Moto Guzzi, Vespa and MP3 trike spur Piaggio 2019 sales rise

The Piaggio Group has revealed a 3.1% rise in motorcycles sales during the first three-quarters of 2019, spurred on by gains from Moto Guzzi, the Vespa scooter brand and particularly its MP3 three-wheeler.

Over the first nine months of 2019 to the end of September, the Piaggio Group – which includes motorcycles, commercial vehicles and mobility projects – enjoyed 2.1% year-on-year growth, though it was its motorcycle/scooter range that performed best with a larger rise in its segment.

The Piaggio Group’s motorcycle portfolio comprises its own Piaggio branded models, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Derbi, Gilera, Scarabeo Vespa with sales across the nameplates totalling 321,900 units.

Still the dominant figure in the scooter segment on the continent, Piaggio consolidated its 24.3% market share, with a similar figure across North America.

Vespa was highlighted as a particularly strong performer for the company, registering a 9% rise in sales as its electric models begin to find favour, but it was the performance of the Piaggio MP3 three-wheeler that was singled out for particular praise.

The model is considered a forerunner of the three-wheeler scooter market, inspiring a number of models from rivals as Yamaha and Peugeot. An increasingly common sight on the roads, the Piaggio MP3 registered double digit growth in 2019.

Though Piaggio was evasive regarding Aprilia, whose sales are likely to have been stung by a sharp downturn in the Indian market – where its smaller displacement bikes are popular – the sister Moto Guzzi also performed well largely thanks to the popularity of the V85TT, which drove net sales up 23%.

Particularly impressive for Moto Guzzi is the sales appear to be coming from newcomers to the brand, with US dealers reporting 70% of buyers trading-in other models to get their hands on the middleweight ADV 

What’s in store for the Piaggio Group in 2020?

The Italian giants are likely to have plenty of new machinery to cast an eye over at the 2019 EICMA show on November 5.

Many are set to make a beeline for the new Aprilia RS660 V twin supersport bike, which will make its production-ready world premiere a year after the concept wowed audiences.  

Moto Guzzi is also likely to have something to show on the back of its strong 2019 campaign, most likely a model based around that 853cc 90-degree transversely mounted V-twin.

And we can be sure to see updates to the scooter range with plenty of hints angled towards electric mobility.