The Lambretta Story

7/31/2019 The Lambretta Story

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and probably a half still employed the girder front fork. The 158 lb. Lambretta, therefore, was a

very advanced little vehicle-at least as far as riding comfort was concerned!

The gearbox on the Model A was a threespeed unit with ratios of 4.17, 6.12, and 12.3, and gearshifting was accomplished by a heel-toe lever on the floorboard. Drive was by chain. Tire size was

3.50 by 7inch. Internal expanding brakes were used on both wheels, and the wheelbase was 48.8

inches. Top speed was something like 42 mph-a speed that must have seemed very rapid whendodging all the potholes in the war ravaged roads!

The following year, the Innocenti Corporation began production of several three wheeled scooter-

truck combinations, which was an ingenious approach to the hauling of goods and supplies. Fourmodels were built, including three closed panel models, and one open bed affair. On all four

models, the cargo compartment was mounted in the front end of the scooter, and two wheels were

spread wide to make the thing stable. A car type rack-and-pinion steering mechanism was used,

and the gear ratios were lowered so that top speed was only 31 mph on a 6.5:1 third gear. The tiresizes also were enlarged to 3.50-8, and the weight was 330 lbs. The hauling capacity was a

surprising 440 lbs, which made the truck a popular rig with businessmen.

The creative genius of Ferdinando was not content to sit still, of course, and the scooter underwent

constant development. In 1949, the Model B was introduced, and this scooter was the firstLambretta to be exported in goodly numbers. The powerplant was basically identical to the Model

A, but a new method of gear shifting was adopted that is still used today. Gear shifting on the Bwas done by merely twisting the handlegrip on the right handlebar, plus using the orthodox hand

clutch lever on the left handlebar.

The weight of the Model B also was reduced to Only 130 lbs., and the tire size was increased to3.50-8. Power output was listed as 4.3 bhp at 4000 rpm, and the top speed was 43 mph. The fuel

consumption was no less than 110 mpg, which even today would be a remarkable rate. A small

luggage compartment in the rear was available by lifting the passenger seat, and an attractive red

paint job helped make this scooter a popular mount the world over.Later, the Model B was renamed the Model C. The only true difference was addition of a spare

wheel and tire on the back. The truck line also was continued with minor changes, and the sales of

the dependable little scooters continued to expand.The Lambretta "C" Type

During these years. the economy of Italy continued to develop, and it was only natural that the

public wanted something a little more refined. In response to this, the company produced the LCmodel-the first Lambretta to feature a sheet metal enclosure of the engine. This bit of paneling

made the scooter more streamlined and modern looking, and the foreign markets were developed

even farther. The engine and basic frame were the same as used on the standard model, but larger

4.00-8 tires were adopted. The gear ratios were 4.8, 7.0, and 13.0, and the weight was up to 187 lb.The Lambretta "D" Type

During the early 1950s, the recovery from the war became more manifest in Italy, and several of

the Latin motorcycle companies began an aggressive effort to dramatically increase their exportsales. The Innocenti Corporation was one of these, and it was obvious to Ferdinando and his son

Luigi that something was needed to put their name in a prominent place for all to see. Several other

Italian concerns had turned to racing or record setting for publicity and prestige, and it was onlynatural that Moto Lambretta would give some thought to this approach.

The thought soon turned into reality, and the result certainly was and still is one of the most

remarkable chapters in the story of the motorcycle. The Innocenti people decided, and wisely so,

that road racing was too far removed from scooter practice for them to fully benefit from the


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publicity. Road racing also had developed into a very technical and expensive proposition then,

and it would have taken an all-out effort to topple the giants of the racing game.

So, the challenge was to break some speed and endurance records, and the goal was to do it withthe basic scooter design. To this end the factory dedicated itself, and the work began. In order to

get as much direct publicity as possible from the project, the company decided to use their basic 52

by 58-mm 125-cc engine. The simplest method of raising the power output was to add asupercharger, and this was mounted on the left side, where the magneto normally is located. For

sparks, the designers used a battery-coil setup in conjunction with a set of points, and then an

exhaust system was devised that would work well with the supercharger.The cylinder, piston, connecting rod, and lower end were very similar to the production version;

and the three-speed twist-grip gearbox was retained. The clutch was standard, but with another

plate added to accommodate the additional torque and the gear ratio was greatly increased in order

to clock the desired speeds. The fuel used was a mixture with a methanol base. and oil was addedfor lubrication.

