As the price of gasoline has risen, people have been shopping around for alternative forms of transportation, particularly environmentally-friendly ones.

In North America, one of the success stories of the summer of '07 has been the growing popularity of the Italian scooter, commonly known as the "Vespa." A lot of people (in some markets, women more than men) are buying the scooter to reduce expenses, limit harmful emissions and generally improve their commuting experience. It's easy to get around in traffic, easy to park and really stingy on gas.

The scooter has also become something of a fashion statement: let's have some fun while we reduce our carbon footprint!

It's excellent on fuel consumption...and improvements keep coming. The manufacturer, Piaggio, has just introduced a gasoline-electric hybrid prototype that promises 60 kilometers on a single liter of fuel (about 140 miles per gallon)(!).

The Vespa won acclaim right from its introduction in Italy in the late 1940s as a sturdy utility motorcycle, making it through bouncy war-damaged roads. Then it hit the marketing jackpot when it became a fashionable icon a decade later. Hollywood stars Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn made an indelible impression when they were featured riding together on a Vespa in the film "Roman Holiday."

According to company literature, the Vespa got it's name when company president Enrico Piaggio first saw a finished prototype, and said, "Sembra una vespa!" ("It looks like a wasp.")

With today's improved gas-saving technology, the scooter is rocketing up the popularity meter and people are increasingly choosing it as a cool and environmental alternative to cars in the city.

Learn more about this author, Renato Zane.
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