It is known that design is one of Italy’s strong points, so much so that it has been branded nationally, Made in Italy. A fact that in itself speaks volumes and for which we have so many brilliant minds and companies to thank. Among these, to have churned out a good deal of icons, is undoubtedly Piaggio, among many others, mother of the iconic Vespa. But, perhaps not everyone knows that just after the wasp, another great icon was born, a small revolution: the
Vespa of the Seas
, the outboard Moscone. And it is not just a Piaggio outboard, but one of the first outboards to really conquer the Italian market. It was back in 1949…
Outboard Moscone, the Wasp of the Seas
The Vespa, the Ciao, and even the highly efficient Porter. All icons of Piaggio’s house but, we at Boats to Motor, also like to remember him, the legendary Moscone, among the first mass-produced outboards in the Belpaese. The Vespa of the Seas (this is how it was advertised) was the revolution for so many, small fishermen first and foremost, who now found a friend ready to ease their labors. But let’s take a closer look at the Moscone epic.
Piaggio Moscone – The Story
Outboard motors have actually existed for almost a hundred years. Indeed, with the 1930s they began to gain great fortune, but their intended use was purely for speed. These were engines, 250, 500 and 1000 cc, developed and used for pure competition, in the era of big water racing. They still have nothing to do with today’s wide use. In short, they were engines for their own sake, pure power to be delivered for a unique sprint, and Piaggio’s foresight is right at this juncture.
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After World War II
Enrico Piaggio
realized the absence of the outboard in the field of practical use. That is, he realizes the great potential that could be gained by adapting it from the racing world to the everyday world, both for the recreational and for the field workers. Linked to maritime affairs by family (he comes from a Genoese family), Piaggio decided that he would be the one to introduce this small revolution, understanding, perhaps first, its great and potential contribution. After all, it is the same concept applied in the making of the Vespa: utility, practicality and economy.
With the end of 1947 then, there is turmoil in Piaggio. Corradino d’Ascanio, Goffredo De Betta, and the entire staff are working and reasoning on the development of this engine, especially related to the rotary pump dedicated to cooling, which they have decided must be water-powered. In 1948 the actual project took shape, to be christened in May 1949, at Milan’s Idroscalo, immediately following its presentation the previous month at the Fiera Campionaria. The Vespa del Mare is an immediate success.
At Piaggio, however, they did not limit themselves to just the Moscone, but in fact designed a special boat to be sold in pairs with the outboard, so as not to limit production to the single outboard need. The pair comes to cost 218,000 liras, while the single engine stops at 98,000. An inevitable success: 405 units built in the first 9 months, more than 1,000 per year in the decade to follow, capturing an important slice of the market, both in the tourist and professional sectors.
Piaggio Moscone – Data Sheet:
| Piaggio Moscone | 2 overlapping horizontal cylinders |
| Distribution | controlled by the drive shaft |
| Bore | 40 mm |
| Running | 39.6 mm |
| Displacement | 99. cc. |
| Sources | www.museopiaggio.it |
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