U.S. sales of Vespa have grown at double-digit rates since Italian scootermaker Piaggio reintroduced the small bike Stateside in 2000. The company has sold nearly 5,800 so far this year, up 43% from 2002. In November the company added the bigger Granturismo (GT) to court wealthy, first-time buyers. The redesigned GT, priced at $4,899, has a throaty 200-cc engine, sleek design, and storage space for two riders. Piaggio figures it can grab a 25% share of the U.S. market and plans to introduce more models next year to compete with the likes of Yamaha's Vino and Honda's Silver Wing. Says Costantino...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
