Piaggio Ape
Encyclopedia
The Piaggio Ape is a three-wheeled light commercial vehicle first produced in 1948 by Piaggio
.
, most Italians, badly affected by the war, lacked means of transport, and more importantly, the financial means to acquire full-sized four-wheeled vehicles. In 1947 the inventor of the Vespa
, aircraft designer Corradino D'Ascanio
, came up with the idea of building a light three-wheeled commercial vehicle to power Italy's economical reconstruction, an idea which found favour with Enrico Piaggio
, the son of the firm's founder, Rinaldo.
The very first Ape model and the mark immediately following it were mechanically a Vespa with two wheels added to the rear, with a flat-bed structure on top of the rear axle. The early sales brochures and adverts referred to the vehicle as the VespaCar or TriVespa; it cost 170,000 lire
.
The first Apes featured 50cc, 125cc or 150cc and more recently 175cc engines. By the time of the 1964 Ape D, a cab was added to protect the driver from the elements.
The Ape has been in continuous production since its inception and has been produced in a variety of different body styles in Italy and India.
Controlled with scooter style handlebars, the original Ape was designed to seat one, but can accommodate a passenger (with a tight fit) in its cab. A door is provided on each side, making it quicker to get out of the vehicle when making deliveries to different sides of the road. Performance is suited to the job of light delivery, with good torque
for hills but a low top speed, which is irrelevant in the urban settings for it was designed. Outside of towns, Apes are customarily driven as close as possible to the curb to allow traffic to pass.
have made lifestyle models such as the Ape Cross Country and the Ape Web aimed at the young. The Ape is also commonly used as a promotion tool. Advertising hoardings are mounted in the load bay. The Ape's unusual looks can help draw attention to a brand or business.
The Ape is a common sight in Italy where its compact size allows it to negotiate narrow city streets and park virtually anywhere. It is also often seen at the roadside where the load area is used as an impromptu market stall by farmers.
The Ape is produced in India by Piaggio India, and a similar vehicle is manufactured by Bajaj Auto
. In India the Ape is most commonly found in the form of an autorickshaw or (tuk-tuk).
Nowadays two model ranges are offered: the "Ape 50" with a 49.8cc Petrol Engine and the larger "Ape TM" which comes available with a 218cc Petrol engine
or a 422cc Diesel engine
. The "Ape 50" can carry 170 kg while the "TM" can carry 700 kg.
A limited edition named the Calessino was made available: this had retro styling and came in an autorickshaw body. The bodywork was close to the Ape of the 1950s and 1960s and was designed to evoke memories of the era of dramatic economic growth in Italy known as La Dolce Vita.
Piaggio
Piaggio based in Pontedera, Italy encompasses seven brands of scooters, motorcycles and compact commercial vehicles. As the fourth largest producer of scooters and motorcycles in the world, Piaggio produces more than 600,000 vehicles annually, with five research and development centers, more than...
.
History and design
At the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, most Italians, badly affected by the war, lacked means of transport, and more importantly, the financial means to acquire full-sized four-wheeled vehicles. In 1947 the inventor of the Vespa
Vespa
Vespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian.The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A...
, aircraft designer Corradino D'Ascanio
Corradino D'Ascanio
General Corradino D'Ascanio was an Italian aeronautical engineer. D'Ascanio designed the first production helicopter, for Agusta, and designed the first motor scooter for Ferdinando Innocenti...
, came up with the idea of building a light three-wheeled commercial vehicle to power Italy's economical reconstruction, an idea which found favour with Enrico Piaggio
Enrico Piaggio
-Life:Piaggio was born in Pegli, which at that the time was an independent municipality. He graduated with a degree in Economics from University of Genoa in 1927. and would later receive an honorary degree in engineering from the University of Pisa, in 1951....
, the son of the firm's founder, Rinaldo.
The very first Ape model and the mark immediately following it were mechanically a Vespa with two wheels added to the rear, with a flat-bed structure on top of the rear axle. The early sales brochures and adverts referred to the vehicle as the VespaCar or TriVespa; it cost 170,000 lire
Italian lira
The lira was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. Between 1999 and 2002, the Italian lira was officially a “national subunit” of the euro...
.
The first Apes featured 50cc, 125cc or 150cc and more recently 175cc engines. By the time of the 1964 Ape D, a cab was added to protect the driver from the elements.
The Ape has been in continuous production since its inception and has been produced in a variety of different body styles in Italy and India.
