Dee, Atkinson & Harrison
Lot 1026
1967 Lambretta SX 200, 200 cc. Registration number MAT 804F (see text). Frame number 200 * 843602. Engine number TBC. Manufactured by the Italian industrial giant Innocenti, the Lambretta, together with the rival Piaggio-built Vespa, mobilized an entire generation of Italians in the immediate postwar years. The scooter gained instant acceptance everywhere, its cleanliness and convenience appealing to those who regarded the motorcycle with suspicion. Scooters would eventually surpass their strictly utilitarian origins to become an integral part of youth culture in the 1960s, favourite transport of London's fashion-conscious Mods. The scooter's enclosed engine and decent weather protection meant that its rider could arrive at a club, doff his parka and look like he'd just stepped out of a taxi, which was a definite advantage within a culture that placed a premium on smartness of appearance.Introduced in 1947, the first 'naked' Lambrettas had no bodywork to speak of; it wouldn't be until 1950 that a rear cowl, floorboards and front legshields appeared. By the 1960s, the familiar rounded, all-enclosing bodywork was in place, there being very little stylistic difference between Lambretta and Vespa at the time. That changed in 1966 with the arrival of the 200 cc SX series and its more-angular 'Slimline' styling, embodying what many enthusiasts regard as the definitive Lambretta look.Project Special X was initiated to gain more of a look of quality and attention to detail that Innocenti was renowned for. So the SX was designed with a new headset, and the panels, which now had the three fingered flashes pointing forwards (the 150cc model retained the T.V. type badges). Again the 200 cc version had the front disc brake, and the S.X was the first Lambretta to gain a 90mph speedometer. The most important changes were to the engine however, with the cylinder, exhaust, head, and piston all reworked to improve power, while reducing vibration. This gave the 200cc an output of 11bhp, although lower than the T.V, with all its modifications the S.X had better acceleration with only a marginal loss of top speed. Many changes were again made mid production with early ones having white switches, later changing to black, horn cast grilles painted the same colour as the bike, whereas the later models gained polished ones. The majority had handles to secure the side panels, but later these were later discarded in favour of the clip-on type of the G.P. By the time production stopped in January of 1969, some three years after beginning, 20,783 2 00 cc versions and 31,238 150 cc versions had passed along the production line.MAT, with its frame number of 843602 was the 13,601st produced and it was originally sold by Miles Ltd of Hull in 1967. Purchased by our vendor in early 1969 as a replacement for the LD in this auction, he was given the name Road Runner. His journeys were to more distant places than Florence, venturing as far as Manchester, Birmingham and Blackpool.In April 1973 he was laid up in the garage next to Florence when our vendor upgraded to a motor car and has suffered the same fate as the LD, being moved to various garage's during family moves and will now need a full restoration. At present the engine is seized; it is not on the DVLA register. This is a unique opportunity for a collector of these rare machines to purchase an original, unmolested example.Sold with a 1972 MOT with the mileage at 17,944, a 1970 certificate of insurance and three keys.
