It’s the turn of the “bee”: another classic vehicle is disappearing from the roads of Europe. The legendary tricycle will now be manufactured in India. Anyone who has happened to pass by it while walking or driving on the roads of Italy has understood how annoying this vehicle can be, constantly struggling and growling. But once again, the news that Italy is parting with the small, but also legendary Piaggio Ape tricycle, is very sad.

By the end of the year, Piaggio’s factory in Tuscany will roll out its latest model. From now on, after 75 years of uninterrupted production, the tricycles will be manufactured in India – and sold only in countries in Asia and Africa and no longer in Europe. Thus, after VW’s cockroach and Citroën’s “duck”, another chapter in the history of the car closes.

A Vespa with a roof and three wheels

Ape (meaning “bee”) was essentially the evolution of vespa (“wasp”). The first Ape was built in 1948, two years after the first Vespa – and both vehicles were the brainchild of company founder Enrico Piaggio and engineer Corandino D’Ascanio.

The “bee” was actually a three-wheeled Vespa, which also had a small cabin for the driver, as well as a small cart for carrying various items. The original idea for the vehicle was to have a normal, round steering wheel, but this idea was abandoned relatively quickly in favor of the two-handled steering wheel found on motorcycles. At the same time, the “bee” was not… the most comfortable vehicle in the world. Probably the opposite, since it just had two small windows, no heating and no radio, with an engine of only 50 cubic meters and a maximum speed of… dizzying 40 km/h.

Ideal for farm work

However, this tricycle could carry a load weighing even more than 200 kg – a trump card for the farmers, as it was ideal for work in the fields of olive trees and vineyards, as well as for transporting produce. in local markets. The “bee” was cheap, simple and had great endurance. And that was all that was needed in the first years after the war. As historian Giorgio Sarti explains, “cars and trucks were very expensive, especially for small businesses. The “bee” was the perfect solution”.

And so it was for decades. The tricycle stayed in the family for years, was passed down from generation to generation and sometimes even became… an extension of the house: the children played in its cart, while two people could spend the night in its cabin – even if somewhat cramped. Today, of course, its price has skyrocketed and can even exceed 7,000 euros.

1960 models are still on sale in Italy

Several models from the 1960s and 1970s can still be seen on the roads of southern Italy today, still reliably performing their duties. Moreover, these tricycles can be repaired relatively easily. In addition, Piaggio had released some “special” models – Pope Benedict XVI (1927-2022) for example once received his own pure white “bee”.

Of course, in the big cities of Italy, such as Rome and Milan, the tricycle has almost completely disappeared, with the exception of some “bees” that circulate in the neighborhoods that have open-air markets or other neat antique models, owned for example by some collectors.

“A piece of Italian history is dying”

Today the “bees” are used more in alternative ways: some make changes to the engines, others turn the tricycle into a makeshift espresso bar or even as a portable outdoor cinema. Sascha Miller from South Tyrol, who specializes in these types of conversions, emphasizes, however, that by stopping the production of the tricycle “a piece of Italian history dies”.

The newspaper La Repubblica wrote that the “bee” is a characteristic feature of the Italian national character, but also the golden intersection between individuality and family coexistence: “You feel comfortable driving alone in the small cabin, carrying your things or tools in the cart. But you can drive with someone else in your company, feeling a greater sense of intimacy – or despite safety regulations celebrate with your friends.”

A new era made in India

Piaggio will now manufacture the tricycles in India – because on the one hand the environmental regulations of the EU are now much stricter, and on the other hand because the market in Europe has shrunk considerably.

In the world’s most populous country of 1.43 billion people, the “bee” is already being built as an electric vehicle or with a gas-guzzling engine, with Piaggio competing with the production of Asia’s famous tuk-tuk tricycles.

Italians are comforted by the fact that some models are still sold in the southern European country, but also by the fact that the “cinquecento”, Italy’s most legendary small car, the Fiat 500, is still on many Italian roads, despite that its construction has been discontinued since 1975. And such images make even the most “hard” crack a faint smile.

Edited by: Giorgos Passas