Motor scooters are commonly associated with two manufacturers: Innocenti who made the Lambretta and Piaggio who produced the Vespa.

From the early 1950s these firms achieved worldwide sales that were the envy of most other motorcycle manufacturers, but the history of the motor scooter began much earlier, from the unsuccessful early experiments to its employment as a light vehicle for troops during the Second World War.

When the motor scooter became a success manufacturers multiplied, producing some innovative designs that often diverged from the original concept of the scooter as a cheap, easily maintained utility machine.

This book relates and illustrates this fascinating history, and lists some of the outstanding achievements and records of the scooter.