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Innocenti
The Italian automobile manufacturer Innocenti was founded by Ferdinando Innocenti in Lambrate, close to Milano, in 1931. Innocenti’s first major success was the production of the legendary Lambretta.
The history of Innocenti
The first car Innocenti mass-produced was a licensed model of another brand. In 1965 Innocenti started production of the Innocenti Mini, an other licensed model that was optically and technically close to the original but differed in some details. After the death of the company’s founder Ferdinando Innocenti in 1966, British Leyland acquired it. Over the course of the three years the Brits managed the company, production of the Lambretta was moved to India. Alejandro de Tomas bought Innocenti in 1975 and moved back to producing mainly licensed models. After some restructuring and acquisitions, Innocenti became part of the Fiat corporation in 1990. The brand name Innocenti has not been used since 1997.
Classic Innocenti models
Among the classic Innocenti models, the Innocenti Mini, Mini de Tomaso, and 950 Sport, are certainly among the most iconic. Purchase of an Innocenti Mini old-timer in good condition proves to be rather difficult. Unsealed hollow spaces, and doors, hoods and fenders prone to rust are make finding a well maintained Innocenti Mini problematic. On the other hand, the series’engine proved to be quite robust and resilient. However, it requires regular inspections and will not survive a sporty driving style for prolonged periods - it damages the engine mounts.
At the Salon International de l’Automobile 1960 in Turin, Innocenti introduced the Innocenti 950 Sport, an open two-seater passenger car with a four cylinder engine, 949 ccm displacement and a top speed of 140 km/h. It was designed by Tom Tjaarda, with a mechanical base by Auston-Healey Sprite. The 950 Sport convinced with a stylish design and a competitive price but it had only 48 BHP. Nevertheless it is as much of a looker today as it was back then and it is a sought after treasure among old-timer collectors.
The Innocenti logo
Over the course of time, several Inicennti logos have been in use, some looking similar, some in stark contrast to the others. The most recognizable logo is a stylized “i”, that is also an “n”- The initials of the brand name.