Italian or Indian?
Recently a huge debate has resurfaced about whether you should own an Italian or Indian Lambretta. But does it really matter which one you choose?
Since the 70s, there’s been the option to own not just an Italian Lambretta but also an Indian one. Innocenti themselves, or technically British Leyland, is responsible for this as it is they who sold the rights of the GP to SIL. It wasn’t until ’78 and the failed attempt by Two Four Accessories to mass market them that ownership in the UK was a real option. Since then, the Indian GP has sometimes been the butt of jokes among Lambretta owners. But is this justifiable?
When SIL started Lambretta production in the mid-70s the GP was already out of date technology. The styling and looks were modern but that couldn’t hide the fact that the engineering wasn’t. To the Indian public that didn’t matter – as a developing country, it was the ideal transport solution. By the time it was relaunched in the UK things had moved on considerably. It would appeal to the younger generation and, by a stroke of luck, it was just in time for the ’79 Mod revival, but the same couldn’t be said for the ‘regular consumer’. By then the Japanese revolution was in full swing throughout the motorcycle industry. With their far superior performance and technology, there was no comparison.
It didn’t help that the magazines at the time ridiculed and humiliated the Indian GP whenever possible. Reviews would be biased against owning one. Maybe some of those reports did have an effect, even more so if you had just purchased one. The problems didn’t stop there though – there was also the subject of poor reliability. A lot of this had to do with the lighting and the indicator system, which by this time was compulsory. Indicators were a sore point and on a Lambretta, it has to be said, they do look ugly. With the abundance of cheap Italian Lambrettas still around and most in good condition, there was no need to buy a new one and certainly not one regarded as the poorer cousin. So there lies the answer to why the Indian Lambretta is regarded as inferior or at least where it all started from. Fast forward to the present day and views and opinions on the subject have changed considerably. Good SIL examples are becoming very collectible and now fetch a premium. Gone are the days where owning one was seen as I bit of an embarrassment – they are now regarded as somewhat fashionable.
If you do manage to find an untouched SIL Lambretta, then you will find they are not as bad as they were made out to be. The bodywork is a good fit and the panels well made. The frames are robust – even strengthened in certain areas, probably because in India they were subject to a lot of stress from overloading. The engines are durable and reliable, even if they were never upgraded from the Innocenti days. There is a dilemma though and unfortunately, it’s one that still tarnishes Indian Lambretta’s image.
During the big boom of scooter ownership post 2000, thousands of second-hand Lambrettas were imported from India. Many of them had been subject to years of abuse and strain. Not intentionally – but because of the harsh environment where they came from. Unfortunately, there were a few entrepreneurs who were keen to cash in on the boom. Many of these battered examples were given a quick makeover and then sold on for vast profit. Many customers who bought them were duped into thinking they were in pristine condition when in fact they were not. They were unable to sell them, such was that bad state many were in, or if they did it was at a hefty loss and this only made the reputation worse. Just to compound the matter even further, many aftermarket manufacturers in India flooded the UK with substandard parts with many not fit for purpose – further tarnishing the image.
Over the years it’s been a compound effect, from the bad press in the early days to the poor examples and lack of quality workmanship of the later day examples. Should this put someone off from buying one though? I think not. If you want a genuine SIL example you can find one and as long as it’s been looked after they are well worth buying. If you want a project then buy one of the imports for restoration but be prepared to spend money on getting it right. Many top customs that have been built up from one. The Indian Lambretta will never have the kudos of an Italian one, but that doesn’t mean it’s not as good. Far from it and possibly, dare I say, it is now becoming a cult classic?