Category Archives: Kit

Indicator gloves

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The first thing I did when I got my first Lambretta (actually a Serveta LI 150 Special) was to take a hacksaw to  the indicator stems. This was probably illegal, and it certainly puzzled my safety conscious dad. But they just didn’t look right. And unless you’ve got a penchant for an original 80’s style Spanish bike, (be it a Special or a Lince 200), indicators just don’t fit the Lambretta look.

The one possible exception to this rule, is original 60’s aftermarket accessories… such as the Ulma “Fried Eggs” that I have a picture of somewhere. I’ll dig it out, and post it.

An alternative solution for those needing to indicate their intentions to other motorists may come from the cycling world… with these indicator gloves. Via Bless This Stuff. I’m not sure though. Anybody seen a more elegant solution, or do Lambretta riders and orange flashing llghts just not go together?ImageImageImage

Rare tartan ‘deerstalker’ helmet on eBay

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You’d need to be a certain kind of person to pull off wearing this; and probably need a nice LD or Series I with period tartan seat covers and wheel covers to go with it. Personally, although a proud scot, I was never sure about the tartan accessories that you could ‘dress’ your scooter with, but it’s a look, and when it’s done well it certainly evokes the era of the scooter. 

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And I’ve never been convinced about deerstalkers. Unless your Sherlock Holmes, leave well alone. I know some of the original mods wore them (briefly!), and there was a bit of a fad for them in the early ’80’s… very much part of the “casual” movement… worn with belted, burgundy leather jackets, very pale jeans frayed at the bottom and kickers. Or perhaps I’m getting all of that wrong, the casual thing never really grabbed me, I stuck with my charity shop/carnaby street mod revival look. Anyway, if I was going to wear a deerstalker, one in Cameron tartan (which I think this is) would come close to top of the list. 

But if you’ve got the cojones to pull it off, here’s the bash hat that will make you stand out in the crowd. Although I certainly wouldn’t reccomend it for everyday wear. Buy it now for £160 on eBay.
I reckon it will go to Japan. They like this sort of thing out there!

Stuff from the new Lambretta Store… (Ideal for Lambretta loving dads)

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I wrote about the new online Lambretta store a few posts back… Thought I’d flag up a few bits they have for sale. Remember, as an opening offer you get a free gift (stickers, a wallet or a tin, depending on how much you spend), and entry into a competition to win a new Lambretta.

So they have ‘tonic style’ suits, (my quote marks) they call this one ‘green’, although I’d probably name it ‘petrol’… £240

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Hats… this one is 2p short of a tenner

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Watches from £40 – £325 – my favourite would probaly be the Franco Black that comes in at a not too expensive £70, and has the look of a classic Braun design.

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There’s a selection of other bits and bobs below, like afterhave, badges, keyrings and notebooks, at more ‘pocket money’ prices. It’s Father’s Day on Saturday, correction… it’s Sunday… in case you hadn’t rembembered. Just saying.

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Get them all online here. 

 

 

New Online Lambretta (brand) Store goes live… Win a Lambretta, and get free gifts.

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Fresh up today, the new online store for all that Lambretta branded stuff. Headwear, Suits, Watches, Accessories… some of it’s good, some of it’s ok, some of it misses the mark for me. I’ve written about that all before, here, I won’t cover old ground!

Interesting opening offers though; make any purchase  before the end of the year and you’ll be entered into a draw to win a brand new Lambretta (not the beautiful Series 2 shown… boo!). There’s also some free stuff with your order… stickers, wallets, and a jubilee bus tin. 

Remember, although these guys own the Lambretta brand, and the rights to put the Lambretta name to everything from aftershave to socks (I’ve got some socks, they’re not bad), they’re not the only game in town… and you can get some great stuff from the Lambretta Club of Great Britain (LCGB) Shop. Here.

Check out the Lambretta Store here.

Lambretta used in shoe ad…

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Never mind where she got the shoes… where did he get the scoot?

