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Lambretta "Rallymaster" History
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You may be wondering what exactly is a Rallymaster and what makes them so special? The Rallymaster was essentially a standard series two Li 150 modified by the Trojan Engineering Division of Lambretta Concessionares, the UK importers. It was available with a multitude of modifications and options designed to appeal to the enthusiast who used their scooter for competition use. The modifications included a 4 x 10 rear tire, front horncast and turning fender from the Spanish Li/2, dashboard with mechanical tachometer driven off the crankshaft, plastic waterproof stopwatch holder, map holder, rear handle, front and rear competition number plates, special seat, flyscreen, front tire mud scraper, ball end levers, special paint scheme with either blue or red accents, and a 23mm TV2 carburettor. Two options were also available, the first being a legshield mounted foglamp. The other was a special gearbox which consisted of first and second from a Li125 and third and fourth from a Li150. This turned out to be a crap ratio for anything but offroad use due to the huge gap between second and third.
Dr. Jeff McBride noted in his review in Scootering Magazine that not many of the few Rallymasters have survived, probably due to the rough treatment they received in scooter sport. In addition, many have probably had their specialized parts removed or modified over the years (remember what you did with your first scooter? You took off all the previous owners' chrome racks and bars and chucked them in the skip!). Frame and engine numbers are no different than regular Li150's and since Rallymasters were not produced in one batch, there is no "range" of numbers to use as guide. I was lucky to have at least the as-found pictures with the original paint scheme to authenticate this scooter.
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Here is a press release from the May 30. 1961 issue of the Financial Times announcing the debut of the Rallymaster.
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Here is an advert from the Sept. 1961 issue of Power and Pedal touting the Rallymaster's sporting accomplishments.
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What did the Rallymaster cost and how did it compare with the other models in Lambretta's range? Here are a couple of examples over the years. Notice that it was dearer than the TV2! (from Scooter and Threewheeler magazine)
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March 1963
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December 1961
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Even as early as 1962, dealers were slashing prices on the Rallymaster since the new series 3's were in the showrooms. Where's my chequebook!?! Click here for the full advert from November 1962.
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The Lambretta Club of Great Britain featured a Rallymaster in the #104 issue of Jet Set. It contains a write-up of Adrian Goodson's restoration.
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Another brief history can be found on the Lambretta Club of Great Britain's website in the Racing History section (scroll down to the bottom).
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