I never thought I would see the day but finally some recognition by Milanese (local) government of the history of the great Lambretta marque in the place of it's birth. Up until now only the little Bar il Lambrettino has been flying the flag but in December 2014 the Commune of Segrate was abuzz with Lambrettas as they celebrated the opening of Via Lambretta, a street into a new business centre very close to the old Innocenti works. Some great snaps and more can be found at the Lambretta Club Lombardia website http://www.lambrettaclublombardia.it/foto/raduni/2013/Inaugurazione%20via%20Lambretta%20Segrate/album/index.html

Thankyou to Lambretta Club Lombardia and milano.repubblica.it for the info, can't wait to check it out come November when I make my annual pilgrimage to the site. That is if no one has nicked the scoot by then!

The more things change the more they stay the same? A freshly torn down fence and some rubbish removal allowed me to get this pic of the building where I believe Lambretta Scooters were assembled at the old Innocenti Factory in Milano. During this visit in early November 2014 I discovered that nothing much had changed at all in the last 12 months. It seems that the crisis in the Italian economy has put the brakes on all development at the site save for some apartments being finished near the Centro Studi which were well underway during last years visit.

Just about to head off for yet another EICMA trip. Will be stopping by at the old Innocenti Lambretta factory in Lambrate to check out what (if anything) has happened in the last 12 months.

Something a little different today, a bit of an arty shot. The Innse water tower seen through a veil of trees planted to mark the Eastern edge of the old Innocenti Factory site in the Lambrate area of Milan. On the other side of the fence were the last couple of buildings constructed at the site which were used for car production including the building of the Maserati Biturbo after DeTomaso took over the factory with help from the Italian Government to continue automobile production. These buildings were the farthest from the centre of Milan. They were demolished a few years ago to make way for yet another apartment complex which has so far failed to materialise due to the Global Financial Crisis which has hit Italy hard.

Apartment buildings under construction at the city end of the old Innocenti Lambretta factory in the Lambrate area of Milan. The development here is getting very close to the old Centro Studi (Design Centre) in the right of the pic. The fact that they are this close on 2 sides now without having demolished the building makes me hopeful that they may keep it. The Centro Studi is still in very good condition and with the Lambro river immediately to it's right it seems a very small piece of land to leave until last. Out of shot to the right is the raised freeway which dissects the site with the remaining old buildings and Innse further again to the right heading away from the city.

Inside one of the old factory buildings at the Innocenti Lambretta factory in the Lambrate area of Milan. This is the same building as the background shot on the blog which was taken 4 or so years ago. Someone had pulled down some of the barrier fence around this building and never one to miss an opportunity I scrambled through and down the bank into the desolate space. As I was taking this shot I was suddenly aware of a waft of smoke. Then some noise. I walked to my left and gazed around the pylons straight into a Gypsy camp. Then I ran. I have never been so scared in my life. I didn't even notice them in there, you can't see in due to the overgrown bushes. No one would have found my body for months!

Back home in Aus and happy to report that there has been pretty much no change in the last 12 months at the old Innocenti Lambretta factory in the Lambrate are of Milan. This snazzy new sign and awning at the Bar il Lambrettino was pretty much it! The financial crisis in Italy seems to have put paid to any more demolition on the site for now.