60 years old gets the red carpet treatment…

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Funky LD

Trawling the web for Lambretta images, I came across this freshly restored, and pimped up LD in Indonesia. Sitting rotting in a shipyard, it was rescued and given the full treatment by XXX, including the unique colour scheme, which it wears well. Very funky!Lambretta_012 Lambretta_008 Lambretta_005 Lambretta_009 3 Lambretta_006 Lambretta_010

I even like the red carpet… although whatever material it’s made of – in the UK it would just soak up rain, maybe you can get away with it in Indonesia!Lambretta_020 LD2

Found on the Vietnamese Xe Va Phong Cách blog, which Google tells me translates to “The Car and Style” although it originally comes from the Indonesian automotive blog dapurpacu.com. From what I can make out the work was done by these guys in Jakarta: Alamat Bengkel Primo 116 Werx 

If you’re reading this in the mystic orient, and you’re english is better than my (or google’s) Indonesian and/or Vientnamese, and I’ve made any glaring errors, please put me right 🙂

I’ve just noticed this is my 444th post which is simultaneously pleasing and, for some reason, a bit spooky… If you’re new to the blog you’ve got 443 other posts to check out, please do!

 

Watch the video, choose your adventure, Vote Lambretta

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Frank Aberdean on a Lambretta“Frank Aberdean” is an online video series, following the adventures of a mysterious masked dude. Set in 1988. It’s not the normal sort of content I feature on here, but it’s fun, and it’s kind of cool. It’s got a Nightmare on Elm Street / Friday 13th sort of vibe about it… to me anyway. The twist is, at the end pf each video chapter, you get to vote on what happen next. Does “Frank” travel by Lambretta or Bronco SUV? You choose.

Lambretta Vs BroncoYou know what I want to see… but the only way to be sure of seeing the dude in the red leather jacket, yellow lid and skeleton mask zoom off on a Lambretta… (or is that a Serveta, not that it matters), is to vote. Here. And you just know somewhere there’s a Bronco blog urging their readers to do the same thing.

Frank Aberdean

Lets make sure he makes the right choice 🙂

The whole project is the brainchild of Mako Miyamoto, a Portland Ohio based designer, art director (and I suspect Lambrettista).

Found via the Portland Monthly Mag

NSU Prima – The German Lambretta that’s not a Lambretta

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NSU Prima 1There’s a nice NSU Prima on eBay at the moment… and while the Prima was no longer officially a “German Lambretta” as NSU’s licence to build Lambretta’s expired in 1955, you can clearly see the Lambretta DNA in the Prima.
NSU Prima Screen Shot 2014-03-01 at 15.00.29 Screen Shot 2014-03-01 at 15.00.36 Screen Shot 2014-03-01 at 15.00.47Completely redesigned, a Prima shares few Lambretta components. The bodywork is a development of the LD,with more curvaceous, flowing lines if anything. Elements such as the speedo show a marked difference to Lambretta ones of the time. The engine is also a development of the Lambretta unit, tweaked and refined in NSU’s Neckarsulm factory. The Prima was a well regarded machine, and relatively expensive in it’s day, and still has a strong following today, especially on mainland Europe.

If you’re a fan of the LD Lambretta’s but fancy something a little different, this beautiful Prima may be up your street. It’s up as a “Classified Ad” at £5,000. Here's the eBay link.

 

Frankenstein Scooters to Dracula’s Castle

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Video about the road trip written about in new scooter travel book ‘Frankenstein Scooters to Dracula’s Castle’ Italy to Istanbul on 400cc Suzuki-engined Maicoletta, and a couple of Lambrettas …by Martin ‘Sticky’ Round… watch out for a review of the book soon!

La tua Lambretta

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http://youtu.be/WJEuOcTPqvQ

A video by Genny Albertini, not too sure about the music, but the scoots look great!

Back in the day…

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Me on my ServetaMy good friend Tone posted this pic of me and a couple of pals back in the day… that’s me, centre, astride my first scooter, a Serveta 150 Special. Complete with stalk indicators… well, one anyway. Althiugh I look about 12, I reckon I must have just turned 17. This must have been fairly early in my ownership, as I took a hacksaw to both of them shortly after! The Vespa boys are Rob on (If I remember correctly, a Primavera) and Mike on a (again, I think… ) a 50 Special in a gorgeous shade of pale Aquamarine, the photo really doesn’t do it justice.

Tony was a Lambretta man at heart, like myself, having a great old beast of a Series 2 before succumbing to the lure of the Vespa, having a P200E, a T5 and a Corsa.

British Lambretta Archive stickers

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British Lambretta Association stickersI designed a logo for Pete Davies at the British Lambretta Archive, and he was kind enough to send through a couple of stickers (and a legshield banner). The British Lambretta Archive website has long been a source of inspiration for me, if your haven’t checked it out yet, you can find it here… Pete also regularly puts great imagery on his Facebook page, check that out here if you do the Facebook thang.

Pete, of course is also the author of The Lambretta Bible, a must read for any Lambrettista! Check it out, and a couple of other recommendations on my “reading list“.

How to paint a Lambretta in 3 minutes and 25 seconds

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A little bit of artistic inspiration 🙂

2 Best Oddities… Skullduggery & Egyptian Swan

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Skullduggery + Egyptian SwanCards on the table… I’ve said it before, and I’ll probably say it again. I’m not really into choppers. So I’ve ummed and ahhed about putting these two scoots in. They’ve been on eBay for a while, and the owner isn’t really bothered about selling them, unless he gets the right price. (£10k each) When you read the story that goes with them, you’ll understand why, and understand why I’ve written this post. Because, although I may not be into chops, I am into Lambrettas, a good story, passion, commitment and vision. And that is what it took Nipper to build ’em.Skullduggery2-1Skullduggery-2

Skullduggery_12

If they tickle your fancy, or float your boat, you can buy Skullduggery on eBay here or Egyptian Swan here I won’t insult your intelligence by telling you which one’s which 🙂EgyptianSwan8EgyptianSwan1
Even if, like me, you don’t quite “get” the chopper thing, pop over to eBay and read Nippers story. You can’t help but admire the fella!

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.