[anjan_c2007]

Brand Lambretta is to soon begin a new journey in the Indian market. The plant is to be located at Manesar, Haryana and production will begin by 2023. The plant will have an installed capacity of 100,000 scooters per annum.

Lambretta scooters were tough, sturdy and were well acclimatised to our Indian road and usage conditions. These old examples are still much in demand and the asking prices are multiplying with the passage of time. Thousands of these (also incl Vijais and variants) have been exported to the U. K. and Italy from India due to the nostalgia revival and craze for the design and brand there, as it was once too much sought after.

The export of old Lambrettas and Vijais have been discussed on this link:-

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/post-...s-shine-3.html (Lambretta-Vijai racket | Exporters make hay while Lambrettas / Vijais / Vespas shine)

Innocenti SA will bring in a range of high-powered scooters - G, V and X models with capacities between 200 and 350 cc in 2023. It will eventually add an electric scooter in 2024.

Walter Scheffrahn, who owns the Lambretta Brand globally and a Member of Board, Innocenti SA, in his first interview to Indian media told ET that the group will invest over $200 million in the next five years with the Bird Group to capture the Indian market.

“The brand has its soul in India and it has tremendous affinity amongst the masses. We want to re-create the magic of the past. We aim to make it a Ferrari of scooters in India with our top-end range,” added Scheffrahn.

Hence, the vehicles will be really high end and its most accessible product, too, may be at a premium of at least 20% over the most expensive scooters.

The joint venture company will be 51% owned by Lambretta, with the balance 49% by Bird Group.

Founded in 1971, Bird Group has businesses that include travel technology, airport ground handling services across city airports, India's only private jet terminal at IGI, the Roseate brand of hotels and resorts and BMW dealerships under Bird Automotive.

The Lambretta is currently sold in nearly 70 countries, with a manufacturing footprint in Europe and South East Asia. The plant in India is expected to be its biggest and the European brand will be utilizing the plant for the exports market.

On the rights of the brand for the Indian market, Scheffrahn said the issue will be settled shortly. "Innocenti is the undisputed owner of the global trademark rights of Lambretta. We would not risk such substantial investments if there was any ambiguity,” he said.

The link for details:-

https://m.economictimes.com/industry...w/93958109.cms

The present production of Lambrettas is 100,000 units per annum worldwide and the Indian market is expected to have a demand of 100,000 according to them and maybe they could make India an export hub for Asia soon after. After its entry with scooters to be assembled with imported kits, indigenisation to follow soon after will be on the cards.

But going by the track record of Piaggio's Vespa's and Aprilia's sales in India, Lambretta needs to learn some lessons. Vespa was once much sought after till the 1990's (as Bajajs and LML's too) but in the present day market scenario, Vespas don't have a great demand. The Indian market conditions are not as easy as it was in the iron curtain era of the late 1950's, 60's and 70's when Vespa/Bajaj and Lambretta dominated the market with a total share of nearly 95-100%. Other brands were relegated to history soon or some years after launching. Japanese and Indian brands are dominating the commuter scooter scene. Lambretta will market premium products that will compete with Aprilia and a higher segment.

Hopefully, the company will do more market research before making very optimistic statements about their product and its potential market.

[ObsessedByFIAT]

I have some really found memories of Vijay Deluxe which my father owned from 1977 till around 2006. Would be great to see this scooter make a come back! However, won't believe it until I see them running on the road!
There have news about the Lambretta making a come back from atleast 2016. Was also discussed on the below link:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post3966065 (Lambretta L70 teased before launch!)

Nothing much happened.

Then in 2018 it was being speculated that Lambretta would bring out all electric scooter. Again, no launch happened!

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post4513898 (Lambretta coming back in Electric avatar)

[TusharK]

Rumours of the iconic Lambretta returning to the Indian market have been around for quite some time. Latest reports suggest that the brand could be re-launched in 2023, with the first e-scooter planned for 2024.



Lambretta, part of Switzerland-based Innocenti SA, will launch its products in India in partnership with the Bird Group. The company has lined-up three models - G, V and X, with engine capacities ranging from 200cc to 350cc. These are likely to be launched in 2023.

According to Walter Scheffrahn, Member of Board, Innocenti SA, the company plans to invest US$ 200 million in India in the next 5 years. It aims to start local manufacturing in Q1 2024. However, initially, Lambretta will import its scooters as 'completely built units' (CBUs). Some models could take the CKD route.

Source: ET Auto

Link to Team-BHP News

[ObsessedByFIAT]

Anjan sir already posted about this news; however there is little to no hope to see the scooter on Indian roads. This has been the status quo for atleast 6 years, if not more.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...a-revival.html (Lambretta to return back to India - Bygone era revival!)

[AROO7]

AFAIK the trademark for the name Innocenti and Lambretta in India is with Scooters India Limited. The company that made scooters in the past and three-wheelers these days (it's a PSU which was started at the time of Indra Gandhi and still has its factory in Lucknow). The plant was set up with all the machinery, equipment, and copyrights brought from the Innocenti company.

