LAMBRETTA HAD BIG plans for
its new-for-1949 B Series, not just
for the hungry home market but
for export markets like the US,
Argentina – and Australia.
A race-prepped Lambretta
scooter found its way here,
imported by Bendigo motel
owner Jack Walters and was
raced initially in Victoria by Fane
Iles until Bert Flood took over the
reins, and in October 1951 scored
a win at the South Australian
Jubilee TT at Woodside.
In Sydney, ‘Big Sam’ Jamieson,
through his company Australian
National Motors, began importing
Lambretta and, to publicise the
brand, he imported two pukka
C-Model racers, for the princely
sum of £500 each! This would
have bought a new Manx Norton
at the time, but the two machines
came with many spares,
including four diff erent diff ratios,
spare wheels and Mahle pistons,
carburettors and exhausts tuned
for either petrol or alcohol fuel.
Jamieson went the whole
hog, fi tting out a bright red sign-
written double-bike trailer and
engaging quick (and light) riders
Bob Jemison and Keith Conley.
The two Lambrettas diff ered
greatly from road-going models,
having special frames, fat jelly-
bean alloy fuel tanks and a single
shock absorber attached on the
the transmission tunnels. Alloy
wheels with fi nned brake drums
were fi tted with 12-inch Pirelli
racing tyres. The gearbox were
four-speeds with foot changes.
Offi cially, the Lambrettas,
engine numbers 4S and 5S were
designated Monotubo (single
exhaust). Accompanying the
scooters was a factory mechanic,
Renato Been, or ‘Beenie’.
During 1952, the Lambrettas
performed well, winning severalevents at Mount Druitt and taking
Jemison to second at Bathurst
behind the all-conquering
Walsh Bantam ridden by
Maurie Quincey, and ahead of
the old Lambretta racer ridden
by Bert Flood.
Eventually the Lambretta
agency, and the two racers,
passed to Hazell & Moore in
Campbell Street, Sydney. The
racers were consigned to a
corner of the workshop and like
the GP racer at home in Italy,
basically forgotten.Around 1956, Kevin Roydon,
who had a large motorcycle
business at Lakemba, bought
both Lambrettas. They were
rebuilt with help from ‘Nooge’
Smith, who made aluminium
fairings and a smaller fuel tank
for the 4S bike, which hung
through the top frame rails.
In this form, the Lambrettas
were raced by several riders,
but the standout result was Kel
Carruthers’ second place in the
125cc Australia TT at Phillip
Island in December 1957.
The 5S bike was eventually
sold to Victoria; the tired old
scooter ended up at a wreckers
at Seaford, where Historic racer
Doug Fraser found it and he
owned it until the mid-70s. It’s
now owned by Victorian classic
bike stalwart, Garth Rhodes.
Engine number 4S went to
Joe Shannon and is still owned
by his son Peter. Over the years
the streamlined aluminium
covers for the front and rear
wheels of both machines have
disappeared, although Peter’s
machine still has the small tank
and aluminium dolphin fairing
made by Nooge.
Nowadays, vintage scooters
are highly collectable – and none
more so than this pair.Pocket rockets
Lambretta racers in Australia
The idea of racing a scooter may seem strange to us, but not to the Italians.The Lambretta team in 1953.
Bob Jemison (19) and Keith
Conley (3). In the centre is
Harry Hinton, with team owner
Sam Jamieson on the rightThe 4S Lambretta today