Innocenti

Innocenti, pronounced in Italian as [innoˈtʃɛnti], was a machinery works founded by Ferdinando Innocenti in 1920. The company produced a variety of products over the years, including Lambretta scooters and automobiles, many of which were based on designs from British Leyland. However, the Innocenti brand was eventually retired in 1996, six years after being acquired by Fiat.

In post-WWII years, Innocenti gained fame for its Lambretta scooter models, including LI125, LI150, TV175, TV200, SX125, SX150, SX200, GP125, GP150, and GP200. From 1961 to 1976, it built the BMC Mini under license, followed by other models, before being acquired by British Leyland in 1972. In 1976, it was reorganized by the De Tomaso Group and renamed Nuova Innocenti. The loss of the original Mini and Regent led to falling sales until the Bertone-bodied Mini began selling better. After the engine deal with Leyland ended, Daihatsu became its partner and provided drivetrains and access to its sales network. Innocenti ended its car production in early 1993 and ceased operations in 1996 after Fiat took over and sales of rebadged models ended.