1957 Lambretta FDC

Lambretta began building scooters in 1947 as the demand for transportation in war-torn Italy grew at a feverish pace. With many people in need of transportation but having few resources, the market for inexpensive scooters grew and grew. Businesses also needed transportation, and Lambretta adapted and produced special three-wheel scooters to fill this need.

Lambretta was initially a brand name of the Innocenti company for their famous motor scooters. Just like their competitor Piaggio (Vespa) they make a three-wheel commercial vehicle out of their scooter, in this case, a small motorcycle with two front wheels carrying a box or an open case for the load.

The FDC was built by Lambretta from 1957 to 1959, of which about 12,000 units were made. The original cost was 238 Lira. The C stood for Cabin, which was introduced for overseas markets that did not share Italy's sunny sky and warm weather. The entire mechanical system was covered by a housing which was the support for the dual seat. Canvas sunshine roof was fitted as standard, but doors were an optional extra costing over £12.00 for a pair.