Lambretta Model D and LD

The Lambretta Model D and LD were the main Innocenti scooters of the 1950s, built from 1951 to 1958. The Model D adopted a new all-tubular frame and a four-speed gearbox, which made it lighter, more rigid and more economical. The LD was the fully panelled version with aluminium skins and a handlebar-mounted headlamp, and it became the favourite of the decade, especially in France and England. The D models were noted for their torsion-bar rear suspension, and at its peak the D outsold all other two-wheeled vehicles combined. The closed version was much more successful than the open one because riders wanted protection from the weather and a clean-looking machine.