The frame was a tubular type that was quite long and very low. Standard front and rear suspension

units were used. but the tires were specially built for the project and were a 3.00-12 size.

The really surprising thing about the Lambretta was the streamlined shell that was designed tocompletely encase both the bike and rider. A small windscreen was mounted in the front for the

rider to see through, and a tail fin was used for added stability. The shell had a very rounded andsleek appearance. with intake and exhaust air ducts provided to cool the engine. The fairing was

calculated to have an air drag factor of only 0.0003, compared to the 0.0008 factor of a rider

crouched low on a road racing bike.Preliminary tests with the tiny streamliner provided some encouraging results. such as the 24-hour

record of 63.34 mph set by the team of Brunori, Masserini. Masetti. and Rizzi at Montlehery,

France. More magnificent endurance marks were set on Oct. 5. 1950, at Montlehery when Dario

Ambrosini, Romolo Ferri, and R. Rizzi shattered the 1000-km, 6-hour, and 12-hour records withspeeds of 82.34, 82.59, and 82.34 mph

During 1951, the factory kept up its furious quest for records-nailing down many marks for various

distances including the 50 km at 100.9 mph, 100 miles at 98.5 mph. and the l-hour record at 98.5mph. Several standing start records also were broken, such as l-km at 65.2 mph, the mile at 76.38

mph. and the 5-km at 113 643 mph. These last three marks are all average speeds.

The most magnificent of all the records set was one of the last, and for this the marque used littleRomolo Ferri to do the honors Romolo ran on the Munich-lngolstadt Autobahn in Germany on

Aug. 8, 1951, and the recorded the amazing speeds of 124.8 and 125.442 mph for the flying kilo

and mile. The blown two-stroke was said to develop 13.5 bhp and the engine was spinning to 9000

rpm. This gave Lambretta the distinction of having clocked I mph for every cc of engine capacity-afeat that gave the firm an enviable amount of worldwide publicity.

These records seem all the more remarkable when they are compared to some of the American

marks at that time. For example. the U S. 50cc Class A speed mark set on a methanol-nitro fuelmixture was only 126 68; and the Class C 30-cu. in., 45-cu. in.. 61-cu. in.. and 74-cu. in. records

were 123.69. 123.52, 131.95, and 120.74 mph, respectively. The only 50-mile endurance mark in

the U.S. books was set at 117.05 mph by a 40-cu. in. Triumph, and the American 24 hour recordwas 76.05 mph, established by Fred Ham on a 14-cu. in. Harley-Davidson. So, the little Lambretta

certainly made 123 cc and 13.5 bhp appear impressive.


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All this world wide publicity made the Lambretta much better known, and the company's

international prestige and sales continued to grow. New markets in Asia, America, and Africa were

developed, and the company prospered as never before.The Innocenti Corp. continued to improve its product. Introduced in 1952 was the Model 125 LD

that had a more powerful 5.2-bhp engine. The compression ratio had been increased to 6.5:1 to

take advantage of the slightly better grade of gasoline that was available, and the morecomprehensive body work had increased the weight to 204 lbs. Top speed was up to 47 mph.

In 1954, the company responded to the Latin demand for greater performance by introducing a

150-cc engine with a bore and stroke of 57 by 58 mm. The compression ratio was 6: 1, and 6.05bhp was developed at 4600 rpm. The engine delivered a very good 125-150 mpg, which was still

an important matter in nearly all of Europe.

Two models were producedQthe D and the LD. The Model D was an open style without fancy

paneling to cover the engine, while the LD featured sleek styling for those who could afford thehigher price. Both models had a wheelbase of 51.2 in., and both had a three-speed gearbox with

ratios of 4.75, 7.5, and 12.9. Both models also used 4.00-8 tires, but their weights were different at

176 and 204 Ib., respectively. The company continued to produce several models of the trucks.

In 1955, Lambretta made an effort to produce a truly low priced method of transportation in a 50-cc motorized bicycle. The engine had bore and stroke measurements of 40 by 38 mm, and it

produced 1.5 bhp. The little bike weighed only 77 Ib., and it returned up to 200 mpg at speeds upto 31 mph.