If you want to make your ad sexy and stylish, just add a couple of pretty girls and a Lambretta. Nerver fails. Nice Lammy, used to flog footwear.

Via the Scooterist blog. 

Lambretta scooters, clothing, shoes, watches, aftershave, deodorant, hair products… now… Coffee!!

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Came across this the other day, on a brand identity website (that’s my day job). I’m not against the extending of the Lambretta brand, and coffee seems to me to be a better fit than, say, underpants (though others may disagree!). I do object when it’s not done properly however… like here.

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Using a classic Italian scooter brand to sell classic Italian coffee doesn’t seem such a bad idea.

It looks like there may be Lambretta cafés (or Caffés… two f’s?) appearing soon, going head to head with the likes of Starbucks, Café Nero and Coffee Republic… it’s a crowded, some would say saturated market… but I wish them well. As long as they do it properly of course.

Branding by Creative Inside

Model Lambrettas

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A bit late for Christmas, but here are a couple of Lambretta models I found on Amazon. I was in two minds about posting links to Amazon as I had bit  had a bit of a run-in with them before the festivities, regarding Vittoria Tessera’s Lambretta book… but I’ll post about that another time. And on balance, I thought you, my fellow Lambrettisti, would be interested.

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Although you can find plenty of model Vespa’s out there, model Lambrettas have always been harder to find, and especially the more popular models… you would have thought there would be a good market for TV175’s, SX’s and GP’s; I’d certainly buy them!

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Links: LD & sidecar, LD & Girl,  Model D, Lancia Lambretta Service Van.

Lambretta Brand Identity

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As previously showcased on here, range of print and digital material created by Bologna agency Life, Longari & Loman.

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Got a scooter? There’s an App for that.

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If you’ve got a scooter, and you’ve got an iPhone, you might want to download the Scootlife App by Anthone Campbell. It allows you to track trips, locate where you parked your scooter, setup service notifications as well as manage your maintenance logs. More info on the iTunes App Store, or Anthone’s website. I haven’t tested it, so I’m not vouching for it… but at $0.99c you haven’t got a great deal to loose!

Via Johnny Scoots.

Must do better

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“The new Lambretta fragrance, L47 takes its name from the first year the world famous Lambretta scooters coasted off the production line.”

Now, I’ve got no problem with taking an iconic brand, and (marketing speak coming up, apologies) ‘leveraging’ it into different categories. The owners of the Lambretta brand name have clearly made quite a few quid from doing just that.

What I do object to is prostituting a brands heritage… some superficial research has come up with the fact that Innocenti made their first Lambretta model in 1947. Can’t be bothered to find an image for that original, “Model A” Lambretta? Not a problem. Use a silhouette of a generic, modern scooter instead. No one will notice. Hmm. Doesn’t quite work. I know… take the front wheel off, and replace it with a ‘mod roundel’. There we go… perfick!

Now I know, Lambretta riders aren’t the target market of the people making this product, but with a little more research, and a little more thought, this packaging could have been a lot better. To those that own and love the Lambretta, the vast majority of these ‘brand extensions’ are simply a joke. They offend me as a Lambretta rider, and it offends me as a designer. It’s just lazy, if you are going to play the heritage card with your brand… for goodness sake get it right… or at least tell a consistent, congruent story.

I may well get one of these sets for Christmas (I got some Lambretta socks last year!), but I know one thing… I’m chucking the box away.

Sorry for the small picture. If I find a bigger one I’ll post it.

EDIT: Just a thought… if anybody involved in Lambretta branding wants a “sense check” on this kind of stuff, I am available… I’ve got a pretty unusual skillset – for my ‘day job’ I am Creative Head at a Design and Marketing agency specialising in Branding, Corporate Id, and Packaging… So I’d be happy to be involved (for a small fee, naturally) in helping you make sure future faux pas such as this one are avoided. The email is crocodilejock@gmail.com