The first Lambretta rolled off the production line in October 1947. It was named after the Lambrate quarter of Milan, the site of Innocenti's factory, and designed by engineer Pierluigi Torre. The Lambretta was intended to provide cheap transport for postwar Italy, like the Vespa, although its concept was very different to that of its rival. Although production in Italy ceased in 1971, it carried on elsewhere and the Lambretta - at 50 - is still hugely popular with young and old alike.