Serveta was the Spanish manufacturer that built Lambrettas under licence for 35 years. Founded in 1952 as Lambretta Locomociones SA, it produced scooters at Eibar from 1954, took the Serveta name around 1964 and continued until 1989.
Serveta at a glance
| Founded | 1952, as Lambretta Locomociones SA |
|---|---|
| Production began | 1954, at Eibar |
| Name Serveta SA | from about 1964 |
| Renamed Lambretta SAL | 1982 |
| Production moved to Amurrio | 1985 |
| Production ended | 1989 |
| Models | D/LD, Li II, 150 Special, Jet 200, 125/150 |
| Markets | Spain, United Kingdom from 1970, United States from 1979 |
History of the Serveta
In 1952 a group of Basque businessmen trading as Lambretta Locomociones SA obtained a licence to build Lambretta scooters in Spain. Production began two years later in a purpose-built factory at Eibar, in the Basque country, and sales were good enough for the company to start using the name Serveta SA for its commercial activities around 1964.
The Spanish range followed the Italian one. Serveta listed the D and LD 125 and 150 of 1951–1958, the Li 125 and 150 second series of 1959–1961, the 150 Special of 1966, the Jet 200 of 1966 and, later, a 125/150 range made from 1975 to 1983. At first the scooters were sold only in Spain; by 1970 Spanish-built machines were being sold in Britain by Lambretta Concessionaires alongside the Innocenti equivalents, and by the end of the decade Servetas were sold in the United States and Britain under their own name.
The company changed hands and names as the scooter market declined. In 1982 it became Lambretta SAL after a change of ownership, and in 1985 production moved to a shared factory at Amurrio. By the late 1980s scooters were built only in batches to order, and production finally ceased in 1989.
Design and features
- Licensed production: the main Spanish builder of Innocenti Lambrettas.
- Eibar factory: a purpose-built plant in the Basque country, opened in 1954.
- Own models: the 150 Special and Jet 200 of 1966, and the 125/150 of 1975–1983.
- Exports: sold in Britain from 1970 and in the United States from 1979.
Serveta versions
- D and LD 125/150 (1951–1958): the first Spanish models.
- Li 125/150 II series (1959–1961): the Spanish version of the Li.
- 150 Special (1966): a Serveta model of the mid-1960s.
- Jet 200 (1966): the best-known Spanish Lambretta.
- 125/150 (1975–1983): the later range.
Serveta built the D and LD and the Li in Spain. More scooters are in the Lambretta collection.
Sources
- Serveta, English Wikipedia: history, dates, markets
- Serveta, Italian Wikipedia: model list
- Lambretta, English Wikipedia: licence production in Spain
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