The production of Piaggio's iconic Ape
three-wheel vehicle has left Italy after 76 years for India.
The Ape (Bee) was produced by Piaggio in Pontedera near Pisa
since 1948 but part of the production had already been moved to
India over the past few years.
It will now be exclusively made for the Indian and African
markets due to new more stringent European Union rules on
emissions and safety, sources close to the industrial group
said.
The Pontedera factory will be converted to produce the electric
Porter lorry.
The one-of-a-kind design encapsulating the spirit of post-war
Italy was created by engineer Corradino D'Ascanio and became
famous by bringing mobility to recovering Italian cities after
World War II.
D'Ascanio, originally a helicopter designer, is also the father
of another iconic vehicle, the Ape's two-wheel sibling Vespa
(Wasp), based on an idea conceived by industrialist Enrico
Piaggio.
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