When one dreams about beautiful Italy, pictures of enchanting ruins, hillside palaces and gorgeous mansions, charming tiny towns, pizza, and enormous bowls of delicious pasta instantly come to mind. In a country that epitomizes refinement and sophistication, tourists understand that every trip to the Bel Paese is not only a culinary and cultural delight, but also the most memorable experience of their lives. Everything is more charming in Italy — La Dolce Vita lifestyle, towns, homes, the coast, and even the cars and scooters. Italians prefer adorable smaller cars like the SMART, Fiat Panda and Fiat 500 to large-sized SUVs or American sports cars. Not for nothing, Michael Pucciarelli, Vice Chairman of Casa Belvedere’s Board of Directors, famously said, “It’s pretty much pointless to compare Italian and American sports cars. It is like comparing hamburgers to a proper Pasta Bolognese. They will both fill you up, but one is fast food and the other is a dining experience.”
The Italian sense of national pride extends beyond cars, and locals are extremely proud even of the Vespa scooter, which embodies the Italian spirit — free, young and stylish. Extensively featured in the 1953 blockbuster, Roman Holiday, where a young Audrey Hepburn charms Gregory Peck, the cute little scooter has become the actual star of the movie and gained a cult following overseas. Over the years, the Italian icon has boosted its appeal even in the United States thanks to collaborations with teen heartthrob Justin Bieber, designer Sean Wotherspoon and the king of elegance, Giorgio Armani. But despite successful partnerships, our favorite collaboration remains with the legendary Dior house, so here's everything you need to know about the awesome collaboration between Dior and Vespa.
This Is What You Need To Know About The Vespa 946 Christian Dior
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Although Christian Dior and Corradino d’Ascanio, both founded the legendary House of Dior and Vespa in 1946, this is far from being their only shared characteristic. The iconic brands “share the desire to inspire an innovative, bright, and creative vision of the world,” says Vespa. Considering their common values and goals, it is not surprising that the two firms collaborated to create the most exclusive Vespa model in 2012. That model was the latter reinterpreted by Maria Grazia Chiuri, Creative Director of Dior's women's collections, and introduced to the public in Spring 2021.
“For me, Vespa is linked to my city, Rome. It’s linked to the freedom to move around the city with ease, like in the film Roman Holiday, which has left that extraordinary image of Audrey Hepburn clinging to Gregory Peck on a Vespa forever etched in our collective memory,” said Maria Grazia Chiuri. “I have so many happy memories starring a Vespa. It’s how my husband and I used to get around Rome and go to the seaside in Fregene. It’s a symbol of Italian-ness that is intricately linked to my personal history, and it’s now part of my professional life at Dior.”
Vespa built only 946 units of the limited-edition Vespa 946 Christian Dior and each of them stands out thanks to its craftsmanship, beautiful detailing, and engineering prowess. Dior fans will recognize the iconic Oblique motif designed by Marc Bohan in 1967 on the saddle support. Likewise, luxury connoisseurs can find the chic Christian Dior graphic above the muffler. Vespa also covered the seat and handlebar in blue leather that complements the Oblique design. Those who love the color palette can customize their scooters with extras like a helmet and trunk fixed on the luggage rack, both bearing the same legendary Dior pattern.
Aluminum parts complement the monocoque steel body of the stylish 125 cc scooter. And to further emphasize the retro look and the connection with Vespa’s MP6 prototype from 1946, the Italian mobility company painted the scooter in cream and added several understated design components that came in a shiny shade of gold. For instance, the “Vespa 946” badge, the hand grip ends and the mirror brackets are all dressed in the same gold shade. Without a doubt, Vespa perfectly curated every detail, and they perfectly showcased the Italian and French craftsmanship. However, at an MSRP of roughly $10,000, it’s safe to say that this scooter is not for everyone.
This Is What Made The Collaboration A Success
Andrew Tran, principal marketing strategist, AT Digital told HotCars that the collaboration was successful because “it brought two iconic European luxury brands together that share a target audience who want to connect and live that aspirational, luxury lifestyle.” He also pointed out that the restricted quantity helped create buzz. To be fair, product drops are nothing new, and luxury brands have for years used scarcity as a marketing tool. In this case, the scarcity principle assisted Vespa in establishing brand recognition and equity. Furthermore, it increased the Italian company's exposure to a worldwide clientele.