Lui per tutti... tutti per Lui

The Italian word ‘lui’ translates as ‘he’ in English, but there is nothing masculine about the type of machine I’ve come to see. I see it rather as the travelling companion of a woman – blonde and slim, who gets up early to find the best deals at the fruit and vegetable market, perhaps carrying away her purchases in a distinctly feminine wicker basket attached to the handlebars.

In days gone by, the Lui scooter was at the epicentre of a seismic commercial struggle between those two giants of Italian industry, Innocenti and Piaggio, with neither sparing any expense in showcasing their wares to the public through rival advertising campaigns. The battle was played out across the covers of magazines, on billboards and on colourful posters clinging to street furniture.

Innocenti spared no puns when it came to pushing its radically-styled new machine. ‘Lui per tutti... tutti per Lui’ was the catchy slogan used, which loosely translated as ‘All for him... him for everyone’. Innocenti wanted everyone to have