ROAD NEWS
VESPA WORLD DAY RALLY
elfast, Northern Ireland, saw the
2018 edition of the Vespa World
Days, the biggest gathering of Vespa
enthusiasts, bringing together Vespa
Clubs from all over the world.
The capital of Northern Ireland welcomed
over 3000 Vespas officially registered for
the event - as well as thousands more who
turned up on the spur of the moment –
representing 37 nations, from the United
States to Indonesia, Australia to Mexico,
Canada to China, and including all of Europe
and the Mediterranean area up to Israel.
A fitting testament to the strong universal
appeal of the Vespa legend, which is currently
experiencing one of its most triumphant
periods.
A parade of Vespas made its way along the
beautiful Causeway Coast, flanked by green
fields and the North Sea, was welcomed by
the applause of the local population as it
headed for Belfast, a trendy destination and
Lonely Planet’s number 1 location of the Top
10 places to visit.
16 KIWI RIDER
Of the many Vespas on parade the award for
the oldest and most precious vehicle went to
a splendid 1951 Vespa Douglas, in a perfect
state of conservation and still with the original
period spare tyre.
As is traditional, the final act of the Vespa
World Days was to announce the winners
of the Vespa Trophy, a sought after tourist
trophy created in partnership with Michelin, in
which Vespa Club members demonstrate all
of their stops on the way to Belfast via photos
and special stamps on their Travel Books.
Victory went to Italy, thanks to Vespa Club
Verona, which came in ahead of Vespa Club
Morciano di Romagna, while third place went
to Belgium’s Vespa Club Oostende. Special
recognition also went to the Presidents of
Vespa Club Cyprus and Vespa Club Oostende,
while for the first time the award for Solo
Vespa Driver went to a woman, a member of
Vespa Club Prague who travelled over 6000km
alone to reach Belfast.
The next edition is set for 2019 and will be
held in Hungary.