Collectable LD Tin Toy

Spotted this stunning Lambretta tin toy in near mint condition… although it’s missing it”s rear seat.

It’s not cheap – on for $2,153 – not so long ago you could pick up a real LD for this – if you shop around maybe you still can.

On eBay here.

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eBay Time… Innocenti Mini & Dealers Sign

Spotted this rather nice Innocenti Mini on eBay – it’s in the South of France, which has kept it rust free. Looks in good nick! on eBay for £9,900 here.

If you like that, you’ll like this, A genuine period Innocenti lightbox sign.rom a “longstanding southern Italian Innocenti/Lambretta dealership”. It’s pretty rare, as these would have only been available to big Innocenti dealers at the time. Afraid it doesn’t come with the model D! On eBay for £1,500, here.

Sammy Davis Junior. On a Lambretta.

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Just Sammy Davis Junior. On a Lambretta. But sometimes that’s all you need. Trying to collect the set. Somewhere in London by the look of it. Nicked from this blog.

World Book Day –Scooterboys – The Lost Tribe

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Looking forward to this  – Scooterboys – the Lost Tribe. I’ve enjoyed Martin “Sticky” Round’s writing for years. After all, this is the guy who can make a workshop manual entertaining! Due for release on 28th May, it’s one worth pre-ordering. (If you’ve already ordered an advance signed copy via SLUK, then that will be shipped at the end of April).

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Here’s the blurb; “Scooterboys are the lost tribe of British youth culture. Unrecognised, uncelebrated and unwanted; misunderstood by a general public who mistook us for Mods. We weren’t Mods though. By the 1980s myself and tens of thousands of scooter riders collectively rejected that label. Instead, we took the roadmap of British youth disaffection and carved a new bypass. This route took us beyond the UK’s faded seaside resorts, allowing us to spread our creed across the continents. Tuned and customised Vespa and Lambretta scooters gave us freedom to roam; transport to live for the weekend. Shared experiences of riots, local hostility and police harassment built strong fraternal bonds that endure to this day. Despite decades of two-wheeled rebellion our threat level was never high enough to put us on the national security radar. This low profile has its benefits. We aren’t doomed to follow the same cycle as Mods. First feared, then pilloried, accepted and finally adopted as part of UK’s rich culture. As British as a vindaloo. The cult of Scooterboy has escaped death-by-public-acceptance, simply by remaining too underground. Too difficult to distinguish from what came before. And that’s just perfect. You’ll never see Scooterboys parodied in TV insurance adverts or low budget fly-on-the-wall. The poorly-rendered caricature is always some cliché Mod on a ‘Christmas Tree’ scooter. If you rode to rallies in the 80s and 90s then this book will mirror your experiences. If you’ve never had a scooter then it offers a rare glimpse of life inside the lost tribe of two-stroke terrorists.”

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Available at all good bookshops, no doubt a few bad ones, and on Amazon, here

I’ll be getting a copy, and post a full review when I’ve read it. For more recommendations, see my reading list.

Sunday Art

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As it’s the weekend, I’m bringing you a little bit of art for your delectation. This fantastic gouache painting, entitled ‘scooter ride’ is by Els Vliegar, an Illustrator and surface designer from the Netherlands. You can check out more of her work on her site, here.

Expect to see more Lambretta art on the blog soon!

The image is copyright, and used by kind permission of Els.

Lambretta Luna Toy

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Every day’s a school day at the Lambrettista blog… I’ve not seen one of these before…

A plastic Biemme toddlers bike toy, clearly based on a Luna line Lambretta.

There’s clearly some damage, under the headlight, but if you’re a fan of Bertone’s space age reinvention of the Lammie, you might want this.

See it on eBay

Gorgeous Golden Age Scooter models

21231586_1917928411765279_7738894821993192682_nI got sent a link from Olivier in Toulouse about these fabulous aluminium and resin models based on scooters from “the golden age”. The models are going to be produced in a limited series soon, through Ulele, a European crowdfunding site.

I get sent a few things like this… scooter related ‘merch’, and to be honest, a lot of it is pretty poor. I think these are great though… Olivier has managed to convey the essence of each scooter in the minimum number of elements; really, really cool.

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As well as LD, (probably still the most popular Lambretta in France), and a Vespa, there is a rather lovely Peugeot. The models aren’t cheap, but, as ever, you get what you pay for. They’d make a great present for anyone who loves their classic scoots.

Check out the details on the Ulele site, or Olivier’s Facebook page.