Moto Innocenti - Experiments 0 & 2
Concept and Origins (1943–44)
In the final years of the Second World War, around 1943–44, Ferdinando Innocenti conceived the idea of producing a small, inexpensive two-wheeled vehicle that could be manufactured in his Lambrate factory in Milan. By observing the light American Cushman scooters used by Allied forces in Italy, he recognised the potential for a simple and practical means of transport suited to post-war reconstruction.
Technical Direction and Design Team
Innocenti’s vision was not for a stamped monocoque body but for a frame constructed from rolled steel tubing — a solution that would also revive the company’s pre-war expertise in tubular products. To bring the idea to life, he relied on his own technical office. Early in 1945, he engaged the aeronautical engineer Cesare Pallavicino, formerly Technical Director at Caproni, to define the first scooter concepts. When Pallavicino later emigrated to Argentina after only a few months, Pierluigi Torre, a young mechanical engineer with a background in aeronautics, assumed leadership of the project. Torre was responsible for developing the engine, refining the chassis layout, and preparing the design for mass production.
Design Principles and Early Prototypes
The requirements were clear: the vehicle had to be simple, robust, and easy to operate by both men and women, capable of carrying a passenger, and practical for everyday use. From these principles, the first prototypes — later known as Esperimento 0 — were built between 1944 and 1946 in temporary workshops, while the main Lambrate plant lay in ruins following the Allied bombing of 30 April 1944.
War Damage and Legal Recovery (1944–46)
The devastation of Lambrate halted production entirely. Surviving machinery was damaged or removed, and after the war Innocenti faced a lengthy legal battle to regain control of the premises, which had been requisitioned for Allied military use. During this period, he maintained temporary offices in Rome to continue industrial planning. Only by mid-1946, once the legal disputes were settled, could the company finally resume civilian production in Milan. Within the rebuilt complex, a new research and development department — the Centro Studi — was created to coordinate design, testing, and technical studies for the scooter project and future industrial ventures.
From Experiment 0 to Experiment 2
With the Lambrate facilities restored, work intensified on refining the prototype. The progression from Esperimento 0 to Esperimento 2 represented a decisive step toward production. A wooden mock-up built in 1946 illustrated the scooter’s mechanical structure in open and functional form, reflecting Innocenti’s preference for clarity of engineering over concealment. Several mechanical adjustments were demanded by Innocenti himself before he authorised full production.
The Birth of the Lambretta Model A (1947)
After nearly a year of design refinement and industrial preparation, the project reached maturity. In October 1947, Innocenti launched the first production scooter — the Lambretta Model A — a machine that embodied simplicity, strength, and ease of use, and which laid the foundation for one of Italy’s most enduring industrial icons.
Independence from Vespa and D’Ascanio
Contrary to later myths, Corradino D’Ascanio was never involved in the Innocenti project. The Lambretta’s origins lay entirely within Innocenti’s own staff and industrial strategy, developed independently and in parallel with Piaggio’s Vespa.
