- Exceptional record-breaking machine

- Known history, bought by the Panini family when the Innocenti factory closed

- Recommissioned in accordance with its original specification

- Invited to the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the ‘Concept Car’ exhibition at the Château de Compiègne

With the new designs of their scooters, their manufacturers initially faced a hostile reaction from the users of traditional motorcycles. They needed to convince them that scooters were not simply gadgets but deserved their place as genuine and versatile two-wheelers. To do so, Piaggio and Innocenti embarked on a campaign of speed and endurance records, keeping up their own rivalry as well as taking on the manufacturers of motorbikes.

Innocenti made a tentative start with a Lambretta which was hardly streamlined at all but which, in April 1949, lapped the speed ring at Montlhéry for 12 hours at an average of 103.863kph. A complete body fairing was then produced and in September 1950 this enabled Romolo Ferri, Umberto Masetti and Dario Ambrosini to set a new record of an average speed of 142.240kph over 100 miles, again at Montlhéry. A few days later, they added further records over an extended period of time.

In response to Vespa, which was developing a machine with a complex opposed-piston engine, Lambretta went back to work on its prototype, under the direction of its chief engineer, Pier Luigi Torre. As often occurs in situations like this, Lambretta turned to aviation specialists, in this case from Caproni, to produce a particularly well-crafted streamlined fairing. Built on top of a light tubular structure, the aluminium bodywork was ovoid in shape with a large rear fin; the rider was completely enclosed, with his body leaning forward, while two small spring-mounted flaps allowed him to put his feet on the ground. With his head resting on a pad, his helmet just stuck out over the bodywork and a Plexiglas windscreen let him see the track. The sole instrument was a Jaeger rev-counter reading up to 10,000rpm. Two tubes between his legs were connected to front air intakes and provided for the cooling of the engine, which had also been specially prepared: with the addition of a supercharger, the little 125cc single developed over 20bhp at 9700rpm!

Thanks to this remarkably designed and built machine, whose shape earned it the nickname ‘Siluro’ (torpedo), Lambretta achieved a new set of records in June 1951 at Montlhéry, and on a stretch of autobahn between Munich and Ingolstadt, Romolo Ferri reached the incredible speed of 201kph!

The death soon afterwards of Renato Maggi as he was trying to set a new record with an MV Agusta led to a truce being called in the battle between Vespa and Lambretta, ultimately leaving Piaggio holders of the crown. Among the notable records set by Lambretta were: one kilometre from a flying start at 200kph, 100km at 160kph, 1000km at 133kph, 5000km at 98kph, one hour at 159kph, six hours at 133kph and 12 hours at 132kph.

After the Innocenti factory closed, the Lambretta ‘Siluro’ was bought directly by the Panini family, together with a set of parts, and they then loaned it to the Rimini Lambretta Centre (RLC) to go on display. When Umberto Panini was invited to take part in the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2017 (to mark the 70th anniversary of the first Lambretta), RLC was asked to restore the machine. And so, this incredible record-breaking machine, this time without its supercharger, was able to speed around the track in front of the thousands of enthusiasts who attend this unique event each year. Two years later, in 2019, the historic Lambretta was invited to the exhibition ‘Concept car - Beauté pure’ held at the Château de Compiègne, home to the oldest car museum in France: there the ‘Siluro’ took its place next to design prototypes and record-breaking machines from every era.

Its presence at these two events is proof, if any were needed, of the historic nature of this Lambretta ‘Siluro’, presented today as it was when new, with its streamlined record-setting bodywork. It is extremely rare that a genuine record holder such as this should be offered for sale on the open market, making it an exceptional opportunity. The ‘Siluro’ will also grant you admission to the top concours d’élégance and historic events.

Photos © G. Rizotto