Phil Aynsley tracks down a unique Lambretta 250 Grand Prix Racer
![Lambretta 250 Grand Prix Racer - By Phil Aynsley](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/PA-Lambretta-250-GP-Racer-LHS-1024x683.jpg)
Sometimes things just work out. Many years ago I saw an old period B&W photo of a 1950s racing Lambretta in a book. It was a beautiful looking thing but there was almost no information about it and I was never able to find out anything more.
![Lambretta 250 Grand Prix Racer - By Phil Aynsley](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/PA-Lambretta-250-GP-Racer-Engine-4-683x1024.jpg)
Fast forward to 2010 and I was looking through the posts on a bike forum and there was a link to photos taken at a classic meeting in Europe. One of the pics caught my eye (I forget what bike it was) and in the way of these things I was soon browsing on another website – where much to my astonishment, there was a recent shot of the Lambretta!
![Lambretta 250 Grand Prix Racer - By Phil Aynsley](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/PA-Lambretta-250-GP-Racer-Engine-2-1024x811.jpg)
Luckily there was enough information to track it down and I was able to make contact with the owner. The following year I was able to photograph it in Milan.
![Lambretta 250 Grand Prix Racer - By Phil Aynsley](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/PA-Lambretta-250-GP-Racer-Engine-3-1024x683.jpg)
Originally shown at the 1951 Milan Show as a dry sump, SOHC design, the 250GP evolved into a wet sump, DOHC bike by the time it was retired in 1953.
![Lambretta 250 Grand Prix Racer - By Phil Aynsley](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/PA-Lambretta-250-GP-Racer-Engine-1-1024x683.jpg)
This bike (number one of the two built) was discovered by Lambretta enthusiast Vittorio Tessera, abandoned under a pile of rubbish after the factory was closed in 1972.
![Lambretta 250 Grand Prix Racer - By Phil Aynsley](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/PA-Lambretta-250-GP-Racer-Cockpit-1024x683.jpg)
The bike was designed by Giuseppe Salmaggi and raced, not particularly successfully, by Romolo Ferri and Cirillo “Nello” Pagani.
![Lambretta 250 Grand Prix Racer - By Phil Aynsley](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/PA-Lambretta-250-GP-Racer-Brakes-683x1024.jpg)
The 54×54 bore/stroke V-twin motor used a shaft drive, with the overall transverse V-twin design predating the famous Moto Guzzi layout by some 13 years.
![Lambretta 250 Grand Prix Racer - By Phil Aynsley](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/PA-Lambretta-250-GP-Racer-Shaft-1024x683.jpg)
![Lambretta 250 Grand Prix Racer - By Phil Aynsley](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/PA-Lambretta-250-GP-Racer-Shock-713x1024.jpg)
![Lambretta 250 Grand Prix Racer - By Phil Aynsley](https://www.mcnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/PA-Lambretta-250-GP-Racer-Stickers-1024x618.jpg)