It’s 100 years since the animation and film studio was founded by brothers Walt and Roy, so what better homage than a range of Mickey Mouse Vespas to celebrate Disney reaching a century?
The Italian scooter manufacturer is a few years younger, after Piaggio engineers Renzo Spolti and Vittorio Casini designed the MP5 with fully enclosed bodywork. And being nicknamed Paperino (Donald Duck in Italian), it led to the MP6 designed by aeronautaical engineer Corradino D’Ascanio , named the Vespa (wasp) by Enrico Piaggio. So bringing the two brands together does make some kind of sense.
Especially when the 2021 Disney Pixar film Luca is about the attempts of the child hero Luca to own a Vespa and travel around the world.
Back to the present day, and the Primavera range of 50cc, 125cc and 150cc scooters has been chosen to become the Disney Mickey Mouse Edition by Vespa range. Which means they get a distinctive black, red, yellow and white paint scheme to match the colours of the iconic animated character, with the round mirrors a similar shape to his ears.
The graphics include multiple silhouettes of Mickey Mouse on the front and sides, along with his signature on the saddle and the front shell.
You also get a matching helmet in the same colours, so if you’re a particularly big fan of Disney and Mickey Mouse it could be the perfect choice for commuting. Or to add to any collection of memorabilia, which is probably where a fair number may end up.
It still seems a little strange not to opt for Donald Duck, but obviously Mickey became the star of Steamboat Willy, which drove a lot of early success for Disney. And the mouse also became the first licensed character, with merchandise remaining vital to the growth of Disney as one of the largest entertainment companies in the world.
There’s no word on prices, but expect to pay a premium on the cost of the standard Primevera range, which starts at £3,550 for the 50cc scooter, with the larger models around £5,000.
Vespa have definitely embraced the idea of limited editions, with a special 946 produced for the Year of the Rabbit in 2023, and other brand tie-ins including the Christian Dior scooter.
Check out our other Vespa news and coverage, including previous special editions, here. And there’s always a huge range of modern and classic Vespas to browse on eBay if you have a hankering for a scooter.
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