The Lambretta tourists

Though the Lambretta was originally designed for local commuting it didn’t take long before owners were travelling all over the world on them...

Though the Lambretta was originally designed for local commuting it didn't take long before owners were travelling all over the world on them, as Stu Owen explains in this fabulous nostalgic piece.

Words: Stu Owen

When the Lambretta was first launched it was seen as nothing more than a basic commuter vehicle to get a person from A to B. With its low-powered but economical engine, it was an ideal form of transport over short distances. As time went by, new models were introduced that were faster and more accommodating, making longer journeys not only possible but more comfortable. It didn't take long for owners to exploit the idea as they began to venture further afield, travelling to the remotest of destinations.

Join together

The Lambretta boom in the UK during the 1950s began to create clubs nationwide and in doing so rallies that joined them all together. This didn't go unnoticed by Lambretta Concessionaires and in particular owner Peter Agg. With the rise of the British Lambretta Owners Association (BLOA) the company began to put on huge rallies not only to attract owners but the general public in the hope that they would buy one. It became almost like a live advertisement and it worked, helping sales grow exponentially.

For some just going on a rally wasn't enough and they wanted to go farther and wider when it came to journeys. Since the very beginning of Lambretta production individuals had been travelling across the globe, often backed by Innocenti to show just how durable these little machines were. That was fine but not the ideal way of having a holiday – more a tour of endurance. Peter Agg was keen to point out anyone in the UK that was attempting such a feat and he used them to advertise holidays abroad by Lambretta even if they were thinly disguised as promoting how economical and reliable the Lambretta was.

Europe bound

It was these early adventures that began to make BLOA think more about venturing abroad. By now the Lambretta Club of Italy was a huge institution in its own right and many other countries in Europe had their own national club; not surprising as there were more than 5000 local clubs across the continent as a whole. Instead of having national rallies the plan now was to make them international, maybe not as frequent as the ones in the UK but once or twice a year, depending on where they would be.

Not every member who attended rallies was going to make the trip across the English Channel which was a good job as there would be way too many. Doing such a journey needed a lot of organisation and commitment from a rider as well as the time off work, made even more difficult if there were two people on the same Lambretta. It didn't take long before a hardcore of enthusiasts started to participate and the introduction of the Li and TV series in the late 1950s made this kind of touring yet more appealing.

Just in case

One of the key aspects of any long journey is essential maintenance, not only to make sure a Lambretta was fully prepared but in the event of a breakdown that it could be fixed. Lambretta Concessionaires saw a real benefit to be had from this so embarked on a scheme of maintenance courses. They had been done on odd occasions before, such as demonstrations at rallies, but were now held as specific learning workshops. This wasn't to undermine the dealers, far from it – and to keep a Lambretta under warranty it had to be serviced by them anyway. This was a get yourself home emergency repair course in the event of something going wrong.

Though the UK had a huge amount of Lambretta dealers and service agents abroad they were far more spaced out – until you got to Italy, that is. In the event of something going wrong, a repair could still in all probability get you to a dealer somewhere en route to sort the matter out completely. This is where Lambretta Concessionaires saw another opportunity by offering Lambretta touring kits. These were essential spares such as cables, points, light bulbs and various other parts an owner would be able to use to fix a problem on the side of the road. They would be packed in sealed bags, all neatly boxed up so they could be stowed away, not being too bulky. The price depending on the model varied but was discounted to help with the cost of buying items you may not necessarily require.

It didn't stop there as accessories were directed more and more at the touring scooterist. This aftermarket enterprise had always been lucrative but special racks and panniers were being offered so the owner would now have the room to stow everything away even if the journey was being taken two up. It wasn't exploitation of the owners – more an offering of the best equipment available if you chose to do longdistance touring. Lambretta Concessionaires would benefit but so too would the dealers while at the same time making it easier for the riders.

