Pontedera, Tuscany, 1945. With his factory in ruins, Enrico Piaggio, founder Rinaldo Piaggio's son, knows he must protect his employees' jobs and the company's future. As a result, an ambitious dream inspires Piaggio to create an affordable, agile means of transportation to help rebuild the country's former glory. But the road to success is fraught with obstacles. As corrupt plutocrats set their sights on making the Italian visionary fail, Piaggio enlists the help of innovative aeronautical engineer Corradino d'Ascianio to produce the original Vespa: Italy's stylish symbol of rebirth. After all, fortune favours the bold. And when Enrico Piaggio learns that the American filmmaker William Wyler is about to shoot Roman Holiday (1953) in Italy, Piaggio's team comes up with the 1946 Vespa 98/1, marking the birth of a legend.—Nick Riganas