Tag Archives: USA

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

Cool electric concept from ’68

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It seems that electric vehicles are finally becoming a reality… with even companies like BMW getting in on the act. There is, of course the eBretta (1st tenuous Lambretta link), the electric reincarnation of the Lambretta, being developed in Vietnam.tumblr_myglnt81RB1r8dlh9o1_1280

But this is not a new thing… Back in 1968 the US car firm, AMC, now long defunct produced this concept. With a top speed of 50mph, and a claimed range of 150 miles (remember, this was the 60’s) this looking like a viable city commuter vehicle. Perhaps if petrol (or gas, as our American cousin’s insist on calling it) had got more expensive stateside, and they’d managed to make the Nickel Cadmium and Lithium Nickel Fluoride batteries more affordable, we might have seen these go into production.amcelc02I love the whole retro futuristic vibe of these, and design wise, they remind me of the Bond Bug, with a bit of Bertone thrown in (2nd tenuous Lambretta link). They were actually designed by Dick Teague, who’s finest moment, in my book was the ‘hot wheels’ looking AMX-GT. How this never made it into full production is a mystery to me. I’d always assumed it had… maybe it’s the Hot Wheels effect made me think that!

800px-1968_AMC_AMX-GT_ShowCar_Type2QCars that did make it into production are the Pacer, you know the one with the huge, bulbous rear window… and a superfunky “compact” called the Gremlin, both clearly sharing some AMX-GT DNA.amc-gremlin-01

And, although as well as being a stunning piece of design, the Gremlin was purportedly a good, reliable, and inexpensive motor… but I can’t help thinking the marketing department could have come up with a name that didn’t suggest that it was full of faults. Anyway, it’s a shame the AMC brand, which seemed so innovative and forward looking didn’t achieve more sustained commercial success… but it was fighting a losing battle against the US “Big 3” of Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, as well as European and Japanese imports.

Find out more about AMC on the excellent and entertaining Musclehead blog, here.

This is one of my irregular “not a Lambretta” posts… normal service will be resumed soon 🙂

Brooklyn Scooter Chase

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Brooklynbretta used to be the place to take your vintage scoot for repairs in NYC. Sadly, it’s gone now, closing it’s doors in 2009. But what remains is pretty cool; this fun vid of a scooter chase through the streets of NYC. The resolutions not great, but the content is.

Via Renton66

Lambretta Jubilee Art

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Lambretta Jubilee BostonOne of the big events, for the sate side Lambrettisti, is the annual Lambretta Jubilee, a national, Lambretta only event organised by the Lambretta Club USA. Next year, it’s in Boston, Massachusetts.

Lambretta Jubilee Colorado

Now being the other side of the pond, I don’t know an awful lot more than that. But what I do know, is whoever designs their posters for them is doing an excellent job. I’ve found last years one from Colorado, and  these are real quality illustrations. So if you’ve got any more examples of these masterpieces of graphic art, give me a nod… It would be great to feature them on here. Maybe more importantly, if you know the talent behind the illustrations, please let me know, I’d love to give him / her the credit they are due!

EDIT / Update: Corey from The Bitter End Scooter Club, Ontario, Canada has given me a heads up on the artist. It’s by Glenn Reid, who has a website here. There are a fair few scoots features in his work, which will probably be as familiar to you, as they were to me when I saw them. Really lovely stuff, with an art deco travel poster vibe about them. Nice work Glenn, and cheers for the info Corey.

FURTHER EDIT / UPDATE: The Colorado Spring illustrations are by Adam Biddle, aka Adam Xyl, a Lambretta owner and rider, and a member of the Peak Scooter Club. Nice work Adam.

Hot Shots! Part Deux – Topper Harley

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This films been around since 1991, and I’ve only just noticed that the main character, Topper Harley is probably a scooter reference. Duh! Now, I was sure I’d written a Harley Topper before, but I was probably thinking about the other indigenous US Scooter, the Cushman (post here… worth checking out… oh, and this one).  Anyway. I hadn’t.

