Tag Archives: GP

Bit of a bitsa…

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innocenti-labretta-50dl-elaborazione-sportiva-0037I found this for sale on Car & Classic, and this one had me scratching my head…

I thought it was a 50’s racer when I first saw it… but it didn’t look like any 50’s racer I’d ever seen before. And Model D based racers were either 125’s or 150’s surely… Closer inspection threw up more questions than answers…

The machine in described as a 50 DL… (I mistakenly thought the D bit of this referred to a model D) As you probably know, what was marketed in the UK as a GP was sold in Italy and other markets as a DL. So, at least part of it is from a GP as we know it. But DL/GP’s were 125/150/200cc… But, a Lui was 50cc… which brings me to the forks and wheels… which are distinctly Luna line.

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So. It’s a bit of a mongrel, put together from different parts of different models. But it has been done rather nicely, and it looks pretty good, if a little underpowered at 50cc. Legal if you are 16 though… there’s a thought.

Personally, I’d lose the rack, it doesn’t work on a “racer” for me, but otherwise this is a good looking, fun scooter. Not for everyone of course. If you fancy a 50cc with a Innocenti heritage, and the ability to turn a few heads (and make a few people scratch theirs too), it’s for sale here.

The site that Car & Classic links to is Nerves Auto, an Italian site featuring some lovely sports and classic cars.

Laurent Callot Photographies, part deux

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I’ve posted this chaps work before, but that was way back, and he is clearly a gentleman of great taste! Here’s some more shots I’ve found on his Facebook page.

Laurent Callot Photographies 485889_453194054693748_1587683262_n 547798_454767857869701_669365149_n 556753_454767321203088_20508215_n 562400_454767981203022_1732940817_n 581176_454771527869334_1631416685_n 599677_454768057869681_113119063_n 600973_454766911203129_1671419200_nMore Laurent Callot 598653_454771647869322_452110872_n 599197_454771861202634_1535381924_n

Lambretta collection for sale on eBay.

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Ok, we’ve all been there. You’ve got a few spare qiuid jangling round your pocket and you fancy a Lambretta. But which model? Descisions, descions. Well, worry no more cash rich scooterist, there’s no need to make those hard descions. You can buy an entire Lambretta collection on eBay, here. Eight scooters, from a Model D 150 thru to a Lui 50… all restored six years ago and dry garaged since then. Most of them seem to have won awards at various European Lambretta events of the years, and each comes with a dossier documenting their restoration, and some original brochures and other collateral. Nice. Only wish my numbers had come up on the lottery the other night!

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The models are:

• 1956 Model D 150

 • 1956 LD 150

• 1961 Li 150 Series 2

• 1964 LI 125 Series 3

• 1967 J 125 (Starstream – or Stellina in Italian)

• 1967 Lui 50

• 1970 J50 Special

• 1971 Dl (GP) 200

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They are for sale for €76,900.25 No, I don’t know why the 25 cents.

That’s about £56k in proper money. Which works out a shade under £7k each if you divide them equally. A tad pricey I would have thought, although some of the scoots have some nice original period accessories. If you are interesed in purchasing this collection, they’re on eBay, here.

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If I had a Hammer…

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I’d hammer in the morning, and the evening! Found this rather nice Lambretta AF Rayspeed Rapido 250, on eBay, ideal for the supporter of a certain East London Assosication Footaball team. Currently on the Isle of Wight, with a classified price of £5k. 

Here’s the link.

Fattspeed autos

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I posted about Lambretta Evolution’s Scomadi auto conversion a while ago, fantastic scooters… but not the only game in town. When you start talking about auto Lambretta a couple of other names keep coming up… one is Dave Briggs (maybe feature his work later), and another is that of Sean Walker, of Fattspeed fame. More of a creator of one off masterpieces than a range of next generation Lambretta’s Shauns work is simply stunning… some of the nicest Lambretta’s I’ve ever seen, bar none. 

There’s a Fattspeed blog here, although it hasn’t been updated for a while.

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New Scomadi renderings

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I posted a couple of weeks ago about the Scomadi Turismo Leggera, and Frank from Lambretta Innovations got in touch. There’s exciting developments afoot, and he’s shared these renderings of the new carbon fibre panel work with me that the actual material the next batch will be made from is a fibre matrix – the same struff that crash helmets are made from.  Light and super strong. As carbon fibre is not the ideal material to paint over, they are being produced in a range of traditional Lambretta colours ie yellow ochre, orange, light blue, and white. 

They’ve also purchased 25 engines from Piaggio, so it looks like production is beginning to ramp up.
And if you own a Scomadi, please let me know what you think, send me some pics, and I’ll pop them up!

If you missed Lambretta Innovation IOW they are at the Mersea Island rally this weekend.

 

How Lambretta defined 1960’s design

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Great article on the Influx blog by Gary Inman on how the Lambretta, along with the E-type Jaguar and the original BMC Mini, defined 1960’s design. My favourite part is where he compares Lambrettas to their great rival Vespa… “Lambrettas are cool and beautiful. And better. End of.”
Couldn’t agree more Gary. Read the whole thing here.

Oh, and thanks to Vespamore for the heads up… although you no doubt agree to differ, eh Paul? 🙂

Lambretta Helicak

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An unusual Lambretta/Rickshaw type contraption from Indonesia, these Helicaks (because they look like a Helicopter, presumably) are one of the odder Lambretta conversions I’ve seen.

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They were introduced in Jakarta in the early ’70s, but by the late ’80s were deemed unsafe, as in an impending accident, the drivers tended to abandon ship, leaving the passengers trapped in the fibreglass cab to take the brunt of the collision.

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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!

 

 

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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