Heritage

Ferdinando Innocenti was born in Pescia on September 1^st 1891. His father, Dante Innocenti, was a blacksmith and moved the family to Grosseto, where he opened two hardware stores.

In 1923, Ferdinando moved to Rome as the Italian capital modernised after WWI, opening a heavy machinery and scaffolding warehouse. A scaffolding clamp created by Ferdinando was patented and is still referred to as an “Innocenti Pipe” today.

Luigi Innocenti was born on December 19^th 1923. The son of Ferdinando, he graduated in engineering and joined the family business. Luigi was known for generosity and kindness, and as he rose to prominence earned a reputation for mentoring young people. His respectful ethics were the basis, 100 years in advance, of what the Ferdinando & Luigi Innocenti Foundation stands for today.

The “Innocenti Pipe” innovation led to a unique contract at the Sistine Chapel, in which the Innocenti company assembled and dismantled scaffolding without interfering with the priceless art of Michelangelo. Innocenti were contracted for further prestigious work, installing complex rain irrigation systems at both the Pope’s Gardens and Vatican Gardens.

Across the 1930s, following continued success in Rome, Innocenti quadrupled in size. This gave Ferdinando the confidence to expand into Milan.

Ahead of the 1934 football World Cup, the Italian government tasked Innocenti with expanding stadiums on a massive scale, building a variety of huge stands, stages, runways and gymnasiums using their heavy industry expertise. During this period, Ferdinando was responsible for 7,000 staff, working across the building, agriculture, piping and mechanical industries.

Following the end of WWII, Ferdinando was determined to assist in the rebuilding of his beloved Italy, buying farms around his damaged factories to ensure his employees and local communities were able eat. After seeing the vehicles used by American soldiers on the beaches of Italy during the Battle of Anzio, Ferdinando was inspired to design and produce a low-cost, versatile and dependable vehicle for the working classes. The project was ambitious, completely unique for Innocenti, and would change the world forever. The Lambretta scooter was born. 

In 1947, Innocenti started production of the iconic Lambretta scooter using huge machinery, patented by Innocenti, which weighed 500 tonnes and was capable of cutting-edge design.

By 1952, 8,000 scooters were being produced each month. The Lambretta, both affordable and robust, opened new adventures for young people, becoming a symbol of freedom across the globe.

In 1953, with sales soaring, the University of Milan awarded Ferdinando an honorary degree in engineering, which he viewed as one of his proudest achievements. With over 4 million scooters sold worldwide, the Lambretta is the defining legacy of the genius of Ferdinando Innocenti.

Following the success of the Lambretta, Innocenti enjoyed continued growth. In 1955, Ferdinando received an extraordinary order worth $350 million from the Venezuelan government to build a hydroelectric power plant on the Orinoco River.

In 1959, Innocenti signed a seven-year agreement to become a licensed manufacturer for the British Motor Corporation. The decision to move into car manufacturing was directed by Luigi and would lead Innocenti to create several classic vehicles, including the iconic Innocenti Mini.

Due to the popularity of the vehicles, Ferdinando and Luigi were given the honour of accompanying Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in a specially prepared Innocenti car - named Filippa - for “British Week” in Milan in 1965, with Philip given a special tour of the Innocenti factory.

In 1966, Ferdinando Innocenti, one of the great industrial leaders of modern times, passed away. Luigi replaced his father as President of Innocenti.

Luigi had started to experience health problems, and this coupled with a period of economic downturn, forced Luigi to sell the car division of Innocenti to British Leyland in 1972. The Lambretta brand was purchased by Scooter India Ltd.  The popularity of Lambretta scooters endured, however, with manufacturing continuing for many years after the sale of Innocenti.

Lorenzo Innocenti was born on December 4th 1981. He travelled to the United Kingdom to study at London Guildhall University, developing a love for Britain and its culture. It was here Lorenzo first imagined the Ferdinando & Luigi Innocenti Foundation, paying tribute to the inventive and kind-hearted principles of his father and grandfather.

In January 2023, exactly 100 years after the birth of Luigi, the Ferdinando & Luigi Innocenti Foundation was officially registered as a charity.