Innocenti

Italy, 1961 to date

Società Generale per l’Industria Metallugica e Meccanica, Milan

The Innocenti car is by the makers of the famous Lambretta scooter, who branched out into car manufacture in 1961 by undertaking licence-production of the Austin 948cc A40 saloon, as an Innocenti car. All their subsequest Innocenti cars have been variations on themes by the British Motor Corporation: in 1961 they also offered a Ghia-bodied Austin-Healey Sprite as an Innocenti car. Their 1963 Innocenti IM3 was the fwd Morris 1100 with servo brakes, revised grille and 58bhp engine, selling for the equivalent of £472. 1963 Sprites had the 1.098cc engine, and for selling 1965 there was the Innocenti J4, an Italianized Austin 1100 in standard tune. Later in the year came a Innocenti Mini, selling for LIT 860.000 or 110.000 lire more than the Fiat 850. In spite of the relatively high prices, Innocenti car had sold 150.000 of their BMC-based Innocenti cars by November 1966. Innocenti cars added a version of the Mini-Traveller for 1967 and also offered a 1¼-litre Innocenti car model of the Sprite, though no sports models were offered after 1971. Innocenti cars became part of the British Leyland Group in May 1972, when the range embraced the 998cc Mini saloon and Traveller, the 1.275cc Cooper 1300, and the J5, an 1100 derivative.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

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