Innocenti

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Innocenti Lambretta
Innocenti Lambretta 150 d

The Società Anonima Fratelli Innocenti was an Italian vehicle manufacturer. In 1931 Ferdinando Innocenti opened a steel processing company in Lambrate near Milan , which went quite well. When the war came, he switched production to war goods. After the Second World War , Innocenti devoted itself to the planning and development of a scooter with a two-stroke engine, which went into series production in 1947. This was the legendary Lambretta ; the Lambretta scooter was a great success. He encouraged the company to get into the automotive industry.

Models

Innocenti's first car model was a license build of the Austin A40 . Further modified licensed products from the British Motor Corporation were added later, as well as stand-alone products. The Mini turned Innocenti as Innocenti Mini also manufactures the Austin Allegro , who was named Innocenti Regent here. In addition, Innocenti combined British technology with an Italian body in the Innocenti Mini Bertone .

The founder died in 1966. After that, British Leyland bought the company. During the three years that the Italian company was in English ownership, lambretta production was relocated to India. Alejandro de Tomaso bought the dealership as early as 1975 and built again mainly under license.

From 1974 Innocenti built the successor to the modernized Mini and became the third largest Italian automobile manufacturer. The car launched on the market as the Innocenti Mini got a new body designed by Bertone with a large tailgate. The Innocenti Mini Small 90 and 120 had the British BMC-A engines with 998 cm³ and 32 kW (44 PS) and 1275 cm³ and 47 kW (64 PS). The sporty version of the Innocenti Mini DeTomaso with spoiler bumpers and a matt black air scoop on the bonnet was only available with 1275 cm³.

In 1982 the contract between De Tomaso and Leyland ran out. From then on, Innocenti Daihatsu engines built into its vehicles, such as the car now called Innocenti Mini 3 Turbo DeTomaso , a 993 cm³ three-cylinder engine with an overhead camshaft, which, thanks to a turbocharger, developed 53 kW (72 hp). Innocentis were then also sold through the Daihatsu dealer network. At the end of 1986 Innocenti merged with Maserati and was responsible for the final assembly of the Maserati Biturbo. However, this approach was not financially viable. In the late 1980s, Innocenti manufactured the Yugo under license for the Italian market, which was sold as Innocenti Koral . In addition, production facilities were set up in Argentina , de Tomaso's homeland, which produced the Innocenti Elba (a Fiat-Duna station wagon) for the South American market.

In 1990 the company was transferred to the Fiat group; the Innocenti brand was no longer used in 1997. In Italy, the Fiat Duna was offered as Innocenti for a while. After the outbreak of the war in Yugoslavia in 1992, Innocenti manufactured 500 Yugo convertibles in Italy. The parts manufactured by Zastava were assembled in Italy and sold there as the Innocenti Koral Cabrio .

gallery

  • Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300 Export (Type B39 / 7)

  • Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300 Export (Type B39 / 7)

  • Innocenti Mini De Tomaso

  • Innocenti S 1100

  • Innocenti S 1100

Web links

Commons : Innocenti  - collection of images, videos and audio files