Tag Archives: Model D

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?

 

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 is for FORKS, F is for FURTHER INFORMATION

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LambrettaModellFWhen I originally posted about Rod’s Western Australian Barn Find of a rare Model “F”, one of my eagle-eyed readers queried whether I’d made a mistake in classifying it as a F, as the forks didn’t have the distinctive ‘swept back’ look of the E’s and F’s. Check out the image above to see what I mean.

Well, you can write what I know about these early models on the back of a postage stamp… so I went back and queried it with Rod, who patiently sent me back pics of the frame and engine numbers both confirming it’s F status. Very weird. Was this some Aussie import F with D type forks? The explanation is a little simpler.

The Model F was based on the Model E… the E being a rethinking of the open frame Lambretta, with economy at it’s heart. It was stripped down, and the cheapest Lambretta you could buy, featuring an innovative, and frankly pretty poor “pull-cord” like a chainsaw or outboard engine instead of a kickstart. It was not well received by the Italian market, in fact it was a total flop. Innocenti then made some technical improvements, including reinstating a kickstart and this new model became the F. The improvements weren’t enough to radically improve sales however… and even an ‘elegant new colour’ (dark green) wasn’t enough to distinguish the F from it’s ill fated predecessor.

In 1955 a Second Series of the F was produced with many technical improvements from the first, more comfort, better electrics, and the more efficient fork and front fender from the Model D. It is one of these “Seconda Serie” with D forks that Rod discovered in a shed. The second series came in two colours… The putty like “Beige Sabbia” and “Grigio Chiaro”, a pale grey. Rod’s pics show traces of this original grey under the blue paint that was applied sometime back in the dim and distant.F1-F2

Unfortunately, although these changes had made the Seconda Serie F a much better scooter, it never shook off it’s Model E lineage. Sales figures could not justify it’s continued production, and the last F was made in early 1956. Which means one more thing… F stands for, erm, FLIPPING Rare.

Thanks Rod, for furnishing me with various articles that explain the complicated saga of the F with D forks!

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

 

 

Mike Karslake on Pepple Mill

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A bit of nostalgia for you… whenever I was off school back in the ’80’s…there wasn’t much telly on… I remember stuff like Crown Court and General Hospital… and then, at lunchtime, there was always Pebble Mill. Here’s an episode from the 80’s featuring Lambretta legend Mike Karslake, and some of his extensive Lambretta collection, including his Lambretta based fire engine and Wolfie’s Lambretta from Citizen Smith! He makes quite an entry on a Series 2 sidecar combination!

Via GP225 Wildcat’s YouTube Channel.

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.

Dudes on D’s

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4b4c420d48283a75ae782312692d0626Oh, they had style back in the day. The men wore suits, and the ladies rode side saddle. Or looking backwards! When it was on the stand, anyway… those were the days.

D-licious!

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Model D on eBayTasty model D for sale on the bay, wih an attractive custom paint job. Really looks the part… a real head-turner. Drive it away for under £3k. All the details are here.

$(KGrHqN,!qEFHgStYf0pBR+qnDSc7Q~~60_12 $T2eC16F,!ysE9sy0gCkcBR+qnHVmgg~~60_12 $(KGrHqV,!k8FH6QCZ4q1BR+qm05z9w~~60_12 $T2eC16R,!ygE9s7HJGyjBR+qm+NO(Q~~60_12 Model D on eBay

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.

innocenti-labretta-50dl-elaborazione-sportiva-0026 innocenti-labretta-50dl-elaborazione-sportiva-0029 innocenti-labretta-50dl-elaborazione-sportiva-0034 innocenti-labretta-50dl-elaborazione-sportiva-0006 innocenti-labretta-50dl-elaborazione-sportiva-0004

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.

Siambretta Model D Twin. That’s right. Twin cylinders!

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Saimbrettas, as you probably know, are the Lambretta variants build under licence from Innocenti by SIAM Lambretta, in Argentina.

SIAM’s relationship with Innocenti dates back to 1954, and the Model C… affectionately known as the Pochoneta in Argentina. Apparently, even General Peron was a fan. A Model D equivalent soon followed, known as the “Siambretta 125 Standard” which was the equivalent of the Lambretta Model D… (with the 125 Deluxe being the equivalent of the LD). If you’re Argentinian, or a Siambretta aficionado, and I’ve got any of these facts wrong, please put me right in the comments.

So, history lesson over. What I never expected to see was a Model D Twin… I’m assuming, as my Argentinean Spanish is rather rusty, that it’s two 125cc cylinders, giving a total of 250c. In a D frame. That must go like a rocket! This is the maddest thing I’ve seen for ages.

I’d love to know more, and I’m trying to dig out more details, so hopefully this post will be updated as I find out more. But what a scooter!

Found via the Lambretta Club USA’s Facebook Page.

For a more modern take on Lambretta twins, see my previous post on the 344cc Twin from PM Tuning here.