It’s getting to that time of year where kids, parents, partners etc. start asking the dreaded question “What do you want for Christmas?” If you’re anything like me then I struggle to think of something worth buying, even stocking fillers are hard to dream up. Luckily it’s the perfect time of year to release a new book and when a book is as colourful and packed with quality images of the Series 1 range of Lambrettas as this one it makes it worth putting on your wish list.
Vittorio Tessera
Vittorio Tessera knows a thing about the history of the Lambretta, in fact, he was entrusted with the archive from the Innocenti factory back in the 1990s, which now resides in his Museo Scooter & Lambretta in Milan amongst his collection of over 160 Lambrettas. He’s also the man behind Casa Lambretta.
The Lambretta TV/LI Series 1 book adds to the growing list of Lambretta books penned and put together by Vittorio (most recently his Lambretta Lui book).
Vespa beater?
Lambretta TV/LI is a colourful 170-page book that charts the history of the Series 1 from its inception as a project brought about to compete with (and beat) the newly released Vespa GS 150. The Series one was to take Innocenti in a new direction, out was the old shaft driven three-speed LD and in came a new engine with a horizontal cylinder with a four-speed constant mesh gearbox putting the power down via a chain. A complete departure to what had gone before. A credit to the designer, Pier Luigi Torre who had the whole technical department working on this project.
Turismo Veloce
The 175 TV – Turismo Veloce was presented on the 10th of April 1957 at the new Innocenti shop in Milan, it’s 175cc engine already beating the Vespas 150 on both capacity and performance. Pier’s iconic design, although not a complete departure from the earlier LD, was still a revelation. It still looks as stunning today, it stood the test of time and paved the way for Innocenti and the Lambretta name to carry on using the familiar engine layout until the demise of the marque. Even now that engine configuration carries on with the latest Casa/GT/Targa engines and the Series 1 is an appreciating classic in all its incarnations.
Vittorio’s book captures the Series 1 story without being overly ‘wordy’ you get all the information you need without being bored. It gives the reader a good balanced look at the model and its history from inception to the various changes, accessories and prototypes. The book is in both Italian and English (Italian on the left, English on the right just in case you start the book and think you’ve suddenly forgotten how to read), is well laid out, has loads of original blueprint drawings, pictures of sales and accessory leaflets and of course plenty of beautiful period (and more recent) photos of what for many is the best Lambretta series ever built.
Buy it here
If you or your loved one has an interest in Lambrettas, especially those curvy fat bottomed models then they (or you) need this book in your collection. Published by Giorgio Nada Editore, it costs £30 but can be bought from us via Scooter Products for just £25.
It’s also available from leading bookshops.
Iggy
Piaggio Ape 70 years
Also from the Giorgio Nada Editore publishing house is this hardback 263-page book written by Giorgio Sarti. It gives the full detailed story of the Piaggio Ape over the last 70 years. Again the book is dual language, full colour and details everything you could ever possibly want to know about the esteemed Piaggio three-wheeler.
You can buy the Ape book through Amazon here for £31.20 or from the Giorgio Nada Editore website, you can also check out their range of scooter books here.
New products always in development…
