The Innocenti Lui, also called the Lambretta Lui, was a small scooter built in Milan from March 1968 to June 1969. It was styled by Bertone, offered with 50 and 75 cc engines, and sold abroad as the Luna, Vega and Cometa.
Innocenti Lui at a glance
| Maker | Innocenti, Lambrate, Milan |
|---|---|
| Production | March 1968 – June 1969 |
| Type | small motor scooter |
| Styling | Bertone, from the Luna Range prototype |
| Engines | 50 cc and 75 cc two-stroke |
| 50 cc versions | C and CL |
| 75 cc versions | S and SL |
| Prices at launch | 89,500 to 125,000 lire |
| Export names | Luna, Vega and Cometa |
| Built | 37,614 |
| Presentation | 28 May 1968 |
The Lui has no English Wikipedia article; this page is based on the Italian article (one source).
History of the Innocenti Lui
A cheap scooter for hard times
In the second half of the 1960s the Milan company decided to build an inexpensive scooter to face the crisis affecting the motorcycle sector. The first prototype, made by Innocenti’s own designers in 1967, already anticipated the final technical solutions, but its styling was judged unsellable. Styling was therefore entrusted to Bertone, which produced the Luna Range prototype; it was approved by Innocenti and entered production almost unchanged.
Versions and prices
The Lui was presented on 28 May 1968 as the Lambretta 50 Lui. The two 50 cc versions were the C and the CL, the latter with a different handlebar and headlight, priced at 89,500 and 95,000 lire. At the end of 1968 a 75 cc version appeared with few external changes, in S form at 115,000 lire and SL at 125,000 lire; the SL had an automatic oil mixer, the first fitted to a scooter sold in Italy. The name Lui was used at home, while abroad the 50 CL was sold as the Luna, the 75 S as the Vega and the 75 SL as the Cometa.
A commercial disappointment
The Lui gave Innocenti only a thin return. Bertone had not been given industrialisation criteria to respect, so only a few components from existing production could be used. Despite a heavy advertising campaign, sales were poor: 37,614 examples, about three quarters of them with the 50 cc engine, and the Lui left the scene in 1969. Public reaction was mixed. Buyers liked the price, which compared well with the 118,000 lire of the Lambretta J 50 and the 107,000 lire of the Vespa 50 N, and the refined design, but criticised the unexciting engine, shared with the J 50, and the loss of practical features such as the bag hook, windscreen mounts, spare wheel and a full-size footboard and front shield.
Design and features
- Bertone styling: a small, refined scooter from the Luna Range prototype.
- Attractive price: cheaper than the Lambretta J 50 and the Vespa 50 N.
- Two engine sizes: 50 cc and 75 cc, the latter with an automatic oil mixer on the SL.
- Export names: Luna, Vega and Cometa in foreign markets.
Innocenti Lui versions
- Lui 50 C: 89,500 lire at launch.
- Lui 50 CL: different handlebar and headlight, 95,000 lire.
- Lui 75 S: 115,000 lire.
- Lui 75 SL: 125,000 lire, with the first automatic oil mixer on an Italian scooter.
- Export versions: Luna (50 CL), Vega (75 S) and Cometa (75 SL).
The Lui was the last small two-wheeler from Lambrate after the Innocenti Lambretta, and it was built alongside the Innocenti Lambro three-wheeler. More models are in the Innocenti collection.
Sources
- Innocenti Lui, Italian Wikipedia: history, versions, prices, sales, reception
