62 amcn.com.au
However, the rest of the little powerhouse
was sheer racer: generous finning covered
muchoftheengineandthelargeoiltank,
which had an easy-access filler.
Thechassiswasasinterestingasthe
engine;alarge-diameterspinecurvedback
tosteelplates.Tubesranforwardfromthese
platestoholdtheengine.Therewerenofront
downtubes. The front fork was a conventional
telescopic affair, but the rear was a torsion-
barset-upwithadjustablefrictiondampers.
Full-width light-alloy brake hubs and 21-inch
rimswithPirellityrescompletedthetop-shelf
specifications.
The Lambretta appeared at the Milan show
race-ready,whichwasnosurpriseconsidering
extensivetestinghadbeencarriedoutmonths
beforeonalocaltrack.The250ccracerwas
developedoverthenexttwoseasonsandby
thetimeitwasretiredin1953theenginehad
evolvedintoawet-sump,DOHCunitwitha
largereservoirunderthecrankcase.
The original torsion-bar rear suspension
had been replaced by state-of-the-art shocks
which had adjustable air-assisted damping
— very advanced for the day. There were also
experiments with twin magnetos.
Sadly, it would be a masterpiece Lambretta
poured three years of development into for no
return. The race effort never took off, despite
enlisting GP’s first 125cc world champion,
Cirillo “Nello” Pagani as test rider.
Another leading Italian rider, Romolo Ferri,
had just two race outings on it, in France and
Switzerland, but didn’t get anywhere near the
podium in either Grand Prix.
A NEW BEGINNING
Abandoned and forgotten in a corner of the
Lambrettafactory,nooneknewtheGrand
Prix bike still existed until Vittorio Tessera
(pictured, right) came along in the late 1980s.
Along-timeLambrettaenthusiastwho
hadbecomeaguardianofthenow-bankrupt
company’s heritage, he gained the trust and
respect of the Innocenti family. Eventually
theygavehimthearchivalremainsofthe
factory, including a strange-looking four-
strokeracerhiddenunderadustyblanket.
“Thebikewasinverydirtycondition,but
completeandinthesamestateaswhenithad
lastrun,”Vittoriosaid.“Iunderstandthere
weretwooftheseGPbikesmade,butIhaveLAMBRETTA WASN’T THE fi rst
company to design and build a
transversely-mounted V-twin.
That accolade is bestowed
upon English manufacturer
AJS and its short-lived S3 500cc
transverse V-twin of 1931. A
tourer with sporting pretensions,
the S3 and its parent company
were soon consumed by the
Great Depression and a corporate
takeover by fellow British
marque Matchless. The model
lasted just six months.
German motorcycle
manufacturer Victoria forged
its reputation in the 1920s on a
range of OHV singles and twins.
After World War II, the Munich
factory rebuilt its corporate
image on two-stroke scooters
and mopeds. Then, in 1953 it
launched its fi rst big new four-
stroke, a 348cc transverse OHV
V-twin called the Bergmeister.
Its engine was unit
construction with shaft rear
drive. A telescopic front fork
and plunger rear suspension
completed the specifi cation.
Japanese manufacturer
Marusho built mopeds and
motorcycles from the late 1940s
until the mid-1960s. Its glamour
model was the Lilac, a 246cc
OHV transverse V-twin launched
in 1960. Generous European
styling, shaft drive, electric
starting and full-width wheel
hubs showed the company’s
determination to lead Japanese
innovation. Sadly, Marusho’s
dream exploded soon afterwhen a factory expansion
program overstretched fi nances
and it went bankrupt. The
company would reappear as
a smaller operation called
Lilac in 1964.
Another notable transverse
V-twin was the stillborn Indian- It was a military prototype
built by the US manufacturer
in a production run of around
1000 units in the early 1940s,
however the Jeep beat it to
the battlefi elds.
On the fl ip side, Honda’s CX500
series of the late 1970s and early
1980s was bullet-proof and
popular. Water-cooling, shaft
drive, electronic ignition and
rugged build quality made it a
great commuter hack, especially
enjoyed by London’s legendary
motorcycle couriers.
These days it has a new lease
on life as a blank canvas for
hipster customisers.
NOT THE FIRST
Main: The Marusho Lilac
was Japan’s answer to the
Transverse V-twin
Below: And the Victoria
Bergmeister was Germany’sLambretta 250 GPWhat have we here, then?
The dusty piece of Lambretta
history Vittoria unearthed
some 30 years ago