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Innocenti

Innocenti was an Italian machinery works originally established by Ferdinando Innocenti in 1920. Over the years they produced Lambretta scooters as well as a range of automobiles, mainly of British Leyland origins. The brand was retired in 1996, six years after a takeover by Fiat.
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Wayne Long
"Cortile Cup" Giudice Supremo
Owner, Mid-Atlantic Sports Cars
cell: 304.282.6686

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Innocenti History

Innocenti was an Italian machinery works originally established by Ferdinando Innocenti in 1920.

After World War II, Innocenti was famous for many years for Lambretta scooters models such as LI125, LI150, TV175, TV200, SX125, SX150, SX200, GP125, GP150 and GP200.

From 1961 to 1976 Innocenti built under licence the BMC (later the British Leyland Motor Corporation, or BLMC for short) Mini, with 998 cc and 1,275 cc engines, followed by other models, including the Regent (Allegro), with engines up to 1,485 cc. The company of this era is commonly called Leyland Innocenti. The Innocenti Spyder (1961–70) was a rebodied version of the Austin-Healey MKII Sprite (styling by Ghia). The car was produced by OSI, near Milan. In 1972 BLMC took over control of the company.

In 1972 Innocenti's land, buildings and equipment were purchased by British Leyland in a deal involving approximately £3 million.  The British company had high hopes for its newly acquired subsidiary at a time when, they reported to the UK press, Italian Innocenti sales were second only to those of Fiat, and ahead of Volkswagen and Renault: there was talk of further increasing annual production from 56,452 in 1971 to 100,000. However, the peak production under BLMC was 62,834 in 1972, in spite of exports increasing from one (1) car in 1971 to more than 17,000 in 1974.  Demonstrating their ambitions, the British company installed as Managing Director one of their youngest UK based senior executives, the then 32-year old former Financial Controller Geoffrey Robinson. Three years later BLMC ran out of money and was nationalised by the UK government.

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In February 1976, the Innocenti ​passed to Alejandro de Tomaso and was reorganised by the De Tomaso Group under the name Nuova Innocenti. Benelli had a share and British Leyland retained five percent, with De Tomaso owning forty-four percent with the aid of a rescue plan from GEPI (an Italian public agency intended to provide investment for troubled corporations). Management was entirely De Tomaso's responsibility, however, and later in 1976 GEPI and De Tomaso combined their 95% of Innocenti (and all of Maserati) into one new holding company.
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1975 Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300
However, with the loss of the original Mini, the Austin I5, and the (admittedly slow-selling) Regent, sales were in freefall. Production was nearly halved in 1975 and was down to about a fifth of the 1974 levels in 1976. After this crisis, however, the new Bertone-bodied Mini began selling more strongly and production climbed to a steady 40,000 per annum by the end of the '70s. The first model had Bertone-designed five-seater bodywork and was available with Leyland's 998 cc and 1275 cc engines.

Exports, which had been carried out mainly by British Leyland's local concessionaires, began drying up in the early eighties as BL did not want to see internal competition from the Innocenti Mini. Sales to France (Innocenti's biggest export market) ended in 1980, with German sales coming to a halt in 1982. Around the same time, the engine deal with Leyland ended, and production soon dropped into the low twenty thousands. Later models, from model year 1983 on, used 993 cc three-cylinder engines made by Daihatsu of Japan. De Tomaso developed a turbocharged version of this engine for Daihatsu which found use in both Innocenti's and Daihatsu's cars.
In addition to building their own cars, De Tomaso also had Innocenti use their factory capacity in producing bodywork for and providing final assembly of the Maserati Biturbo, Quattroporte, and the Chrysler TC by Maserati. As production kept decreasing, and prices vis-à-vis competing Fiat products increased, Innocenti attempted to stay relevant by adding ever higher and more individual equipment. Innocenti kept building their own cars until 1992. Beginning in 1990, when Fiat took over, Innocenti also sold Yugo's Koral and Brazilian-sourced versions of the Fiat Uno (Elba station wagon and Uno Mille) in the Italian market. The marque ended when sales of these rebadged models came to a halt in 1996.

In 2016 we had the pleasure of having a Innocenti Mini join us at the Cortile.  Check out the story here:
THE ITALIAN JOB: AN INNOCENTI MINI

Last Edit: 4 May 2017
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The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association is a federally registered 501c (3) non-profit organization with a mission to hold a world-class vintage automotive race event for charity. 

Since 1983 this volunteer-driven event has raised over $6 million to benefit autistic and developmentally disabled individuals through the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley School. The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix remains North America's largest vintage race event, the only one run on city streets, and the 8th largest car show in the World.

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All Rights Reserved.

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  • Home
    • Media Registration
    • About
    • History >
      • Proiettore 2022
      • Proiettore 2021
      • Proiettore 2019
      • Proiettore 2018
      • Proiettore 2017
      • Proiettore 2016 >
        • Friday 2016
      • Proiettore 2015 >
        • Wednesday 2015
        • Thursday 2015
        • Friday 2015
      • Proiettore 2014
    • Contact
    • Event Rules
    • Trailer Parking
    • Staff info >
      • Volunteer Form
      • Set up & Staging
      • To Do
      • Receiving Tent
      • Reception Tent
      • Parking
      • Clubhouse
      • Westinghouse
      • Emergency
  • News
  • Cortile Cup
    • Judging
    • Definitions
    • Cortile Cup 2021
    • Cortile Cup 2017
    • Cortile Cup 2016
    • Cortile Cup 2015
    • Cortile Cup 2014
    • Cortile Cup 2013
    • Cortile Cup 2012
    • Cortile Cup 2011
    • Inception
  • Marques
    • Carrozzeria >
      • Bertone
      • Ghia
      • Pininfarina
      • Scaglietti
      • Vignale
      • Zagato
    • Abarth
    • Alfa Romeo
    • Bandini
    • Bizzarrini
    • Cisitalia
    • De Tomaso
    • Ferrari
    • Fiat
    • Innocenti
    • Iso Rivolta
    • Lamborghini
    • Lancia
    • Maserati
    • Moretti
    • Siata
    • Stanguellini
    • Taraschi
  • Sponsors
    • Ferrari of Philadelphia
    • Maserati of Pittsburgh
    • Pitt SAE Race Team
    • State Farm
    • Become a Sponsor
  • Events
    • Proiettore 2023
    • Saturday
    • Sunday