Stacey wants a Cento

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Word had reached Lambrettista Towers that mod cook Stacey Stewart, (you know, the girl with the beehive that was on Masterchef), is in the market for a Lambretta Cento. 

She probably read my article about the J-range scoots here, or saw this lovely example.
Anyway, if you have one, or know of one for sale, let me know and I’ll pass it on.
Or if you fancy trying Stacey’s award winning cakes check out her website, here

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EDIT: If you like the look of that Series 2 (it’s clearly a 3!) Stacey is sitting on, you’re in luck. She’s flogging on eBay. It’s an Italian, 1968 LI 125, recently restored, in metallic silver and midnight blue. Good to go and need no work. It’s in Newcastle, and there are a load more pics and information on eBay, here.   

 

UPDATE: Stacie’s sold her Series 3 (dur, I wrote Series 2 before!), and got herself a J125 Starstream. Nice one Stacie.

TC on an LD

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Love this picture of the late, great Tony Curtis on an LD. That’s the actor Tony Curtis, not my good mate, the equally great, and thankfully not late Tony Curtis.
Who incidentally is also a Lambretta aficionado. Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked here, the main pint of this post is to find out what movie this picture was from… any film buff Lambretta lovers out there?
Answers in a postcard, or, and this is probably easier, in the comments.

UPDATE:

Checking the IMCDB (Internet Movie Car Database) I’ve found the film this still is from – a movie called “Paris – When It SIzzles” from 1964, a film I can’t believe I haven’t seen as it stars, amongst others; William Holden, Audrey Hepburn, Noël Coward, Marlene Dietrich and Frank Sinatra. It’s on my ‘to watch’ list!

LC GP

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Rainer from Epic Studio (the guys behind the scooter screenprints in the previous post) sent me some pictures he’s taken of him riding this mean looking liquid cooled GP… send us some more info on that scoot Rainer!

 

 

Scooter screenprints

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Digging these limited edition screenprints featuring classic scooters. Available for €40 + shipping from Epic Studio.

 

Lambretta Skeleton Scooter on eBay

Not your average skelly either, worth a look… less than an hour to go so be quick! http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lambretta-Scooter-Skeleton-cut-down-chopper-/1905433207…

Caterham 7 Lambretta Special Edition

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I’m a bit late to the party with this one, but here goes. As branding tie-ins goes, I don’t think Lambretta has always got it right over the last few years, but occasionally, they hit the nail right on the head. 

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This is a link up between two iconic brands… Lambretta & Caterham, and I think they both come out of it winners.

The union jack livery, which could have looked oh so cheesy, has been applied with a bit of a twist which really works well, and it’s the look has been carried through to the interior; seats, dash, carpets… even the boot.
It’ll be a tad faster than my old Series 2 as well, it’s powered by a 1.6 Litre Ford Sigma engine that will go from 0-60 in 6 seconds. 

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On sale in 2010 for £26, 995, you’d need to be pretty flush to get one, but it is kinda lovely. 
More info here

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Visa ad with a nice GP in it

Good toon too.

Lambretta Scrambler on eBay

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One of the more unique Lambretta’s on eBay at the moment, this scrambler dates from the mid 1960’s, and comes complete with some history and a box of cine film, from period scrambling events!
It’s an amalgam of a 1957 frame (A Model D would be my guess) and LD 150 engine, which has recently had a pro rebuild. It’s not looking terribly road legal… but it’s not for that. Imagine the fun you’d have (and the looks you’d get) blasting about the campsite on a rally on this!
It’s currently sitting at £3,300… which puts it in the same price bracket as a new LN. Here’s the link

The story of the splat

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There are many stories about the history of the Lambretta that have gained almost folklore status. One of my favourites is the story of the “splat”, or ink blot that appeared as a graphic on early GP’s.

You probably know it, but if you don’t, read on. And if you DO, read on anyway to make sure I’ve got it right.  As the nineteen-sixties drew to a close Signor Innocenti commissioned the famous design house Bertone to remodel the Lambretta range. The result of this collaboration is still one of the most recognisable Lambretta scooters, the GP (known as the DL in most markets outside the UK).  As well as s sleeker, slimmer, sportier body design, Bertone wanted a departure from the ‘old fashioned’ look of chrome plated badges and trim, presenting a more forwarding looking vision with a single colour of paint and matt black trim. This was a step too far for Innocenti, who insisted on some of his chrome back. In typical latin style a furious row erupted, which ended with Bertone throwing down his pen, leaving a splash of ink across his renderings. To commemorate the argument, Innocenti insisted that a legshield sticker was made in the shape of a stylised ink splat. On later models, and all UK imports,  this was replaced with a sticker of a checkered flag. Well, that’s the version I heard, anyway!

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Team S Equipe T-shirt

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Love the simplicity of this shirt. One for those ‘in the know’ about classic Lambretta racing.

Trust me, if you’re thinking of buying a t-shirt with a ‘mod’ roundeland a sillouette of a scoooter  on it,  don’t. Buy this instead. You’ll thank me in years to come.
Available here.  Alternativley, pop over to I’m Scooterist. They’ve got some nice stuff too.