Piaggio Group Americas Campaigns for Two-Wheel Parking With the Launch of the 'Vespatition'

Online Petition Calls for Support of National Campaign to Convert Portion of Automobile Parking Into Two Wheel Parking Spaces to Increase Efficiencies

NEW YORK, June 22 -- Piaggio Group Americas, the manufacturer of the world-famous Vespa(R) scooter, today launched an online petition called the "Vespatition" on the Vespa USA Web site. The "Vespatition" is a new initiative that calls for the development and support of adequate street-legal parking spaces and facilities for all two-wheel vehicles. Scooter owners and two-wheel enthusiasts are invited to sign the "Vespatition" at http://www.vespausa.com/Vespatition/.

Piaggio Group Americas, which also manufactures Moto Guzzi, Aprilia and Piaggio brand motorcycles and scooters, launched the petition to make it easy for consumers to voice their support for two-wheel parking as a simple and effective concept that can be embraced by city councils, urban planners, and private businesses wherever parking for motor vehicles is provided. Just as parking spaces for compact cars and handicapped parking stalls have increased efficiency and convenience in urban and suburban communities, officially designated two-wheel parking facilities can do the same.

"The 'Vespatition' is part of Piaggio's ongoing campaign to position two- wheel vehicles as a solution that could greatly reduce this nation's energy consumption, while helping to preserve our environment and reduce traffic congestion," said Paolo Timoni, President and CEO of Piaggio Group Americas. "Making American cities more two-wheel friendly could quickly help achieve a major, positive impact on the nation's transportation and energy consumption issues."

The Vespatition was launched in conjunction with the launch of the Vespanomics Web site at http://www.vespanomics.com/. Piaggio's Vespanomics campaign is designed to further educate consumers on how the use of motor scooters, like Vespa, can quickly reduce their oil consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and traffic congestion.

Results of the online petition will be sent to local Mayors and government agencies to encourage legislation that will remove the two-wheeler from the four-wheel parking space and place it in its own, scaled down zone.

About The Piaggio Group:

Established in 1884 by Rinaldo Piaggio and based in Pontedera (Pisa, Italy), the Piaggio Group is one of the world's top manufacturers of two-wheel motor vehicles. With over 6,000 employees in 50 countries, the Piaggio Group has a consolidated leadership in the European 2-wheeler market, and a particularly strong presence in the scooter and 50cc vehicles segment, with 40 percent market share in Europe and 48 percent in Italy. Its production includes scooters, motorcycles and mopeds in the 50cc to over 1000 cc displacement range, marketed under the Piaggio, Vespa, Gilera, Derbi, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Scarabeo brands. The Piaggio Group is controlled by Immsi S.p.A., an industrial and services holding listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, and is headed by Chairman Roberto Colaninno and Chief Executive Officer Rocco Sabelli.

Across its more than 120-year history, the company has been active in almost every area of transport including: naval fittings; the construction of locomotives and rolling stock; engines for the aeronautics sector; seaplanes; and civil and military aircraft. Since the introduction of the Vespa scooter in 1946, Piaggio has led the way in meeting the growing demand for personal mobility. A universally recognized symbol of Italian style, Vespa is an outstanding success story with more than 16 million scooters produced to date.