‘Does it handle in the wet?’: Amphibious scoot set to make a splash

Well, it’s one way to beat the morning congestion… this fully-functioning amphibious Lambretta scooter is up for grabs at an upcoming H and H auction, with estimates putting the price as high as £16k.

With its folding surfboard-style floats on either side, the scoot is actually a 2015 replica of the 1964 Lambretta J125 Amphi-scooter and was built by Italian enthusiast Costantino Frontalini to mark 50 years since the original was revealed at the 1965 Brighton Motor Cycle and Cycle Show.

It features a rotary paddle attached to the rear wheel hub, plus an extended upright exhaust, and floats for stability. It is said to be an exact replica of the original, taking around 700 hours and over €20,000 (around £17,650) to complete using historical documents from the 1960s.

It was then tested at Lake Cingoli in Italy, not far from the Sidecar Museum (founded by Frontalini) where it currently lives.

Back in 1964 the UK importer, Lambretta Concessionaires, decided to build the first Amphi-scooter for the 1965 Brighton show to help boost the sales of the slow-going J125 scooter.

The idea came from communications director, Phillip Keeler, with the monocoque chassis proving to be quite effective at keeping the water out. It was first tested at Portsmouth by Lambretta Concessionaires employee, Douglas Bedford and can still be viewed on the British Pathé YouTube channel (see below) riding up the Thames. It also appeared on Blue Peter.