1952 LAMBRETTA MODEL D (L-76)
In the early years of the scooter, Vespa and Lambretta had very different ideas of how a scooter should look. The Lambretta came out of Innocenti’s business making pipes. You can easily see that heritage on the early Lambrettas, like the model D. The early open frame Lambrettas have a much different feel from the later enclosed models, or the Vespa, for that matter. They feel more like riding a bicycle or a moped, but much faster. Indeed the D’s are quicker than you imagine. We found this D on our recent Italy trip, and thought it was fun, so we brought it back with us. These early Lambretttas are getting thin on the ground in Italy. While the D was sold in the US, the numbers were not huge. Time has taken its toll, and there are not many left. The motors are surprisingly sophisticated, and we suspect that most of those sold here were simply junked when they stopped working, as repair know-how must have been hard to come by in the pre-internet era. In any case, this scooter is a well preserved example. It is complete, with all its parts, though clearly it has been repainted. That paint is showing its age at this point. However, this is a really good basis for a restoration. It also has some nice original accessories that are not often found. The most notable of which is the neat legshield extender at the front, and the flip-out passenger foot-pegs at the rear. This is an early D, so it has the teleflex gear cable, and the exposed cylinder, similar to a model C. This will be a fun project for the right person, or something that you could ride without much trouble.