Spanish Lambretta Serial Numbers
General Information
Lambrettas were made in Spain from around 1955 to the late 1980's. Actually longer than Lambrettas were made in Italy by Innocenti! Early on, Lambrettas were manufactured in Spain by a company called Eibar. They made a version of the early LD, and also the Series II. As far as I know, none of the early LD or Series II models were ever imported from Spain to the US. The license moved to a new compnay called Serveta, which produced Series III models. These Serveta scooters were however, imported to the U.S. It appears that Serveta imports to the US began in the late 70's or early 80's, and only in limited numbers. It does not appear that the dealer network was particularly big, or that the scooters were commercially successful, because Servetas seem to keep turning up virtually unused throughout the US up to the present day.
The Serveta company of Spain obtained the presses for the LI 150 Special and SX 200's when Innocenti moved on to build the GP range. There are several differences between the Italian and Spanish models that one should be aware of when purchasing a Serveta.
Spanish Lambretta Serial Numbers
Like the Italian SX200, Spanish Serveta Jet 200s will have frame and engine numbers that start with 'SX200*'. Unlike Italian machines, where the frame and. The first Spanish built Lambretta was the 125/150cc 'D' in 1954 and this was quickly followed by 125/150cc 'LD' models from 1955. I believe that the Spanish factory also produced a 'D' model based Lambretta three-wheeler, but this was a flop.
Style
Cosmetically, the Servetas are slightly different from Innocenti-made Lambrettas of the same model. The Serveta LI Special and SX's have the same bodywork as the Innocenti LI models with the exception that the Servetas generally came with the LI style cowls which had attachment clips in the back rather than external handles. The Serveta version of the SX 200 was called the 'Jet 200'. Some early Jet 200's had the SX style sidepanels with the '200' flash. I have only seen a few of these, and these panels were eliminated early on in favor of simple LI panels on both models. They both had a sticker stripe on the center of the cowls which read either '150' or '200' respectively. Some late model US market Servetas had a large sticker on the cowls which read 'Performer.'
The Servetas sold in the US came with turn signals, and the headset was altered during the production run in order to accommodate large black plastic switches for the controls. Later US models also had the traditional Lambretta tail light removed, and a special 'tractor style' tail light added in order to conform to US regulations. The ignition key was moved from the back of the headset on the Inocenti models to a position at the rear of the seat on the Servetas, which often caused the keys to scratch the top of the sidepanel in this area. Floor runners were eliminated, and black rubber floor mats were used instead. Both models came with dual saddle seats and rear spare tire racks as standard in the US.
The Jet 200 did not come with the disc brake system fitted to Italian 200cc machines except on some very early Jet 200 models. It does not appear that any of these disc brake Jet 200's were imported to the US. The Jet did however retain the dampeners used on the SX. On later models, the dampeners were modified and enlarged.
Motor
Spanish Lambretta Engine Numbers
The motors are essentially the same on the Italian and Spanish made bikes, but there are some differences. Some parts were sourced in Spain for the Servetas, most noticeably, the flywheel magneto system which was made by Motoplat. One other thing to note, the Servetas had an air filter which was located inside the glovebox rather than in a separate airbox.
Bottom Line
The quality of the Spanish Servetas can sometimes be not as high as the Italian models so be careful. The carburetors, motor cases, and electrical systems can be inferior on Servetas, so pay close attention to these items when looking to buy one. Serial number check specs. Also be aware that many of the Serveta-only parts are very difficult to find in the US. However, oftentimes a different Italian or Indian part can be made to work as a replacement.
Surprisingly, quite a few Servetas made it to the US and were sold, and subsequently never used. It seems fairly common to find them with less than a thousand miles. These low mile scooters are great buys, especially considering the rising prices on Italian-made Lambrettas these days. Finally, prices on Jet 200's seem to be on the rise as it gets harder and harder to find decent Italian made TV and SX Lambrettas.
For the past year we have been assisting a fellow church within our denomination with their audio / media design for their new sanctuary. A very special thank you to John Teelin and Steve Maples from All Pro Sound. From the pre wiring stage to the rush deliveries at the finish line, these guys have been there the whole way. Ao vivo futebol. - Mercede, CA • 'Great response time, great prices, and tremendous customer service are just a few of the accolades that describe All Pro Sound. It is always great working with him!'
Number Produced: ?
Years Produced: ?
- Rough but restorable = $700-1200
- Drivable, but not show = $1500-2500
- Restored or Excellent Original Conition = $2500-3500 (up to $4000 for the Jet 200)
Spanish Frame Info..
This information is by no means complete and will be added to as and when new information on the Spanish built Lambrettas is ascertained. It will however, give you a good start point.
Series 2.
- Li 150: Built from 1960 - 1964 - frame numbers start at 000001 and run up to 045001+
- Li 125: Built from 1961 - 1964 - at present no frame number info is available
- TV 175: Built from 1963 - 1964 - at present no frame number info is available
- Li 150 (Winter): built from 1964 - 1965 - frame numbers start 040001
- Li 125 (Winter): built from 1964 - 1965 - at present no frame number info is available
Free Serial Numbers
Series 3.
- TV 175 (Winter): built from 1964 - 1965 - frame numbers start at 530001
- TV 175: built from 1964 - 1965 - at present no frame number info is available
- Li 125: built from 1965 - 1973 - frame numbers start at 200001
- Li 150 Special: built from 1965 - 1973 - frame numbers start at 060001
- Li 150 Special: built from 1966 - 1974 - frame numbers start at 300001
- Li 150 Special: built from 1974 - 1979 - frame numbers start at 317401
- Li 150 Special: built from 1979 - 1980 - frame numbers start at 325001
- Jet 200: built from 1966 - 1971 - frame numbers start at 550001
- Jet 200: built from 1971 - 1980 - frame starts at 550001
- Series 80 200: built from 1980 - 1982 - no frame number information at present
- Series 80 150: built from 1981 - 1983 - no frame number information at present
- Series 80 125: built from 1981 - 1983 - no frame number information at present
- Lynx 125: built in 1983 - no frame number information available
- Lynx 150: built in 1983 - no frame number information available
- Lynx 200: built in 1983 - no frame number information available
- SX 125: built from 1984 - 1990 - frame numbers start 880001
- SX 200E: built from 1984 - 1990 - no frame number information known at present
Spanish Brochure for the Li 150 Special.