[Anwesh]

Originally Posted by AROO7

AFAIK the trademark for the name Innocenti and Lambretta in India is with Scooters India Limited. The company that made scooters in the past and three-wheelers these days (it's a PSU which was started at the time of Indra Gandhi and still has its factory in Lucknow). The plant was set up with all the machinery, equipment, and copyrights brought from the Innocenti company.

Not sure about the situation in India, but internationally we have lost it.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/comme...a-limited.html (Government considering sale of Scooters India Limited?)

Check post # 13.

Regards,

Anwesh

[ToThePoint]

Even if lambretta makes it to India, considering Vespa 125 costs 1.5L+, this in 200-350cc avatar will start from 2.25L+ easily. At that price, it will be at best a nostalgic buy if at all.

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by AROO7

AFAIK the trademark for the name Innocenti and Lambretta in India is with Scooters India Limited.The plant was set up with all the machinery, equipment, and copyrights brought from the Innocenti company.

Rightly pointed out! In fact, just during those years the government was almost banning usage of foreign brand names on our automobiles. Vespa had become Bajaj in June 1971 and others followed. Tata's ended their Mercedes Benz collaboration by the late 1960's. In this backdrop, the same government's Ministry of Heavy Industry bought the brand name "Lambretta" for Scooters India Ltd with all the tools, jigs and dies for manufacturing the Lambretta GP Deluxe 150 and the 198 cc three wheeler branded as "Lambro 500 V." They were dissuaded by the government to use the Italian brand names for their products in the local market. Hence the two wheeler became Vijai Deluxe, while the three wheeler became Vikram. They exported some few hundred scooters which were allowed to be branded as "Lambretta".

Brand Innocenti remained with the Milan based manufacturer and they were selling rebadged Minis since 1961 under an agreement with the British Motors Corporation (BMC) as Innocenti small cars for the Italian and other markets. British Leyland bought Innocenti's four wheeler manufacturing plant/s in 1972. Changing hands it went to De Tomaso, then Daihatsu and thereafter to Fiat by 1990. Fiat continued to sell rebadged models. By 1996, the production ended.

As of 2010, The Lambretta Consortium had filed a suite against SIL (Scooters India Limited) for non usage of the Lambretta brand, seeking to reclaim the Lambretta brand name. I am not aware of the outcome of this civil suit. Presently Walter Scheffrahn, owner of Innocenti SA, Switzerland, now owns the Lambretta brand globally.

[AROO7]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

I am not aware of the outcome of the civil suit. Presently Walter Scheffrahn, owner of Innocenti SA, Switzerland now owns the Lambretta brand globally.

Please go through the below post by BHPian Anwesh.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...a-limited.html

Check post # 13.

I did my final year internship at the plant and TBH the way it was and its condition showed the apathy of the government and how it had left the company to die. With Vikram (3-wheeler) the company was making good progress and even had a couple of prototypes of all-electric 3-wheelers ready with them (they even showcased one to Bill Clinton when he came to visit the Taj Mahal). But due to financial constraints and the product costing thrice as much as the shoddy electric 3-wheelers that we see in the market these days, none of them were ever launched.

I had the opportunity to look closely at those prototypes as I was doing the internship in the R&D department and as far as what we get in the name of electric 3-wheelers right now they were not only far superior but also safer and spacious. It's a shame the company never got the support or the funds to launch them. Had it been able to do so it would have still made good progress.

Coming to the Vijay Deluxe scooter they were very unreliable and the major reason why the market rejected it over time. The problem was Scooters India Limited (SIL) used the same machinery and tools as the Italian company for the product with little to no adaption for the Indian conditions. Also, most Italian automobile products are not reliable in the first place, this further added to the problem.

Many would be surprised that they still have those WW-2 era machines running and producing parts for the 3-wheelers. In terms of modern equipment, they only had a handful of CNC machines else everything in there was the WW-2 era ones still being used. The staff was highly demotivated and underpaid with a constant fear of losing their job. This was a terrible recipe for disaster which even an amateur like me at that time was able to conclude.

That said, from what I observed the company was sitting on vast land half of which was untouched and had the government (local and central both) shown some consideration the company could have been in some able hands and brought back to its feet. Providing jobs and revenue both at the same time. Plus it would have been a good example for other automotive businesses to consider setting up their units in Lucknow and nearby.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by AROO7

AFAIK the trademark for the name Innocenti and Lambretta in India is with Scooters India Limited. The company that made scooters in the past and three-wheelers these days (it's a PSU which was started at the time of Indra Gandhi and still has its factory in Lucknow). The plant was set up with all the machinery, equipment, and copyrights brought from the Innocenti company.

It belonged to API Ltd (Automobile Products of India Ltd), an M.A.Chidambaram family company. The mfg unit was in Mumbai. They were selling the scooters under Lamby 150cc and MAC 175cc brand names. After the Indo-Jap onslaught they introduced a model called Lamby Polo, and shut down shortly thereafter.

How do I know? Beause I was working for another TN based company in the same group.