Selling the brand

Though many riders would choose to do their own continental touring holidays and there were schemes set up to offer deals, it was BLOA where the large groups would be encouraged. The organisation was huge and needed to plan well ahead as the numbers travelling would be in the hundreds. Routes were carefully calculated as there was nothing more than a map to read from and packs were given to riders with all the directions required to get to the specific destination. Travelling in such a large group wouldn't be easy so marshals were on hand to make sure there were no problems and a back-up van included at many events.

Competition between each club was intense to put on the best event they could and though only light-hearted, those hosting wanted to impress their European counterparts. It worked both ways though as those from BLOA were representing the UK and the Lambretta brand that had been established over time. As the rallies became more popular it often required the heads of each country to meet up to discuss plans for the future to make them even better.

Changing the image

In 1963 Bob Wilkinson took over the role of running BLOA and as it has been well documented before he soon changed the name to Lambretta Club Great Britain (LCGB). He has always stated the change was to update the club and modernise it as it was becoming a bit old-fashioned. Though that's true the new name sounded better when representing the country and this must have been part of his thinking when making the change to make the club's image more appealing internationally.

It didn't just change there either; Bob would now attend as many rallies he could, both home and abroad. When taking the club on international duty he saw it as an honour. He was paid by Lambretta Concessionaires to do a job for them, but it became more than that. “I was proud to be representing the club internationally and the respect each country had for each other was equal. When going to these rallies it was like a big family meeting up.” From the pictures that were taken, you can clearly see the camaraderie among everyone and that these were good times.

Closer to home

Throughout the 1960s the international rallies continued but slowly began to have less appeal. As the decade came to a close, owners' aspirations were beginning to move on to other things such as sporting events and homeland rallies. It was the same for the LCGB as they now backed such activities and slowly signalled the end for the international gatherings. Once the Lambretta finished production it was all but over as all international clubs slowly came to an end. There were still intrepid travellers wishing to go it alone – not just travelling to Europe but across the world, although not in any official capacity.

It was a sad demise from these once great rallies that had been a major part of the scootering calendar for many years, not only forging links between each country but uniting Lambretta owners across the land. If you speak to anyone involved or those that just attended, they will all tell you the same story of what a great time it was but now sadly it's just part of scootering history. However, this legacy still lives on in the Euro Lambretta and though not quite the same, as the Lambretta is not in production any more, the rallies thankfully continue. Before the idea started in 1989 there was no real communication between the national clubs; now, though, it's bigger than ever and continues to grow each year. That was the main idea behind the Euro Lambretta in the first place – to resurrect the international understanding of the Lambretta and how it was in the past. Thankfully, it has succeeded and long may it last; those Lambretta tourists from the 1950s and 60s set a precedent that must remain.

Left: From the early days of Lambretta Concessionaires they were keen to promote continental scooter holidays. Mr Tipper was the man who had j ust completed one such j ourney over a seven- week period and his exploits were used to promote the i dea.

The UK contingent riding underneath the Atomium monument during the Brussels rally of 1960.

Below: By 1960 scooter holidays abroad were big business and the company planned well ahead to get everyone who rode a Lambretta i nvolved.

Above: Another popular accessory was the Scotchlite reflective GB plate, i deal for when going abroad.

Left: Pete Meads, BLOA chairman, on the l eft with Ken Peters on the way to the Holland rally i n Eindhoven during the early 1960s.

Below: Lambretta Concessionaires had been selling racks for years but made sure they had a big carrying capacity for more l uggage as time went on.

Above: Bob Wilkinson on the l eft with heads of European Lambretta clubs meeting i n Belgium at a rally.

Below: On any trip abroad one key part of the equipment was the LCGB banner, here on full display during the ferry crossing i nto Europe.

A publicity shot from the Rome rally in Italy, Bob leading at the front without a helmet. Pictured on the left in the second row is none other than Chuck Swonnell. Bob said: “He was the backbone of the European rallies with all the organising he did, almost like my right-hand man.” Below: Lambretta Concessionaires offered a touring spares kit to help anyone travelling abroad i n the event of a breakdown.

Right: One of the l ast adverts for continental Lambretta holidays from around 1966 as by this time their popularity was beginning to wane.