Ask anyone associated with traditional, British mod culture, and they will tell you that when it comes to scooters, there are two iconic designs. If you wanted to be a mod, you simply had to ride a proper scooter. While the Vespa has been experiencing a surge in popularity following the reintroduction of the scooters to the US market, the other scooter has been sadly absent … all of this is about to change, however, with the reintroduction of the Lambretta motor scooter to the United States.

The original Lambrettas were the stuff of legends. With better balance and faster speeds than a Vespa, the Lambretta also had killer good looks, and as one of the two great Italian scooter companies, the Lambretta simply oozed style. Famously ridden by Phil Daniels in the film Quadrophenia, the Lambretta seemed to have a lot going for it, and this was mainly due to the brilliance of the design.

Ferdinando Innocenti opened his steel-tubing factory in Rome in 1922. A successful business venture, he began to look at modes of cheap personal transportation in the aftermath of the Second World War. In 1947, the Lambretta was born. Innocenti Lambrettas continued to be produced until 1971.

Many things set the Lambretta apart from the Vespa scooter. One of the key elements is that the Vespa was built with a unibody chassis, pressed from steel sheets. The Lambretta was based upon a tubular frame of rigid steel. From a repair standpoint, Innocenti also thought out his design in a much better fashion than the Vespa. The Vespa typically has one side panel, or cowl, that is removable – meaning extensive motor work requires the engine to be removed. Innocenti solved this problem by giving the user access to both sides of the Lambretta engine with two removable cowls.

While Innocenti may have introduced us to the Lambretta, he would probably not recognize the new models carrying the name. Steel panels have been replaced with resins, and the styling has changed from an Italian-inspired, wasp-like shape (in fact, the word vespa means “wasp” in Italian) to a look that will remind most viewers of an Asian motor scooter. The length of the scooter is still much larger than that of a typical Asian bike, which is appealing to people that stand over 6-ft 1-in. (185.42 cm) tall. In the saddle, a man that size would have plenty of room to stretch out.

The balance of the traditional Lambretta was one element that led some people away from the Vespa motor scooter. Looking at the design of the bikes, particularly in the late 1960s, we see a much wider rear body on the Vespa, while the Lambretta has been slimmed down quite a bit. While the look did contribute to the “wasp” idea of the design (larger body), it was not conducive to proper balance while riding. The newly designed Lambrettas are slimmer than their Vespa counterparts, and the balance is still top notch.

Another item that longtime scooterists will notice is the reduction of the hand-grip length. Initially, this posed some concerns, but upon riding many will discover that the design helps to reduce hand fatigue. A twist-and-go setup is utilized, making the scooter much easier to ride than the traditional manual-transmission models. Simply gripping the throttle and giving it a twist puts you in motion, while disc brakes and high-quality tires ensure that you’ll be experiencing good handling and stopping power.

There are some saving graces to the new design of the Lambretta scooter, and some that also owe to the early Innocenti design. One key example is the headlight placement: Innocenti originally had his headlight mounted to the leg shield of the bike, instead of the headset. This design element has been reintroduced in the new Lambretta line. Unfortunately, this seems to be one of the few elements that link the new bike to the storied history of Lambretta. In fact, even the logo has been altered for the new models.

While the design is not Innocenti, it does have many redeeming qualities that modern technology can afford. An oil cooler helps to ensure that your speeds can easily reach the cruising speed in the 60 miles-per-hour (97 kilometres-per-hour) range. Braided steel cables are used in the engine, which are significantly stronger than rubber. While the panels have switched from steel to resin, the benefit of lower weight and less cost for replacement should your scooter take a fall are real assets.

So will the Lambretta take off? Absolutely. Faster off the line than a Vespa, priced some two-thousand dollars less, and getting gas mileage over 70 miles-per-gallon (29.76 kilometers per litre), the Lambretta is a great option for someone looking to get cheap transportation while reducing their gasoline consumption. And while the looks may not be as classic as the Ferdinando Innocenti designs, you can always rent Quadrophenia on DVD and reminisce.

Written by d/visible contributor Jonathan Myers

This entry was posted on Friday, August 17th, 2007 at 2:50 pm and is filed under In-depth, Technology, Industrial, Culture, Art & Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.