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Lambretta, like many of its European brothers,
is locked up and interwoven with a parent company that
produces many other products in addition to its two-wheeled
vehicles. The story of this legendary scooter actually
began in 1922, when Ferdinando Innocenti moved to Rome
from his native Pescia for the purpose of building a factory.The
product of this enterprising industrialist was steel tubing,
and such ingenuity was involved that Innocenti's wares
became renowned throughout Europe. In 1931, Ferdinando
moved to Milan, which had become the industrial centre
of Italy, and a new and much larger factory was built.
Mr. Innocenti developed a seamless steel tube for industry,
and 6000 people were employed in this plant. Then came
World War II, and the factory was reduced to a smoldering
pile of rubble. When Ferdinando viewed his war damaged
homeland in 1946, he saw the roads torn up, cities levelled,
and the populace left with little means of transportation.
Like Mr. Piaggio, he reasoned that the answer to the transportation
problem, was the motorscooter - a vehicle that would feature
a low production cost, be inexpensive to operate, and
would offer better weather protection than a motorcycle.
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