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Lambretta World Speed Record Scooter 1951 & Ambrosini -

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:20.00 USD Estimated At:40.00 - 50.00 USD
Lambretta World Speed Record Scooter 1951 & Ambrosini -
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A superb and rare photo. Shown is the magnificent Lambretta 125cc scooter world record streamliner with rider Dario Ambrosini, who just started his very successful October 1950 world record breaking session which was held on the French circuit of Monthlery on October 5, 1950. That was also the day the photograph was taken. A team of three riders, Ambrosini, Ferri and Rizzi, broke an impressive string of world records that day. The 1,000 km (620 miles) world land speed worldrecord was broken with average speed of 82.34 mph(132.51 km/h)! The 6 hours world land speed worldrecord was broken with average speed of 82.59 mph (132.92 km/h)! And the 12 hours world land speed worldrecord was broken with average speed of 82.35 mph (132.53 km/h)! The Lambretta world record breaker was used in 1950 and 1951. It featured a smartly build chassis and a very aerodynamic shell. The engine was a very advanced 125cc single cylinder two stroke, which still was quite close to the engine of the production model. It had a bore and stroke of 52 x 58 mm and delivered a hefty power output of 13.5 bhp at 9,000 r.p.m. In order to up the power as much as possible, a supercharger was fitted, making a methanol based fuel a necessity, as well as a very advanced exhaust system, made perfectly to suit the supercharger on the two stroke engine. The Lambretta was a line of motor scooters originally manufactured in Milan, Italy, by Innocenti but also manufactured under license by Société Industrielle de Troyes (S.I.T.) in France, NSU in Germany, Serveta in Spain, API in India, Pasco in Brazil, Auteca in Colombia, and Siambretta in Argentina. Lambretta has a long and interesting history. In 1922, Ferdinando Innocenti of Pescia built a steel-tubing factory in Rome. In 1931, he took the business to Milan where he built a larger factory producing seamless steel tubing and employing about 6,000. During the Second World War the factory was heavily bombed and destroyed. It is said that surveying the ruins, Innocenti saw the future of cheap, private transport and decided to produce a motor scooter – competing on cost and weather protection against the ubiquitous motorcycle. The main stimulus for the design style of the Lambretta and Vespa dates back to Pre-WWII Cushman scooters made in Nebraska, USA. These olive green scooters were in Italy in large numbers, ordered originally by Washington as field transport for the Paratroops and Marines. Aeronautical engineer General Corradino D'Ascanio, responsible for the design and construction of the first modern helicopter by Agusta, was given the job by Ferdinando Innocenti of designing a simple, robust and affordable vehicle. It had to be easy to drive for both men and women, be able to carry a passenger, and not get its driver's clothes dirty. D'Ascanio, who hated motorbikes, designed a revolutionary vehicle. It was built on a spar-frame with a handlebar gear change and the engine mounted directly on to the rear wheel. The front protection "shield" kept the rider dry and clean in comparison to the open front end on motorcycles. The pass-through leg area design was geared towards women, as wearing dresses or skirts made riding conventional motorcycles a challenge. The front fork, like an aircraft's landing gear, allowed for easy wheel changing. The internal mesh transmission eliminated the standard motorcycle chain, a source of oil, dirt and aesthetic misery. This basic design allowed a series of features to be deployed on the frame which would later allow quick development of new models. However, General D'Ascanio fell out with Innocenti, who rather than a moulded and beaten spar frame wanted to produce his frame from rolled tubing, there by allowing him to revive both parts of his pre-War company. General D'Ascanio disassociated himself with Innocenti, and took his design to Enrico Piaggio who produced the spar framed Vespa from 1946. Taking a year longer to produce, the 1947 Lambretta featured a rear pillion seat for a passenger, or optionally a storage compartment. The original front protection "shield" was a flat piece of aero metal; later this developed in to a twin skin to allow additional storage on the 'back of'/behind the front shield, similar to the glove compartment in a car. The fuel cap was underneath the (hinged) seat, which saved the cost of an additional lock on the fuel cap or need for additional metal work on the smooth skin. Deriving the name Lambretta from the small river Lambro in Milan, which ran near to the factory; Innocenti started production of Lambretta scooters in 1947 - the year after Piaggio started production of its Vespa models. Like Vespas, Lambrettas have 3 or 4 gears and two stroke motors with capacities ranging from 49cc to 198cc. Most two-stroke engines require a mixture of oil with the gasoline in order to lubricate the piston and cylinder. Unlike the Vespa, which was built with a unibody chassis pressed from sheets of steel, Lambrettas were based around a more rigid tubular frame, although the 'J' series model produced from 1964 through 1966 did have a monocoque body. Early versions were available in 'closed', with fully covered mechanicals or 'open', with minimal panels and thus looking like an unusual motorcycle. The model A and model B were only available in 'open' style. The C and D models were noted for their torsion bar rear suspension, the D model outsold every other 2 wheeled vehicle combined at its peak. The much greater success of the 'closed' version confirmed that riders wanted protection from the weather and a clean looking machine. Along with the Vespa, Lambretta was an iconic vehicle of the 1950s and 1960s when they became the adopted vehicle of choice for the UK youth-culture known as Mods. The character Jimmy from the influential scooter movie Quadrophenia rode a Lambretta Li 150 Series 3. Of the 1960s models, the TV (Turismo Veloce), the Special (125 and 150), the SX (Special X) and the GP Grand Prix are generally considered the most desirable due to their increased performance and refined look, the 'matt black' fittings on the GP model are said to have influenced European car designs throughout the 1970s. These three models came with a front disc brake made by Campagnolo. The TV was the first production two-wheeled vehicle with a front disc brake in the world. As the race to be the first person on the moon gathered pace, Innocenti's new model was launched, the Luna range (Luna meaning "moon", in Italian). The machines looked very advanced for their day, reverting back to the open frame style of the much admired 'D' types, and although sales were slow to start with, racing success from grass tracking to circuit racing, soon made them a sales success. Designed by Bertone Innocenti wanted a small frame and engine Lambretta that could be sold alongside the larger models. The frame was tubular steel front end, with bolt on leg shields, and a monocoque pressed steel rear frame. Lambrettas were manufactured under licence in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India and Spain, sometimes under other names but always to a recognizable design (e.g. Siambretta in South America and Serveta in Spain). As wealth increased in Western Europe in the late 60s, the demand for motor scooters fell as the small car became available to more people, and Lambretta started to struggle financially as did parent Innocenti. Innocenti/Lambretta was eventually sold to BLMC. With BLMC's lack of foresight, they had cottoned on to a fashion trend that was ending rapidly. Long industrial strikes in BMC ensued; motor scooter sales took a nosedive and both Innocenti and Lambretta shut up shop in 1972. The Indian government bought the factory for essentially the same reasons that Ferdinando Innocenti had built it after the War. India was a country with poor infrastructure, economically not ready for small private cars yet with a demand for private transport. "Automobile Products of India" or "API", set up at Bombay (now Mumbai) was incorporated in 1949, began assembling Innocenti-built Lambretta scooters in India, where they still do so today. Popular models were the "Lamby 150", the TV 175 series 2, badged as "MAC 175" and the Lamby Polo. The small village of Rodano, near Milan, hosts the biggest Lambretta museum in Europe. In Weston-super-Mare, England, there is a Lambretta Scooter Museum which houses a total of 61 Lambretta models - at least one from each year between October 1947 through to May 1971. It also houses a large amount of Lambretta memorabilia. This museum and collection was sold in early 2007 and re-opened on 8 August 2008following refurbishment.
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