Category Archives: Open frame

Marco’s Model D For Sale

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I came across this little cracker while perusing the Rimini Lambretta website. Lazily, rather than paraphrase their description, I’m just going to cut and paste it below…

Description:

This Lambretta is owned by Marco who works for RLC and is one of his personal scooters. He has decided to let it go due to not having enough time to enjoy the scooter and rather than have it just sit there unused, he’d rather that someone else gets the pleasure from it. 

The scooter is all original and the waterslides were added by the sole previous owner during his travels in the 60’s. The amazing accessories are all originals and period parts. Most were on the scooter when Marco purchased it a few years ago and there are some REALLY choice parts that are either very expensive or nigh-on impossible to locate. Marco rebuilt the engine recently with no expense spared so it runs and rides as good as it looks – so much so that Marco has actually toured with this scooter and it performed faultlessly. 

If you want an original classic that is draped in history and choice parts, look no further! This Lambretta D125 is the real deal and no mistake. The scooter comes with full, current Italian documents.

Condition:
Super conserved, runs and rides PERFECTLY. All original. Loads of choice accessories and it comes with full Italian documents.
I think this is a  fabulous looking scoot… I love the period accessories… I’ve seen plenty of great “D’s” but nothing quite like this! It’s up for sale for €10,000 (or £7,796 in proper money). Now, I’ll concede that is a lot of money for a D. But for this D, I think it’s about right. If I had it, I’d be straight on the phone. More here.

FIDO Update…

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DSC_5285editIt was so long ago I originally wrote about the FIDO that it was on a previous blog… (and this blog’s been running since 2013). The ME electric scooter I posted earlier today reminded me of it so much I thought I’s check up on it… Well, it’s looking more like an early Lambretta than ever… which is a good thing! Full post coming soon, but for the moment, I’ll tempt you with some pics and a link to their website:  here.

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No apologies for all this electric stuff. It’s the future! But, don’t worry, normal, 2 stroke service will be resumed ASAP!

 

ME Electric Scooter

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ME - profilo dxAfter yesterday’s electric Mogan three-wheeler, and with continuing dire warnings of an impending 2Stroke ban, I thought I’d continue the theme with this funky little electric scooter.

scooterelettrico1Electric scooters are now pretty commonplace, but most are blandly generic, cheap and Chinese. It’s innovation that sets the ME electric scooter apart. Designed by a group of Italian engineers – it’s back to basic aesthetics are reminiscent of the early open-frame Lambrettas. Rather like the FIDO I featured a on my previous blog, and the Dutch Q scooter that was at EICMA in 2013. Constructed out of Sheet Moulding Compound, a sturdy composite material that offers structural support, the ME is a cost-effective, lightweight alternative to its metal counterparts.

the-me-italian-electric-scooter-gessato-9The ME is fitted with a lithium-ion battery, with a range of 80 km, fine for a daily commute (especially if you can plug it in when you get to work!) Its electric motor takes the scooter from zero to 45 km/h in six seconds.

Support the project by visiting the ME electric scooter’s crowdfunding page.

With the promise of ” A New Lambretta” in May… and all we know is the model name “L70” could we expect an electric Lambretta? To be honest, I doubt it. I think we’ll get a reworking of the LN, with a four-stroke engine in 125, 150 and maybe 200cc’s. But I’m only guessing, I haven’t heard anything!

Spanish D

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SpanishD10.00.51Iain Hannay sent me some fantastic pics of a Model D, that he’s just got running…  built in the Eibar factory, in the Spanish Basque country.

SpanishD10.01.01SpanishD10.01.10SpanishD10.01.16SpanishD10.02.24SpanishD10.02.48Now, I see a fair few Spanish Series 2 Lambrettas these days (much more than I used to, for some reason), and Jet 200’s are getting recognised as very desirable scooters… but I haven’t seen many early open frame models. If any, truth be told.

Iain’s D has some nice period accessories, the legshield extenders, and the spare wheel carrier / rack… and I love that oxblood paint. A cracking little scooter, that looks great in the Spanish sunshine!

I’d love to see any other old Spanish Lambrettas… any Spanish LD’s or Series 1’s out there? And what differentiates them from their Italian cousins?

 

Serious ladies

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By the expressions on their faces, whatever race was about to start wasn’t ‘just for fun’… these girls were taking things pretty seriously!
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I don’t know a lot about this shot, but it’s great… I just had to reach into my ’emergency stash’ as I couldn’t leave a Vespa, no matter how beautiful, sitting as the first post on a Lambretta blog. Nothing against our Wasp riding brethren, but it’s just not right.

There’s some lovely scooters including an S-Type (Ridden by a Bev?) but I think the old D still looks ‘competitive’ …although the rider seems less professionally attired! There’s legshield banners for The Innocents Lambretta Club Kent, and TheLambretta Club London. If you can add any more info, or identify any of the participants, please do!

I love old pics like this, and if you’ve got any you would like to share on the blog, get in touch and we’ll get ’em up.