Controlled with scooter style handlebars, the original Ape was designed to seat one, but can accommodate a passenger (with a tight fit) in its cab. A door is provided on each side, making it quicker to get out of the vehicle when making deliveries to different sides of the road. Performance is suited to the job of light delivery, with good torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
for hills but a low top speed, which is irrelevant in the urban settings for it was designed. Outside of towns, Apes are customarily driven as close as possible to the curb to allow traffic to pass.
Usage
The vehicles comes in various configurations such as vans and pickups for load carrying (it was popular with postal administration in some countries) and an autorickshaw (Tuk-tuk) for human transportation. More recently PiaggioPiaggio
Piaggio based in Pontedera, Italy encompasses seven brands of scooters, motorcycles and compact commercial vehicles. As the fourth largest producer of scooters and motorcycles in the world, Piaggio produces more than 600,000 vehicles annually, with five research and development centers, more than...
have made lifestyle models such as the Ape Cross Country and the Ape Web aimed at the young. The Ape is also commonly used as a promotion tool. Advertising hoardings are mounted in the load bay. The Ape's unusual looks can help draw attention to a brand or business.
The Ape is a common sight in Italy where its compact size allows it to negotiate narrow city streets and park virtually anywhere. It is also often seen at the roadside where the load area is used as an impromptu market stall by farmers.
The Ape is produced in India by Piaggio India, and a similar vehicle is manufactured by Bajaj Auto
Bajaj Auto
Bajaj Auto is a major Indian vehicle manufacturer started by Jamnalal Bajaj from Rajasthan in the 1930s. It is based in Pune, Maharashtra, with plants in Chakan , Waluj and Pantnagar in Uttaranchal. The oldest plant at Akurdi now houses the R&D centre Ahead...
. In India the Ape is most commonly found in the form of an autorickshaw or (tuk-tuk).
Nowadays two model ranges are offered: the "Ape 50" with a 49.8cc Petrol Engine and the larger "Ape TM" which comes available with a 218cc Petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
or a 422cc Diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
. The "Ape 50" can carry 170 kg while the "TM" can carry 700 kg.
A limited edition named the Calessino was made available: this had retro styling and came in an autorickshaw body. The bodywork was close to the Ape of the 1950s and 1960s and was designed to evoke memories of the era of dramatic economic growth in Italy known as La Dolce Vita.
Model history and descriptions
- 1948-1952 - Ape A: 125cc engine, wooden pick up bedPickup truckA pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
, front fork mounted to the left of the wheel hub and column mounted gear leverGear stickA gear stick is the lever used to change gear in a vehicle, such as an automobile, with manual transmission or several common forms of automatic transmission.The device is used to change gear; in a manual transmission vehicle this will normally be done whilst depressing...
. - 1952-1956 - Ape B: similar to the A model but with a 150cc engine, a pressed steel cargo bed, front fork mounted to the right of the wheel hub and cable operated gearchange.
- 1956-1967 - Ape C: Still sporting a 150 cc engine but with a major redesign: the first Ape with an enclosed cab, the engine uses a 5% oil mix and is sited under the driver's seat. It was still manually started, but electric start was optional.
- 1967-1974 - Ape D: 175cc engine. Featured a trapezoidal headlight fitted on the bulkhead rather than the mudguard and an intake valve that allowed the engine to run with a 2% oil mix. The first Ape with cab heater.
- 1965-1973 - Ape E: Identical to the D model but with a 150cc engine.
- 1968-1978 - Ape MP: MP stood for Motore Posteriore (Rear Engine), the engine was moved from the cab to the rear to improve comfort.
- 1970-1978 - Ape E/400R: 175cc engine and minor changes.
- 1979-1981 - Ape P: 175cc, with minor changes.
- 1981-1993 - Ape 500: 175cc, new bulkhead with two headlights.
- 1993-to now - Ape 50: 49,8 cc, redesign of the headlights incorporating side lights.
- 1993-to now - Ape TM: 218cc petrol and 412cc dieselDiesel engineA diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
variants. Maximum speed for the petrol version is 60 km/h, 63 km/h for the diesel version. - 1994-to now - Ape Web, 49,8cc engine, redesigned headlights front and rear.
- 2000-to now - Ape Cross 50: sport-look restyling of preceding Ape Web.
- 2006-to now - Ape Classic, built in India with a Lombardini 422cc Diesel engine.