How We Found the Real Vespa Azzurra
- jangleinser
- Jun 2
- 5 min read
Sometimes Dreams Find You
Anyone who knows our holiday apartment knows its name: Vespa Azzurra.
Over the years, many guests have asked us where that name comes from.
The answer is simple: I have always been a huge Vespa fan. Not just any Vespa, but the classic old ones. Owning a vintage Vespa had been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember.
When we first started working on our apartment at Lake Como, however, buying a Vespa wasn't even on our radar. We had more than enough to do renovating, furnishing, creating a website, and preparing everything for our future guests.
Still, the name came naturally. "Vespa Azzurra" simply sounded like everything we loved about Italy: freedom, sunshine, beautiful roads, and the relaxed lifestyle of Lake Como.
To match the name, we created a logo featuring Selina and me riding an azure-blue Vespa.
At the time, we had no idea that one day this Vespa would become reality.
A Random Stop at a Street Flea Market
The story began completely by chance.
One day, some friends were visiting, and we had planned to go for a run together. On the way, we passed a small street flea market.
At first, we weren't even going to stop.
After a brief discussion, we decided to take a quick look around.
That spontaneous decision changed everything.
At one of the old farmhouses, we stopped to browse through various antiques, tools, and interesting bits of old machinery. One of my friends immediately spotted an old Ape.
What caught my attention was something else.
An old Vespa.
It was rusty, clearly not running, and had definitely seen better days. But it was still a Vespa, and of course I had to take a closer look.
The Garage Door That Changed Everything
While I was looking at the Vespa, the owner approached me.
We started talking, and I casually mentioned that owning a vintage Vespa had always been a dream of mine.
As it turned out, he knew my parents.
After chatting for a few minutes, he suddenly said:
"Come with me."
I had no idea what he meant, but I followed him across the yard.
Then he opened a large garage door.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
Inside was an incredible collection of classic vehicles.
Vintage Porsches. Old tractors. Mopeds. Motorcycles. Collectibles everywhere.
I was completely blown away.
The owner explained that he had started collecting and restoring old vehicles as a young boy and had spent decades building this remarkable collection.
It felt like stepping into a private museum.
Then I Saw It
As I wandered through the collection, something suddenly caught my eye.
An old Vespa.
Azure blue.
Beautifully restored.
For a moment, I genuinely couldn't believe what I was seeing.
Standing in front of me was the Vespa from our logo.
The same colour.
The same style.
The same feeling.
Months earlier, Selina and I had chosen an azure-blue Vespa as the symbol of our holiday apartment.
Now, somehow, it was standing right in front of us.
Not similar.
Not close.
Almost identical.
A Week of Thinking About Nothing Else
Naturally, I immediately asked if he would consider selling it.
The answer wasn't exactly yes.
But it wasn't no either.
The owner explained that he would soon be moving. Since he wouldn't have enough space for his entire collection, he would likely need to part with some of his vehicles.
That was all I needed to hear.
I gave him my phone number and asked him to contact me if he ever decided to sell the Vespa.
Then I went home.
And for the next week, I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Bringing It Back to Life
About a week later, my phone rang.
He invited me back to take a closer look at the Vespa.
I drove there immediately.
Together, we rolled it out of the garage and began investigating why it wasn't running.
We checked the spark plug.
We inspected the carburetor.
We tinkered, adjusted, tested, and experimented.
And eventually, it happened.
The engine came to life.
After years of standing still, the Vespa was running again.
Shortly afterwards, I took my very first ride on a Vespa.
It felt unusual at first.
But after only a few minutes, I already knew:
This was our Vespa.
More Than Just a Sale
What impressed me most was the owner's attitude.
He didn't simply want to sell the Vespa and move on.
He genuinely wanted to make sure it was in good condition and going to someone who would appreciate it.
Together, we replaced the tyre, refurbished and repainted the wheel rim, and carried out several additional checks.
He even took the Vespa on longer test rides himself to make sure everything was working properly.
Although he repeatedly reminded me that he couldn't offer any guarantees on a 50-year-old vehicle, it was obvious how much he cared about it.
The Message I Had Been Waiting For
A few days later, the message finally arrived.
He had made his decision.
The Vespa was mine.
The agreed price was €2,200.
For a beautifully restored 1974 Vespa V50 Special with original papers and a history tracing back to Parma, Italy, it was an incredibly fair price.
I didn't need a second to think about it.
Like Getting Your First Bicycle
Technically, I could have ridden the Vespa home myself.
It's only about five kilometres from his place to ours.
However, since it didn't yet have a licence plate, he insisted on personally delivering it.
About six weeks after we had first discovered it at the flea market, the Vespa finally arrived at our home.
The feeling is difficult to describe.
It was a little like receiving your first bicycle as a child.
A dream that had been waiting many years to come true.
The Real Vespa Azzurra
Today, almost a year later, the Vespa is still with us.
We have already covered around 1,500 kilometres together and enjoyed countless rides through the countryside.
Like every classic vehicle, it has its own personality.
Sometimes it requires a little patience.
Sometimes it reminds you that it is over 50 years old.
But that is exactly what makes it special.
Today, the Vespa appears regularly in our photos, videos, and social media content for Vespa Azzurra.
Yet to us, it is much more than a marketing prop.
It is the physical version of an idea that started as a logo.
A Vespa we never actively searched for.
And somehow, the Vespa that found us.
One day, the real Vespa Azzurra will make its journey to Lake Como. After all, that's where the story of Vespa Azzurra truly began.
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