The Piaggio Ape
Iconic Italian Design
History
In 1947, the inventor of the Vespa, aircraft designer Corradino D'Ascanio, came up with the idea of building a light three-wheeled commercial vehicle to power Italy's economical reconstruction. The name refers to the work ethic of this vehicle – "ape" (pronounced AH-pay) in Italian means "bee". In Italy’s small Southern villages where its compact size allows it to negotiate narrow city streets it is often seen at the roadside as an impromptu market stall.
In italy
Although they no longer travel in herds - the Piaggio APE still roams parts of South Florida.