
The Lambretta Story
The History about the Innocenti family, the Lambretta-brand and the scooters sold worldwide.
Ferdinando lnnocenti was born in
1881 in Pescla, Italy to an artistic
family. His father, Dante Innocenti,
was an able blacksmith in that little
Tuscan town. After having finished his
studies at a technical school, Ferdinando
teamed up with his brother and
father in running the family blacksmith
business. In no time at all,
he demonstrated a knack for selling
a wide variety of mechanical products,
and soon, the two brothers
became famous in their field.
In an agreement with Scafoding, they
built and sold a special vice clam under
license used in attaching metal scaffolding,
which would soon become famous throughout the world.
The company prospered and grew,
and the brothers decided to build a new
factory on Via Pitteri in the Lambrate
area of Milan. After the destruction
of World War II, Innocenti sacrificed
everything to start over.
By the end of 1946, lnnocenti already
had several important industrial contracts,
which showed the far-sightedness
of the company’s founder. While
the Allies were busy liberatin Rome
from the Nazi grip in 1944, the briliant
mind of Ferdinando lnnocenti was
contemplating an economic means of
mobility to be used immediately postwar
in place of pubIic transportation.
During that period, lnnocenti saw for
the first time American troops driving
around on little scooters. He recognized
that a little putt-putt could have a
fantastic future in Italy. The Lambretta
was the fruit of the labor of the engineer
Pier Luigi Torre, and was presented
to the world in 1947.
The Lambretta, named after the town
of its conception, was an instant hit
with the Italians. So much so that
Ferdinando soon began exporting the
scooter across the world. In 1951 the
first Lambretta hit British shores and
by 1959 the brand was outstripping
sales of Vespas - scooters that were
already established in the UK.
Innocenti produced the scooter for
30 years and the Lambretta became
a symbol for youth around the
world. With ideal timing British mod
culture arrived and a need for rebellion
took hold of the country’s youth.
Despite its Italian origins, the Lambretta
brand had by now adopted a
very English personality: the Union
Jack and the scooters went hand in
hand.
Relaunch of the Lambretta Brand
In 1997, 50 years after the introduction
of the Lambretta, a comprehensive
product line was successfully
launched, including clothes, shoes,
and accessories. The muchawaited
Watch Collection was launched in
1999, designed for modern times, but
retaining the cherished values of the
60s freedom, independence, and quality
throughout. Today, the Lambretta
Relaunch of the Lambretta-brand
watches are distributed in 20 countries
all over the world.
All who love the Lambretta scooter can once again enjoy that genuine Lambretta feeling!