Vittorio Tessera - Böcker

The first and only monograph entirely devoted to the Lambretta LUI scooter, produced by Innocenti in their tens of thousands, designed by that master of body styling, Nuccio Bertone, creator of outstanding cars like the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint and the Lamborghini Miura. The Lambretta LUI was innovative – perhaps too much so – and that was possibly the reason it was not understood, and it was unable to cut for itself as big a slice of the youth market as it should have done. Innocenti believed in the LUI with all its conviction, having invested considerably in advertising it in all available media: television, cinema, newspapers and magazines. A mighty effort that did not bring in the hoped-for results But today, the LUI has been recognised, quite rightly, as one of the shining examples of Italian design as applied to a scooter. Published as the first in a series of books spotlighting the most important and significant Lambrettas, this treatise unveils all the technical and stylistic secrets of the LUI model by model, illustrated by invaluable archive material never before published, and is written by Vittorio Tessera, a major world historian on the popular two-wheeler in all its variations. This first monograph in the series will be followed by others on the Lambretta world, including the LiTV 1, LiTV 2, LiTV 3, S/SX, DL and Junior series.TEXT IN ENGLISH & ITALIAN

Following the monograph devoted to the Lui, this latest volume focuses on another iconic Lambretta the TV-LI Series I. In the history of the Lambretta, the TV and LI Series I laid the foundations of a new engineering concept that revolutionised the traditional model with shaft drive, sold from 1947 to 1958 in hundreds of thousands of examples. There were numerous innovations characterising this new series of models: the engine adopted a duplex chain transmission with a four-speed gearbox and the cylinder was set horizontally, while in terms of the chassis, the most significant novelties concerned the larger 10" wheels and the dimensions of the bodywork. No less important were the improvements to the rear suspension, which abandoned the famous torsion bar for a more efficient motorcycle-style spring-damper unit. For the first time a Lambretta reached a displacement of 170 cc and could offer high performance with a maximum speed of over 100 kph. This model, which went head-to-head with the Vespa 150 GS, is without doubt one of the most sought-after by collectors today. Even the more tranquil LI 125 and 150 were extremely successful, with thousands of examples of this exceptional Innocenti scooter still on the roads today, appreciated for their incredible robustness and stability. Vittorio Tessera, "Mr Lambretta," covers the entire technical, industrial and social history of these models, while the books is illustrated with hundreds of photographs.

The fascinating story of the Milanese scooter par excellence concluded with the Lambretta DL-GP series. This book looks at all aspects of this special scooter: its history, its technical evolution, its sporting victories, with a specific chapter devoted to the British market, which more than any other took the DL to its heart and still today considers it to be the pinnacle of Innocenti’s production. The last model produced by Innocenti had been developed at the famous Bertone design centre in Turin which, with a few but substantial modifications managed to breathe new life into the Lambretta, making it even more sporting and elegant, sophisticated and modern. With a curious black splash on the leg shield, the new model soon became a best-seller on the crowded international scooter market. It enjoyed enormous success in Great Britain, being transformed into a cult object for the most sporting and demanding scooterists. More than fifty years after its launch, its styling its styling is still modern and the model is still very popular with scooterists all over the world.

The industrial and technical history of the Lambretta Junior series, told through invaluable archive materials. In the early Sixties, Innocenti took a technological leap in the engineering of the Lambretta, introducing for the first time a monocoque frame clearly inspired by its direct rival, Piaggio’s Vespa. This led to the birth of the Junior series, with models aimed at younger riders and with lower list prices than the traditional LI and TV versions. This new book devotes specific chapters to questions of production, technology, advertising, and many other areas of interest regarding this series of models that once again enjoyed notable success with the public.

The progenitors,the earliest Lambrettas – the 125 A and B - the scooters that established oneof the symbols in the history of personal transportation in 1947.The first modelwas conceived in Rome as early as 1944, at the home of Ferdinando Innocenti; ithad yet to be baptised as the Lambretta and was known simply as the“Esperimento Tipo 0”. After a full three years of research, trials and roadtests the Lambretta was finally ready to be introduced to the internationalpublic; at the Paris Motorcycle Fair ,the new Innocenti product made itsofficial debut in the European scooter world.Once again, thismonograph bears the signature of Vittorio Tessera, Italy’s leading expert onthe Innocenti marque and the Lambretta in particular.The book surveysevery version of these early Lambrettas, with chapters on technical details andothers more related to advertising and social aspects.