The Montin Adventure
12,000 miles on a Lambretta, from Sydney to Paris (1956)
Photo Gallery
Read the book about the overland crossing:
"Dream Alive" (1957)
Two press reviews:
Australia/ India/Turkey
France/ UK/ including Marie Claire report
NEW: 4 recent homages
Scooter Nova magazine (UK) March-April
2026 (long article under copyright)
French scooter magazine 2011: le scooter
de l'exploit
Lambrettista
blog (UK, 2018)
Viaretro
(Denmark, 2018)
Globe-trotting
Lambretta with the Montin family in Bombay (India) in June 1956
The putput's predecessor (1953)
This site is dedicated to the memory of my father Guy Montin (1922-2004). It
presents information about the land crossing between Australia and Europe on a
small Lambretta from March 1956 to April 1957. It is updated by his son
Charles and grand-daughter Esther.
Two accounts using mainly articles published at the time, are available in pdf
format by clicking on the following links:
- Part 1 from Australia to Turkey large
file (5.5 Mb) o smaller file
(2.5 Mb)
- Part 2: France
and UK, including a long report by Marie Claire (5.5 Mb)
This is but a small part of the material available. You may contact Charles
(son of Guy and 4 years old at the time), via charles [at] montin.com
for more information.
The vehicle. I know from my father that the engine was a 150cc.
From research on the internet, it seems that it was a Lambretta Lambro 150 FD
(series 2), with front sterring and back propulsion. It was imported from
Milano to Australia.
Before that, my father had had a Lambretta with the engine of an older model
(see photo above).
My father bought the chassis only and build the car on the structure, complete
with all the trimmings and storage.
There is a photograph of the Montin family in Tabriz on the site giving the
history of the Lambretta Lambro.
Other links about Lambrette 3 wheelers:
Viet-Nam
1952 model
Czech Republic :
very good page on old models. See especially the Tri Lambretta, produced from 1952 to 1959, with
two engine sizes, 125cc and 150 cc. Ours was the more powerful model.
A good list of Lambretta images in films.
Arrival at the Montin family home in Carennac: 26 April 1957