In 1957, the company made a notable improvement with its TV175 model. Other than the sleek

styling, major improvements were the 170-cc engine and the four-speed gearbox. The engine had abore and stroke of 60 by 60 mm, and it developed 8.6 bhp at 6000 rpm with a 7.6:1 compression

ratio. The gearbox had ratios of 5.69, 7.3, 9.77, and 14.32. Tire size was increased to 3.50-10. The

weight was a little heavier at 271 Ib., but the four-speed gearbox provided brisk acceleration as

well as a speed of 64 mph.The truck line was also developed, with several larger boxes and beds available that were mounted

behind the driver. Two wheels were used in the rear, and a new gearbox had three speeds forward

plus a reverse gear.In 1958, the TV model became a 175 with a bore and stroke of 62 by 58 mm, and this engine

developed 11 bhp at 5500 rpm with a 7: 1 compression ratio. This very deluxe model weighed 270

Ib. and had a maximum speed of 66 mph.Today the Lambretta line is better than ever before. The least expensive is the little 50cc

Lambrettino bicycle, with its better than 200 mpg fuel consumption. Next comes the J50 model,

which is a 50cc scooter that developed ?? bhp at 4500 rpm and weighs only 171 Ib. Then there are

two 125-cc models that provide a 140-mpg economy, with a 54-mph performance, and then thelarger 150-cc X150 model that is slightly faster at 58 mph. The star of the range is the 200X

Special with its 66-mph speed, disc front brake, and ultra-sleek styling. All of the scooters feature

the superb finish that now is expected from Lambretta, and all provide the wonderfully smooth andcomfortable ride that only Innocenti can produce.

There is one other interesting chapter in the story of Lambretta, and that is the tale of their would-

be racer that never did make it to the classical grand prix circuits. Designed in 1951, by Ing.Salmaggi, the 250cc Moto Lambretta was certainly unique, as well as being one of the most

beautiful racing bikes ever built.

The engine was a four-stroke 90 degree V-twin set transversally in the frame. It had a bore and

stroke of 54 by 54 mm. The drive to single overhead camshafts was by vertical shafts and bevel


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gears, and no less than three coil springs were used on each valve. The crankcase contained the

roller bearing lower end and oil tank, with fins cast on the lower half to aid in heat dissipation. The

crankshaft was in line with the frame, so it was only logical to mount an in-line gearbox behind theengine and then use shaft drive. The gearbox was a five-speed unit, and, typically Latin heel-and-

toe shift lever was used. The magneto was mounted under a cover at the front of the crankcase.

The frame used was quite unorthodox for those days, with a large diameter backhone, and theengine serving as part of the frame section. An orthodox swinging-arm rear suspension was used in

conjunction with a telescopic front fork, but the drive shaft was contained in the left side swinging-

arm tube. Huge air-cooled brakes were used that were located in deeply finned full width hubs, andtire sizes were 2.75-21 front and 3.00-21 rear. The first prototype built featured an unusual torsion

bar rear suspension and a dry sump oil system, but Salmaggi quickly changed this to the above

specifications after preliminary tests.

Painted a deep red and with all the polished aluminum, the Moto Lambretta was a beautiful sight tobehold. It was also a potent performer, with its 28 bhp output comparing favorably to the 27 bhp

that the all conquering Moto Guzzi 250s produced. The 5.8-gal. fuel tank was gracefully contoured

for the rider's arms, and the twin carburetors and long megaphones added a touch of styling that

made the bike appear fast even at rest.The exotic 250 never made it to the race track, though, probably because the record attempts with

the streamliner had succeeded so admirably in bringing the company the desired publicity. Withsome development. plus a good rider, the Twin could have certainly have been a winner, but it

faded away until it is now just a beautiful bit of history in the Innocenti museum.

So this is the story of the Innocenti Lambretta-a delightful post-war story that has had a great dealto do with putting Italians on wheels. Italians are a colorful people with great zest for life and the

sight of a boy and girl whirling around the town square and fountain on their scooter is a sight that

is typically Roman. With a smile on their face and hair flying in the wind. the Lambretta rider

typifies a way of life that many others around the world can envy.

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The Lambretta Story