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The name Lambretta originated from the river Lambro passing the district Lambrate, birth ground of the iconic Lambretta motor scooter. It is also derived from Lambrus, which means ‘light (in weight), quick, and nimble‘.
During World War II Ferdinando Innocenti ran a steel tubing factory in the Lambrate district of Milan in northern Italy, producing components for the Italian Air Force. After the war Innocenti needed to find a new product in order for his business to survive. Inspired by the Cushman scooters that the US army imported into Italy (as a means of conveying information from one division to another and to transport individual soldiers around the base), Innocenti realised he could apply most of the parts that the factory was already producing to motor scooter production.
He saw the scooter as producing mobility for the masses. A reliable and fun transportation that was affordable and revolutionary in design. It was an idea of genius that improved the quality of life for many, in Italy and throughout the world. To make the Lambretta even more appealing, he offered the scooter in six pastel colours, keeping him one step ahead of the other Italian motorcycle, and by the late 1940s the Lambretta scooter was sold overseas. Innocenti became one of the new industrial giants of post-war Italy, and the scooterphenomenon was on its way to becoming a legend.
The scooters continued to produced in Italy until 1971. Lambretta was also manufactured under license in France, Germany, Spain, India, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina, making it a worldwide brand. In 1972, the Indian government bought the rights to the Lambretta name, creating Scooters India Limited.
Even today the name Lambretta is synonymous with the original Modmobile – the Scooter – and the distinctive Italian influenced-style of that era.
Adopted by the Mods in the 1960’s and ridden by many famous names, James Dean for one, Lambretta quickly became a legend. It was more than just a scooter – the brand was a fashion icon.
But as small cars rose in popularity, demand for scooters fell. In 1997 Lambretta ceased production, before returning in 2017 with the new V-Special.