Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
One of the interesting features of
the immediate years after World War II
was the dramatic increase in the use
of motorcycles for both sport and trans-
portation. Nowhere was this more true
than in Italy, where the transportation
starved populace took to two wheels
for inexpensive travel by the droves.
One of the features of the Italian
two-wheeled scene was the emergence
of the scooter as a popular and inex-
pensive mode of transport—a facet that
still holds true today. The big reason
for the popularity of the scooter in
sunny Italy was the availability of sev-
eral excellent models that offered a
brisk performance, improved weather
protection, and a sleek appearance
compared to a motorcycle. The price
was also reasonable, and a fashion was
soon established that the scooter was
THE thing to own and ride.
The undisputed leader then was Lam-
bretta—a marque still recognized as a
fine scooter all over the world. The
Lambretta is produced in Milano, with
their production beginning in 1947.
The first model was called simply the
“Model A”, which had a 123cc two-
stroke engine that churned out 4.2 HP
at 4400 rpm. This single returned a
120 mpg fuel consumption, which made
it popular due to the high price of fuel
in gasoline poor Europe.
The scooter had its engine mounted
in the open, but the rider put his feet
on a floorboard. Gear shifting of the
three-speed gearbox was by a heel and
toe lever, and the top speed was 42
mph. A leading-link front fork and
torsion-bar rear suspension provided
exceptional rider comfort for those
days, since rigid frames were still com-
mon then.
The next few years Lambretta con-
tinued to improve their scooter by
adopting a twist grip gearshift, increas-
ing the tire size from 3.50 x 7 inch to
3.50 x 8 inch, and reducing the weight
to only 130 pounds. In 1950 the compa-
ny took a big step forward when they
introduced their “LC” model that fea-
tured a sheet metal enclosure of the
engine-gearbox unit.
During those years Lambretta was
interested in developing their export
market, which required them to become
better known all over the world. The
logical way was to become involved in
some sort of racing or competition ven-
ture, which would provide a good image
in foreign countries.
The result was a two-pronged attack
—one of which was highly successful,
while the other ended in an abandoned
plan. The abandoned approach was to
go road racing in quest of the World
250cc Championship, which was, to say
the least, a tough nut to crack.
At that time Benelli and Moto Guzzi
ruled supreme in the 250cc class with
their overhead camshaft singles and a
fine team of riders. Ing. Salmaggi quite
correctly reasoned that he would need
more power to defeat the fine handling
thumpers, so he decided to design a
twin that would really scream.
The result was a four-stroke 90...