In the 1960s, Italian scooters built by Lambretta and Vespa were the last word in economy transport. They had been conceived to answer the prayers of impecunious young men and women unable to afford a car, but in the early ’60s they became something very different: a style statement.

Although they’d never been intended to be anything fancy, the emerging Mod subculture appreciated the clean, modern, minimalist æsthetic of the scooters, which rather complemented their Italian-influenced sartorial tastes, and the fact that second-hand ones were typically affordable to anyone with a steady job meant that, suddenly, scooters were the height of cool. Young Mods enjoyed the newfound freedom of the road and took pride in their machines by decorating and personalising them, with accessories such as Jaguar mascots pouncing away from the front mudguard and foxtails hanging from the rear.

Lambretta introduced its Li 150 in 1958, but the model most people would recognise is the Series III, which was introduced in 1962. Compared to previous incarnations, the Series III looked much more nimble and streamlined, hence it became known as the ‘Slimstyle’. 

The frame, headset, horncasting, mudguard, side panels, leg shields and footboards where redesigned to not only look slimmer and more modern, but were actually made substantially lighter. Introduced in 1966, the X150 Special was a flashier model with eye-catching paint schemes and lots of chrome, a look which many young scooterists sought to imitate.

Although Mod culture faded away around 1966, it was to experience a massive revival in the late ’70s and early ’80s, prompted in part by the release of the Who’s nostalgic film Quadrophenia, but also the Mod-influenced sound and style of bands such as the Jam. Although the look had changed slightly, scooters remained all-important. However, this time round, personalising them was taken to a new extreme, with vast swathes of chrome being en vogue courtesy of numerous accessory lights and mirrors, and many revivalists favoured a prominent Union Jack motif.

Although nothing is known of this Lambretta’s early history, it has been in enthusiast ownership for over 10 years and has received much recent expenditure in that time, including the work involved in transforming it from an ordinary scooter into a bold statement of personal style.

In addition to its V5, this scooter comes with a large collection of invoices detailing parts purchased and work undertaken within the past 10 years.

The Lambretta is in very good condition all round, and certainly makes for quite a spectacle with all its accessories. The metallic silver and green is an eye-catching enough colour scheme on its own, but it’s the extras that really set it off.

The paint is generally in excellent condition all-round although there are some blemishes in places, such as a few minor chips and a couple of small areas on the side panels where some paint has flaked away. Of course, there are some marks on the footboards, but that is inevitable with any scooter that gets ridden. Some of the original fittings, such as the Innocenti badges, now display a bit of patina but still look very nice. Most of the aftermarket accessories, such as the lights, mirrors and flags, are still very new.

The seat, we suspect, has been recovered in recent years, as it’s in extremely good order. It may have been done at the time the spare wheel cover was made, and that still looks very much like new. When riding, one can appreciate the attractive speedometer, which has mellowed with age and acquired a very nice finish.

Of course, the fact the scooter deviates from its original factory finish is obvious, but one thing which may be misleading is the X150 Special badge. X150s were not built in 1965, when this scooter was made, and as far as we can ascertain, it is an Li 150.

The Lambretta starts and runs nicely and it should go very well out on the road since it has been fitted with a 175cc top end. In almost every respect, this looks a very nice machine to use and we’d feel happy about taking it on the road tomorrow, but some small things may need attention.

One of these is the carburettor, which has a slight leak. Otherwise, there are no problems that we know of, but since the Lambretta does not currently have an M.o.T., we are unable to make any guarantees as to its roadworthiness and we think a few basic checks would be advisable before you start using it in earnest.

Scooters have always been a fun way of getting around and perhaps the best it gets is when you’re riding to the coast with other scooterists en masse, just as it was in the ’60s and ’70s. This scooter is ideal for runs down to seaside; with its 175 top-end conversion, there’s no chance of getting left behind on the way there, and with its various decorations it’s sure to stand out and draw a crowd when it’s parked on the promenade.

A Lambretta like this is well catered-for with events, as it will go down a treat at scooter rallies as well as at Mod Revival weekenders. If you’ve always fancied reliving Quadrophenia, it’s never too late. Just place your bids on this Lambretta, dig out your parka and Sta Prest trousers, and away you go!