Topper Harley

Topper Harley

Harley Topper

Harley Topper

The Topper was the only scooter Harley Davidson every produced. Made between 1961 and 1965, and despite it’s squarish, “50’s American Refrigerator” lines, it’s certainly not a bad looking scooter. (That last sentence just shows how much my aesthetics have changed over the years… I remember when I first saw a picture of a Topper I thought it unbelievably fugly!). Let’s just say it’s “of its time”.

There’s an owners club, with a ‘virtual website’ (a tautology surely? perhaps an ironic one) here.

In a postmodern twist, Topper himself has his own Facebook page, here.

Anyway. Back to Hot Shots, and my favourite line:

Topper Harley: You’re the only one that knows how to get to the ‘copter pad. If I’m not there in 15 minutes, you know what to do…
Colonel Walters: Yeah, get the hell out of here!
Topper Harley: No! Wait another 15 minutes!

Lambrettista – Read in over 40 countries on 6 continents!

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Lambrettista-CoverageMapWow. Since moving my blog over from Posterous to WordPress I’ve been able to see a lot more data about who’s visiting, and where from. And it just goes to show that interest in Lambrettas is truly global. I kind of expected some readers from the UK and Italy, as well as Spain and the US… but it would be easier to say where the blog isn’t read! (Come on Africa, China and the Middle East – you’re letting the side down!) I got my first reader in Egypt yesterday, so I’ve got a little bit of a nibble into Africa…

So a big thank you to all my vistors. It makes this little personal project well worth while.

If you check out my links page you’ll see there are Lambretta Clubs in over 30 countries. If I’ve missed where you live, apologies, let me know and I’ll post a link.

EDIT: We’re past 50 Countries now… and going strong! FURTHER EDIT: Make that 60 Countries. From the Aland Islands to Uruguay!

A New York scooter rideout

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<p>A NEW YORK DAY TO FAR ROCKAWAY from Naoto Ono on Vimeo

From NYC to Rockaway beach, beautifully shot. Looks like a fun day fellas. Nice soundtrack too.

After the return of the Lambretta… iconic US Cushman scooter makes a comeback

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That’s right folks. I never saw this one coming! Cushman’s are being made again in the US, by K-Jack Motors in California. And they look pretty good too. Those that know their Lambretta history will know the original Lambretta’s owed more than a little to the Cushman, who were around since the early 1900’s… and their “Airborne” model scooter, dropped with US paratroops in Italy during WW2. When Innocenti (and Piaggio) had to re-engineer their factories from making military vehicles and armaments, many regard the lightweight Cushman scooters as a spark of inspiration for both these companies.

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The rest is history. The two italian firms went on to dominate scooter production in the 50’s and 60’s, firstly in Italy, then Europe, and finally worldwide. Without the styling elan of the Italian models, the Cushman became regarded as a bit of an oddball… at least in Europe. Even in the US, Italian scooters were seen as sophisticated and cosmopolitan.

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But the world has changed… and in an era of generic, plastic scooters these re-engineered Cushmans have more than a little elan of their own. They are certainly stylish, and certainly look much more like the original Cushman than the new Lambretta’s… look to their predecessors.

There are two models, (see EDIT / UPDATE) the Highlander and the Step Thru. Equipped with modern engines – up to 400cc, disk brakes front and rear, and an all steel frame, they are nippy, and sturdy too. The styling that I used to regard as laughably clunky and boxy now looks (to my eye, anyway) funkily utilitarian, and retro chic. The day of the Cushman may finally have arrived!

EDIT / UPDATE: Jack Chalabian of K-Jack has been in touch to tell me there are actually FOUR models of the Cushman II in the pipeline…  the Highlander, Step-Thru, Eagle, and Trailster. They will have a 9 or 14 horsepower overhead cam engine with electric start in all the models. While trying (and succeeding, I reckon) to keep the original look with modern DOT requirements; they are compliant throughout the United States… including California.

via Visordown

Find out more at the K-Jack Website, or Facebook page.

Travel far and Wise

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Great period promo film for the Lambretta LD

Lambretta LN… at least it’s not a Pato!

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The kindest way to describe the Lambretta LN’s reception in the UK is to say it has been mixed. A lot of people, mainly those of us with ‘proper’ Lambretta scooters simply don’t like it.

Well, here’s the good news… at least it’s not a Pato… the “Lambretta” they have had to put up with in the states for the last couple of years.