By Contributing Artist Dorothy Berry-Lound
There is a huge divide across the world between those that prefer either Lambretta or Vespa scooters. It is somehow frowned upon to like the two! Living in Italy, these are vintage classics and we see them all over the place. But there is a long time rivalry between the two camps of supporters and it goes back a long way!
Competition From The Early Days
Both of these elegant scooters were developed as a means of cheap, two wheel, transport after the Second World War.
The two models of scooter developed in parallel and became more similar in many ways which is really what kicked off the rivalry. Here in Italy, even today it is not unusual to see a Vespa and a Lambretta next to one other at traffic lights having a race when the lights go green! With much tooting of horns and waving of hands of course!
Vespa
The name Vespa means wasp in Italian and the motor scooter was produced in 1946 by Piaggio in Tuscany. Gradually, as it’s popularity grew, the Vespa was developed into a whole range of scooters. According to Wikipedia, in 1947 Piaggio sold 2,500 Vespas but by 1950 that had increased to 50,000.
The use of the Vespa scooter in the film Roman Holiday gave an incredible boost to the company, a real PR coup, leading to 100,000 sales in 1952. Fans of the film will remember that the characters played by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn travel around Rome on a Vespa. The scene with the Vespa was plastered all over the movie posters, even though it was only a small part of the film. By the way, the Vespa used in the film sold at auction for a quarter of a million dollars in 2017.
Here is another interesting fact about the Vespa by the way, John Wayne was said to ride one between film sets.
Lambretta
The name Lambretta comes from the river Lambrate which flows through the district in Milan in Northern Italy where the Innocenti factory was located. Lambrettas were introduced to the market slightly later than the Vespa.
Always recognisable, though sometimes under different names (eg the Siambretta in South America), Lambrettas were manufactured under licence in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India and Spain.
Times Changed
Over time, popular culture and demand shifted. As cars became more affordable, there was less demand for scooters into the 1960s. This meant that both manufacturers, Piaggio and Innocenti, began to struggle financially.
But, Piaggio survived, adapted and finally thrived in large part thanks to the nostalgia of their brand. The British Leyland Motor Corporation took over Innocenti in 1972. Also in 1972, the Indian government bought the production machinery of the Lambretta Milanese factory in order to produce the Lambro three-wheeler under the name Vikram for the domestic market.
Mods And Rockers
So you would think that living in Italy my first introduction to these beautiful scooters would be there? Not so! It was in Brighton, UK where I grew up.
In the UK during the 1960s and 1970s a sub-culture arose among young people called ‘Mods’. With the movement went smart suits, parka jackets and haircuts, Ska music (as well as jazz, soul and R&B). And the scooter of choice was a Vespa or a Lambretta. I recall, they would lavishly decorate the scooters, including putting streamers on the handle bars and in some cases adding loads of wing mirrors stacked above each other. Looking back, I don’t know how how they balanced the scooters to ride them at times.
We talk about screen idols now, but the Italian film star Marcello Mastroianni, was a mod icon, thanks to his impeccable appearance in the film La Dolce Vita, directed by Fellini.
The rival group to the Mods were called Rockers. The rockers had motorcycles and any rivalry between the Vespa and Lambretta enthusiasts was put aside as they had a common ‘enemy’.
This was all featured in the film Quadraphenia. But for me, seeing the groups gather down on Brighton seafront was a colourful, noisy and exhilarating experience! My younger brother was very into Ska music (for example ‘The Specials’ and ‘Selecter’) and dressed like a Mod for a while. Every time I see a scooter here, particularly a Vespa, I am reminded of those days.
So, which would you choose? A Lambretta or a Vespa?
Links:
The Red Vespa
‘The Red Vespa’ is available from:
https://www.pictorem.com/176348/The%20Red%20Classic%20Scooter.html – available in four sizes up to 1000 pieces. Free shipping in Canada and the USA
also
https://pixels.com/featured/the-red-vespa-dorothy-berry-lound.html?product=puzzle&puzzleType=puzzle-18-24 – available in 500 or 1,000 pieces. Worldwide shipping
The Blue Lambretta
‘The Blue Lambretta’ is available from:
https://www.pictorem.com/183035/The%20Blue%20Lambretta.html – available in four sizes up to 1000 pieces. Free shipping in Canada and the USA.
There They Go
‘There They Go’ is available from:
https://www.pictorem.com/489284/There%20They%20Go.html – available in four sizes up to 1000 pieces. Free shipping in Canada and the USA
‘Scooter And Motorcycle Enthusiasts’ is available from: https://www.pictorem.com/489287/Scooter%20And%20Motorcycle%20Enthusiasts.html – available in four sizes up to 1000 pieces. Free shipping in Canada and the USA.
Click to learn more about the artist: Dorothy Berry-Lound.
