1969 Lambretta Streamliner World's Fastest Scooter - 3-Page Vintage Article

Description

1969 Lambretta Streamliner World's Fastest Scooter - 3-Page Vintage Article
Original, vintage magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
SPEEDY SCOOTER
THE STORY OF THE LAMBRETTA STREAMLINER - THE WORLD'S FASTEST MOTOR SCOOTER
By Richard C. Renstrom
THE TINY Lambretta streamliner that shook the world in 1951 by docking 125 mph. World speed mark then was 180 mph on a
blown 500cc NSU streamliner, while U. S. model record was 136 per on a 1000cc Harley-Davidson with partial streamlining.
(INSET) 1950 model "LC" featured sheet metal paneling over the engine. This model achieved great popularity all over Europe —
was also imported to America. Note the weather protection.
ONE OF THE interesting features of the immediate years
after World War II was the dramatic increase in the use of
motorcycles for both sport and transportation. Nowhere was
this more true than in Italy, where the transportation starved
populace took to two wheels for cheap and reliable transpor-
tation by the droves.
One of the features of the Italian two-wheeled scene was the
emergence of the scooter as the most popular method of
transport — a facet that still holds true today. The big reason
for the scooter’s popularity in sunny Italy was due to the avail-
ability of several really good designs that offered a brisk
performance, improved weather protection, and a sleek appear-
ance compared to orthodox motorcycles. The price was also
very reasonable, and a fashion soon set in that the loveable
little scooter was THE thing to own and ride.
The undisputed leader in the Latin scooter field was, and
still is, the Lambretta — a recognized leader in scooter design
all over the world. The Lambretta is produced in Milano, and
their scooter production began in 1947 when they introduced
their “Model A” - a 123cc two-stroke single that churned out
4.2 hp at 4400 rpm. The cobby looking little scooter returned
no less than 120 mpg, which made it instantly popular due to
the high price of fuel in gasoline-starved Europe. The new
scooter had the engine mounted out in the open, but the
rider put his feet on a floorboard. Gear-shifting of the three-
speed gearbox was by a heel-toe lever, and the top speed was
something like 42 mph. A leading-link front fork and a
torsion-bar rear suspension provided exceptional rider comfort
for those days, since nearly all of the world’s motorcycles
still featured rigid frames.
The next few years Lambretta continued to improve their
scooter by adopting a twist-grip gearshift method, increasing
the tire size from 3.50 x 7-inch to 3.50 x 8-inch, and by...
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