Celebrating 50 years of the lambretta Grand Prix

Towards the end of the 1960s Innocenti, the producers of the Lambretta motor scooter, put forward bold plans to launch their new flagship model. Not even they knew at the time that it would indeed be their last. It was a design born out of its predecessors, going way back to the 1950s – which if anything held back its true potential. Even so, it has proved to be a timeless classic as much revered today as at any time since it first rolled off the production line.

Last chance saloon

By 1968 Innocenti had launched a radical new design against the backdrop of the then frenetic space race and branded it as the Luna Line. In its homeland, it was to be called the Lui, while for the UK and export market it was to be known as the Vega. The engine was taken from the J range series, but the chassis and bodywork layout were completely new. The design was done outside of Innocenti and trusted to Bertone, who by this time had a world-renowned reputation throughout the automotive world. Though it looked futuristic, one sales slogan calling it ‘The scooter with the year 2000 look’, it failed to capture the public’s imagination. This resulted in poor sales both at home and abroad and