Mention the word scooter to a UK person of a certain age and they get misty eyed. The Lambretta scooter was the transport of choice of a young man back in the early to mid 1960s. This was at the peak of the Mods vs Rockers era. The Mods listened to soul records, wearing smart suits and drove scooters covered in mirrors. This was so they could check on their perfectly groomed hair. The rockers, on the other hand, rode motorbikes, listened to rock and roll and wore leathers or denim. Some of them were in Hell’s Angel chapters. Unfortunately these two groups would often clash. Vacations became the conventional time when Mods and Rockers attacked seaside towns, often joining in punch-ups on the beach.
Any Mod deserving of the name would own a motor scooter. He would polish the mirrors and cosset it as if he’d given birth to it. Sometimes this would be a Vespa model. It was quite ok to have one of these but they were never as trendy as the Lambretta scooter. This chapter of youth culture was brilliantly captured in the flick, Quadrophenia, starring Sting and based mostly on the tracks of The Who. There was a Mod resurrection in the 1990s with bands such as Oasis and Blur wearing the old Parka coats of old and Noel Gallagher was snapped riding a Lambretta. Suddenly, every fan wanted one.
There are Owners Clubs all around the world but the British one still has the highest number of members and holds many rallies. The bikes are kept in spotless condition and are regarded as classics. The first Lambretta scooter started life in Italy naturally, the 1st model being made in 1947. It was popular right away and solved the nation’s transport problem at a point in time when they were recovering from World War Two. Italy is still the land of the scooter, seen in many films including the iconic image of a young Audrey Hepburn riding one in Roman holiday. The last Lambretta scooter made in Italy was in 1972. Models were made in other bits of the world, including India, which made the very last range as lately as 1998.
Some cars become part of the culture, especially those associated with young folk. The Lambretta scooter was an inexpensive way of teens finding their autonomy but belonging to a shared identity. We will not see its likeness again.
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