From Italy with love, the three-wheeled scooter

ROME: Piaggio, the Italian scooter giant which gave the world the iconic Vespa, unveiled a revolutionary three-wheeled scooter on Thursday which will make it almost impossible for its rider to fall off.

The Piaggio MP3 has two wheels at the front to provide more stability for the rider, and does away with the need to kick it up on its stand when parking.

"It's an absolutely new product which we hope will excite customer interest," said Piaggio chief Roberto Colaninno, who is hoping the new model will be a big hit on the streets of Europe as well as in Asia and the United States as the price of oil soars to an all-time high.

A 250cc model goes on sale in Italy next month, at a price of around 5,000 euros. The MP3 will be exported initially only in a 125 cc version. The company's most successful product, the Vespa, turned 60 this month.