OWNER DETAILS
Name: James King Scooter club: ORRSC. How and when did you first become interested in scooters: After hearing from my dad buying two brand new scooters from Kings of Oxford, the Oxford branch, and riding them around the UK. What was your first scooter: Lambretta LD used as a pit bike. What is your favourite style of custom scooter: Anything that has had a lot of thought put into it. What do you like about rallies/events: Not being a drinker, going to see all the scooters and custom show and always have a look around the dealers for any bargains and Lambretta memorabilia to add to the collection.
Name of scooter: Rallymaster Scooter model: Lambretta LI 150 Series 2 ’61. Date purchased: Purchased as frame and box of bits 2015. Inspiration for project: Always attracted to the Rallymaster at Nigel Cox’s museum in Weston-super-Mare. Time to build & by whom: Years sourcing and finding all the various accessories that were fitted to the Rallymaster as standard scooter built by my close friend Disco Dez. Specialised parts: Front mudguard nail and mud scraper, original Miller fog light, front and rear racing number holders and rear grab handle, spare wheel holder with dashboard incorporating Smiths rev counter, Smiths stopwatch, map reading light and switches, original map holder and various maps including the Welsh and Scottish 6-Day trial, Rimini re-made Pegasus seat, and original GB plate and flyscreen, Keith Newman at K2 Custom scooters another close friend and has been a diamond in helping me out with accessories. Barrel and piston: Series 3 engine, GT 186 kit. Carb: Dellorto 25mm. Performance: Plenty of torque and power and very reliable. Paintwork & murals done by: Local sprayer Disco Des uses for all his remarkable restorations. Overall cost: £7000. Hardest part of the project: All went extremely well it was fun to do sourcing all the parts/ accessories and researching the history of Lambretta Concessionaires’ marvellous selling and advertisement using their stock of Series 2 frames before the release of the Series 3. Advertised as the Sportsman scooter, you could use it for travelling to work and trials though the concept of the Rallymaster was Alan Kimber’s TV175 used in the 6-Day trials. Is there anything still to add to the scoot: I have a pre-drilled side casing to house the crank driven rev counter. I have got an original cable still in its original box and the special cut bolt to drive the rev counter to fit. Anyone to thank: A very big shout out to Disco Dez for helping make my dream come true, and completing a great build of a Rallymaster replica and Keith Newman of K2 Customs for helping me with the various accessories.
What swung choosing the GT186 kit on a Series 3 150 engine was the excellent reputation the kit has from years of being tried and tested by many scooterists. It’s proved to be a very reliable engine setup for me, giving me plenty of torque and power. Besides which, I’m still not certain as to what the Stage 2 tuned engine as provided on original Rallymaster engines actually means. It sounds good, which I think was probably the intention back in ’61.”
What goes around
Despite all the available knowledge in circulation, including a wealth of previously unseen documents in Stuart Owen’s excellent book Lambretta Concessionaires, The Complete Story, exactly how many Rallymasters in total were produced at The Trojan works remains something of a mystery. Closest to any official information, although not backed up by any unquestionable documented proof, is contained within a Rallymaster article in
Scootering’s April 2008 issue. Featured scooter was a Rallymaster replica, built by Terry Crook, who had owned a genuine Rallymaster in the early 60s.
Within that article, at one point he remembers taking his original Rallymaster to the workshop at Trojan works for a running repair. When collecting his Rallymaster Terry recalls a conversation with a Concessionaires technician who informed him that he thought “only 100 examples of the ‘red’ Rallymaster and 40 of the ‘blue’ variant had been made”. There are probably more Rallymaster replicas currently in existence than there were genuine Rallymaster Lambrettas made.
Most Lambretta Innocenti scooter models are generally identifiable by VIN frame numbers allocated to production runs, because the Rallymaster was in reality a way to offload end of range Series 2 scooters, to make way for the incoming Series 3 Slimstyle Lambretta’s arrival. A similar sales ploy was also used to shift a number of Series 3 scooters some years down the line with the Golden and Silver specials, consisting of a legshield badge and an all over respray to drum up sales for end of range models.
Currently, there doesn’t appear to be a definitive way to authenticate, or not, whether a 1960 or ’61 UK registered Series 2 LI150 was or wasn’t a Concessionaires created Rallymaster. That isn’t to say that the situation will remain the same in the future, as information is constantly being discovered and shared. On the subject of which, I’d be interested in any new information regarding Rallymaster Lammy production numbers, I’d also be interested in any definitive proof, with documented evidence, regarding the paint colours used on Rallymaster Lambrettas. As would James, along with any new information arising about any Innocenti manufactured Lambrettas. It was James’ dream at one stage to own a Rallymaster Lambretta, a dream he realised a year or so ago.
Since the photo shoot for this feature, James has had a change in personal circumstances, which sadly for him meant reluctantly offering his Rallymaster replica for sale. Obviously it not only attracted attention it was sold in a day or so after going on the market. It was the Rallymaster on display at the Lambretta museum all those years ago that sparked James’ interest in Rallymasters. Almost going entirely full circle, James’ Rallymaster replica has been bought by the Weston-super-Mare Lambretta museum to form part of the new look museum. Final words from James, “I’m sorry to see it go, but needs must. It has been an absolute joy to ride and own, as well as building it and sourcing all the various accessories and parts. It will be an honour to see it on display in the museum.”
Word & Photographs: Sarge