A recently discussed thesis presents the Vespa as a paradigm of a distinctive corporate culture

There are some objects born of industrial ingenuity that become icons not only of technology but also of design. Objects that are expressions of a unique manufacturing culture.  Objects that mark significant historical and social periods,  for everyone. This is certainly true of the legendary Vespa, an iconic product that has shaped, and continues to shape, a unique industrial culture. These are topics that deserve in-depth study. Alberto Prearo’s research took the form of a thesis presented at the University of Padua, and he has done just that.

Reading ‘L’immagine iconica della Vespa tra arte, cinema e design’ (The iconic image of the Vespa: art, cinema and design), one realises – as Prearo himself writes – ‘how few other objects have been able to embody, with the same effectiveness as the Vespa, the complex interplay between technological innovation, industrial production, visual communication and the shaping of the collective imagination within the landscape of 20th-century material culture’.

The thesis is a passionate exploration of the origins and development of this iconic product, as well as its portrayal in the visual arts. In the aftermath of the devastation caused by the Second World War, the country embarked on a process of reconstruction that would soon lead to an economic boom. It was against this backdrop that the success of the Vespa took place, embodying cultural, social and economic transformations. Prearo explains that the Vespa is one of the symbols of Italian lifestyles and daily habits, which are undergoing a process of renewal and growth with the introduction of new consumption patterns, particularly in terms of new forms of mobility.

This thesis therefore examines the Vespa through these various aspects, analysing how this industrial product evolved into a cultural artefact that reflected and shaped the collective imagination of post-war Italy.

Alberto Prearo’s work highlights the processes through which this scooter became an icon of Italian design.  In this way, an academic study becomes the story of a nation.

L’immagine iconica della Vespa tra arte, cinema e design

Alberto Prearo

Thesis, University of Padua, Department of Cultural Heritage: Archaeology, Art History, Film History and Music History, 2026