Marseille and the Vespa – A match made in heaven

Marseille – The Vespa capital of the world?!

If you are lucky enough to be travelling to Marseille, be sure to listen out for the constant purr of Vespas which dominate the city’s audio landscape, with men and women of all ages choosing the Vespa as their favourite means of transport for jibbing around this vibrant and cosmopolitan town.

If you are a fan of the Vespa, the chances are you already know about the city of Marseille’s strange love affair with the scooter, which possesses a unique longevity that seems to resist the boundaries of time.

Throughout the twentieth century the Vespa developed into not only into a popular mode of transport in Marseille, but also as a popular pastime for many. In 1952, local Vespa dealer Jean Cabello opened the Vespadrome in Marseille, a racetrack designed exclusively for Vespa riders. Although the Vespadrome is no longer in action, it still remains an important part of the Vespa heritage in the city.

Shops dedicated to scooters line Marseille’s streets, which naturally have become a cool hangout location for people with a shared interest in the Vespa.

The most popular of the ‘Vespa hangouts’ in Marseille is the recently established Strat di Vespa, which is a flawlessly maintained garage situated on a steep street in the Saint-Charles neighbourhood of the city, and where the conversation over a coffee inevitably returns to the Vespa.

Another popular Vespa-orientated location is the VFSC, a Vespa club, which has more than 80 members. Members can come to share and listen to advice about the scooter, whilst the cult-classic Quadrophenia is often played on a television screen in the background.

Weekly rides through Marseille and beyond are organised by various Vespa groups, and subsequently gangs of 30-plus ardent riders can be regularly seen riding through the city. Weekend group Vespa rides are almost as an inherent part of the city’s makeup as the Palais Longchamp itself.

Riders promptly gather at the Place de la Prefecture at 9am, eager to rev their scooter and begin an amazing journey tearing through the Mediterranean roads. Although, unlike the Mods and the Rockers of Brighton in the 1960s, there is no real rivalry between the different Vespa groups in Marseille, only a shared respect for one another.

From inspirational fortresses, cathedrals and palaces, to magnificent rivers lined with quirky and interesting shops, galleries and restaurants, Marseille has a touch of everything. But it is perhaps the relentless purr of the Vespas zooming past and the latent enthusiasm for the scooter, resisting the boundaries of time, which really gives Marseille its unique culture and heritage.

If this has inspired you to look for some scooter action abroad, Vintage Travel has a fantastic selection of the best Villas in France.