Motorcycle Philippines

Apparently there IS a Lammy population in the city. Not the run down and battered ones, but the ones in pristine condition and still capable of runs around the countryside.

For those not in the know, Lambretta, owned by the Innocenti family, began its life in much the same way as Piaggio did after the 2nd World War. With Italy suffering massive infrastructure damage, these two companies, Piaggio and Innocenti, having their own industries to protect, Piaggio was, and still is, an Aircraft manufacturer and Innocenti seamless steel tube manufacturers, created what we all know and love today, the modern scooter.

Though of different designs, these two scoots, the Vespa and the Lambretta ruled the European continent and eventually spread to the Philippines. I have no idea when the Lambretta was introduced in the country as well as who the distributor was, but judging from the various photos I have seen there were quite a bit of those Lambrettas running around the streets of the Philippines.

Unfortunately as fate would have it, the Innocenti company closed shop in 1972 thus signalling the death knell for the Lambretta. Scooter India Ltd. bought the technology of Innocenti and started producing their own 2 wheeled scooters a few years after that. S.I.L. ceased producing 2 wheeled scooters in 1998.

Through all that adversity, the Lambretta has survived through the passion and patience of their owners. The sleek and sexy design is really something you cannot miss on the road. Narrow and long, the Lambretta is a picture of elegance on the road.

Being a Vespa rider myself, I have a special affinity for the Lambretta. These two scoots were rivals of the highest degree. Outdoing each other with the release of each new model. This rivalry helped push the envelope of scooter design and technology to what it is today.

So to the scooteristas on the road, when you see a Lambretta on the road, no matter what the condition, give it a short honk as sign of the respect it deserves.

More photos of the local Lambrettas,courtesy of Minggoy.
Read more about the history of Lambretta here.
Learn the Innocenti story here.