C-Section

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Model C LambrettaModel D’s seem to come up fairly regularly, but it’s precdessor, the C, is a much rarer beast. There’s one on eBay that looks pretty good… somebody has a go with a  spray gun a few years ago, but it looks like it wouldn’t take much to get this open frame classic back to head turning condition. There’s some great period accessories that come as part of the deal… they’ll need a bit of tlc too, but you could end up with something truly unique. Check it out on eBay here

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Here's the eBay link again

Hugo’s LD 150 and Model D watercolours

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ld125hugo-10-14002_lambretta_rps23I’ve been following Hugo’s blog for a while now, he has set himself the task of producing a fresh new drawing every day and posting it on his blog… something he’s been doing for over three years now. His watercolour sketches have a wonderful combination of “looseness” and accuracy. In a recent visit to MuVIM ( Valencian Museum of Enlightenment & Modernity – now theres a title!), he sketched the Lambretta Model D, and LD on display, along with two Spanish bikes. I don’t know about you, but I think he has really caught the essence of the machines!  To cap it all I even got a mention in his blog, which made my day! Check out the original post here, and his blog here.

F Type Progress – and an appeal…

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ModF+HarryBackWheel ModF+Harry ModF+Harry2 ModF+Harry4Regular reader may remember Rodney from Oz and his F model. Well, progress on the restoration have continued, with the help of his grandson Harry.  Some of the body parts are at the panel beaters. Once they are ready to go, they will be painted in the original grey – a perfect match to the original paint found on the front forks.ModF+Harry-FrameWhat strikes me when you see the F stripped down, is just how simple the design was… the E & the F really pared things down, even from the looped frame of the A -D’s. And it makes the DonGo “Bare Bones” scooter I featured earlier in the week look super complicated in comparison!

Rod has just about rounded up all NOS parts needed to complete the project, but one thing he is still chasing is a set of handlebars. These “F” model handlebars are proving tricky to track down… so Rod has asked me to ask my readers to see if they have any ideas about how he can come up with a set… Any ideas anybody? Can YOU help?

 

F is for FIND – Aussie barn find!

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photo 5 photoOne of my readers, Rod got in touch from Western Australia yesterday, very excited about a scooter that had turned up in a shed where it had sat, unmolested for the last 35 years. It’s a Model F, The F is a pretty rare sight these days… I think by the time it was being produced in ’53 to ’54 the panelled LD was becoming the dominant Lambretta model, and they were of course also still selling the latest incarnation of the D model, one of Lambretta’s most successful models to date.

Something in the back of my mind tells me the E’s and F’s were more successful as the front end of Lambretta’s commercial range… but my knowledge of these vehicles is almost non-existent, so maybe you could enlighten me if you know more!

photo 3  Anyway, back to Rod’s F. He managed to pic it up for A$350. As you can see from the pics, it’s not in too bad condition, and Rod says everything is there, and completely original, barring the lock for the boot cover plate. So if you’ve got one of those around, drop me a line and I’ll put you in touch with Rod.photo 4 photo 5 photo 6photo 7 photo 8 photo 9 photo 10These wonderful  tax discs tell their own story… the two older older two ones were behind the top one… so the scooter has been resting in that shed since 1976… 38 years! Rod is now approaching the Department of Transport to see if he can get the original number plate; UG 322.photo RodsF1 And I know it’s superficial, but I think my favourite part of the whole scoot is the original “Aussie Rules” Shell decals on the inside of the inside of the leggies…  a real period piece!

Rod on ModCNew owner Rod is no newbie when it come to Lambrettas either… He’s sent me this fantastic pic of himself astride his first Lambretta, a C Model, in about 1960 when he was 17, which he later upgraded to a D Model, pictured below. Just shows, once you’ve got the  Lambretta bug, you’ve pretty much got it for life. I can’t wait to see pics of Rod riding his restored F in the Aussie sunshine. Keep us posted mate!ModelD

The last pic, and probably my favourite, is Rod 53 years after the shot on his “C”, obviously enjoying his new purchase…RodF-53 Years Later

F is for FORKS…

A couple of eagle-eyed readers have pointed out that the forks don’t look correct for the model F, as you can see in the pic below, they are ‘swept back’ rather than the more standard Lambretta style forks, as seen on the D, and evolved on later models. It’s being looked into! UPDATE: The forks problem has been resolved, but it warrants a post of it’s own (stay tuned). We’ll leave it at this for the moment: A) Rods Lammie is DEFINITELY an F, and B) I’ve learned something new!LambrettaModellF

 

 

Sahara D’s

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Sahara D'sI had this fantastic sent to me by Carlos from the Lambretta Club of South Africa, (thanks Carlos!) It’s of a couple of French guys (although I think they actually may be from the french speaking part of Switzerland, from the writing on  the ‘topbox’ flag on the laid down Lammie)… on route from Lausanne to “le Cap”. The pic was taken in the Sahara! That’s quite a trip! Carlos reckons it was sometime in the ’50’s. I love their style… baggy trousers, a pair of stout brogues, beatnik beards and a nice tweed sports jacket for when it gets a bit chilly. They bred ’em tough in them days.

Thanks again Carlos, and Andy for forwarding it on. If YOU have any old Lambretta shots, I’d love to see them, and post them up here.