Lambretta clothing – cheapening the name further?

Bad news for those of us who already think that those involved in licensing the Lambretta name to put on clothing, deodorant, and other non-scooter related products have cheapened the reputation of this famous scooter too much already. It seems that it is all about to get even cheaper still…According to an article on fashion business website, Drapers Online there’s a new licensee in town, Glen Briers, and already he has declared that the wholesale price of Lambretta branded products will be reduced by between 25% and 50% to be more competitive on the high street, suggesting that the wholesale price of Lambretta branded T-shirts will drop from around £8.50 to £4.50.

Personally, as Lambretta owners and riders for 25 years or so, in our opinion they could drop the retail price to just £1 and we’d still not buy one of their T-shirts (for reference you can buy half a dozen polishing cloths / dusters for as little as £1 in discount shops which will clean your scooter just as well), but we are saddened that this once proud brand name is still being passed around by businessmen with no interest at all in the scooters apart from raping the past glory to sell cheap clothing to the masses.

Briers told Drapers: “Lambretta has been a sleeping giant. The mod revival is very popular at the moment and we should be at the forefront.”

At £4.50 a T-shirt, it will only be wannabe-Mods shopping in Primark that will be buying Lambretta clothing from now on at a guess.

For the record the only Lambretta labelled clothing in our possession are the free T-shirts given away at a EuroLambretta scooter rallies in 2000 and 2009. The one from 2000 was misshapen within two washes and never worn again, the other is still in its plastic bag.