The toymaker’s latest partnership with Vespa creates a buzz
Ordinarily, no one in their right mind would advocate for a two-wheeled vehicle made out of bricks, but stick with us, because there is an exception. Enter: the Lego Vespa.
Yes, Piaggio’s iconic piece of Italian heritage is reimagined in miniature for this fun collectable. It is, to be precise, a 1,106-piece scaled-down version of the Vespa’s 125 model, which dates back to the 1960s – the era when the maker’s production was booming.
Petrolheads with a penchant for original Vespas will be pleased by the equal measures of detail and style throughout this piece – there’s an Italian licence plate, a spare tyre and a removable engine cover that reveals an intricate brick-built mechanism, while the flower-filled basket and helmet will surely make you smile. The pastel-blue, too, is steeped in history – it’s one of the original production colours and a rarity for Lego, with a distinctive retro feel to it.
This is just one of the toymaker’s many special editions – keen collectors will be familiar with its past replicas of motoring icons, such as the 1960s Ford Mustang (complete with a detailed V8 engine), Porsche 911 and Fiat 500.
But the Vespa presented a new problem to solve: ‘As designers, the challenge was to have the soft shapes of Vespa coexist with the form of Lego bricks, a challenge I believe we met with flying colours,’ said Marco Lambri, head of the Piaggio Group Design Centre.
Sized perfectly for your desk and with a working kickstand, this Vespa is just the thing to gaze at while imagining trips through sun-drenched Tuscan hills – a welcome respite from the inbox.
