parade then continued on 24 August to the city of Punta Alta, the Puerto Belgrano naval base, and finally to the port of Bahia Blanca.

The event mobilised an entire community of enthusiasts and spectators who gathered to admire an Italian icon sold in tens of millions worldwide, with hundreds and hundreds of clubs devoted to its legend.

The initiative was made possible thanks to the collaboration between the Consulate General and the municipalities of Bahia Blanca and Coronel Rosales, the Puerto Belgrano base, the Bahia Blanca Port Management Consortium and the Vespa Club Bahia Blanca, which celebrated its 10^th anniversary on this occasion.