The Innocenti Lambro was the three-wheeled light commercial vehicle derived from the Lambretta scooter. Built in Milan from 1963 to 1972, it carried small loads through narrow streets and was later produced in India as the Vikram.
Innocenti Lambro at a glance
| Maker | Innocenti, Lambrate, Milan |
|---|---|
| Production | 1963-1972 under the Lambro name |
| Type | three-wheeled light commercial vehicle |
| Mechanical basis | Lambretta scooter |
| Engine | two-stroke, from about 200 to 600 cc |
| Models | Lambro 200, 450, 550, 600 |
| 550 versions | 550N, 550A, 550L, 550M, 550V, 550ML |
| 600 versions | 600M, 600V, 600ML |
| Earlier motocarri | Lambretta FB, FC, FD, FD/C and FLI, 1949-1965 |
| Indian descendant | Scooters India Limited Vikram |
History of the Innocenti Lambro
From scooter to load carrier
Innocenti built a series of motorised cargo three-wheelers on the mechanical basis of the Lambretta scooter. At first they were also called Lambretta, and only later received the name Lambro. The early range began with the Lambretta FB of 1949-1950, followed by the FC of 1950-1952, the FD of 1952-1959, the FD/C of 1957-1959 and the FLI of 1959-1965.
The Lambro range
The Lambro name arrived in 1963 with the Lambro 200, built until 1965. The Lambro 450 followed in 1965-1967 together with the Lambro 550, and the 550 then developed through a long list of variants: 550N in 1967-1969, 550A in 1968-1969, and the 550L, 550M, 550V and 550ML in 1969. A Tri Lambretta appeared in 1970, and the final 600 series, the 600M, 600V and 600ML, was built in 1970-1972. The vehicles used the scooter’s two-stroke engine and running gear under a simple light commercial body.
The Indian Vikram
In 1972 the Indian government bought the Lambretta machinery and created Scooters India Limited, which built Lambretta scooters and Lambro three-wheelers, the latter marketed at home as the Vikram. Production of Lambro-derived vehicles continued in India long after the Milan factory had stopped making scooters, and the Lambro name remained attached to the three-wheeler concept.
Design and features
- Scooter mechanicals: a two-stroke engine and simple running gear under a light commercial body.
- Narrow and cheap: suited to crowded city streets and small deliveries.
- Many versions: flatbed, van and other bodies across the 200, 450, 550 and 600 ranges.
- Long-lived abroad: the Indian Vikram continued the line after Milan stopped.
Innocenti Lambro versions
- Lambro 200 (1963-1965): the first model to carry the Lambro name.
- Lambro 450 (1965-1967): larger engine.
- Lambro 550 (1965-1969): the widest range, with N, A, L, M, V and ML versions.
- Lambro 600 (1970-1972): the final Milanese series, in M, V and ML form.
- Vikram: the Indian-built descendant made by Scooters India Limited.
The Lambro was developed from the Innocenti Lambretta scooter, and the later Innocenti Lui was the company’s other small two-wheeler of the period. More models are in the Innocenti collection.
Video: lambro innocenti 450
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Innocenti Lambretta, Italian Wikipedia: motocarri list, Lambro versions, production years
- Lambretta, English Wikipedia: Lambro three-wheelers and Indian production
- Innocenti, Italian Wikipedia: the company’s motorcycle production
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