More Bicycles Than Cars Sold in Italy in 2011

For the first time in more than 65 years the number of bicycles sold in Italy surpassed the number of cars sold. Last year Italians bought 1,750,000 bicycles compared to 1,748,000 cars.

That's not the most bicycles sold in Italy, 1,927,600 were sold in 2009, but with Italians buying cars at rates from the 1970s the tipping point was reached. With a financial crisis, and the extremely high cost for gasoline, there has been an ongoing shift towards the use of bicycles in Italy.

Out of a population of 60 million, 6.5 million Italians use a bike to get to work or school, while 10.5 million use them occasionally, mostly at weekends.

Photo: the "Shoppy Bike", an Italian bicycle created by Michele Lazzaro (appears to have quickly disappeared since intro in 2010)


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