Last week, through our friend Camilo Marchessi, arrived to El Siambrettista’s editorial an unique discovery: An “exchangeable” color catalog of the Siambretta 175 TV!. Definitively, in light of the importance of such information, it was impossible for us not to publish it to the Siambrettistic/Lambrettistic community, isn’t it?
 |  |  |
| Catalog | Front Cover | Back Cover |
This catalog has a hard cover made of something like acetate, which was printed with a black background and a Siambretta TV 175 sideways, with the side panel and legshield in transparent; Inside the catalog there are six sheets with different colors. In this way, puting the chosen color sheet back to the cover, you could see the color layout of the Siambretta you wanted to buy.
Although there’s not evidence this material is (or not) original from Siam, we believe -based on the type of usage of this catalog- that this piece of information could be given by Siam -or some big distributor- to concessionaires or sales point.
The Colors
This catalog is made up of six color sheets, distributed in this order:
Naranja (Orange)
 |  |  |
| Orance sheet | Orange sheet back | Orange Siambretta color layout |
Pino (Pine Tree)
 |  |  |
| Pino sheet | Pino sheet back | Pino Siambretta color layout |
Heliotropo (Heliotrope)
 |  |  |
| Heliotropo sheet | Heliotropo sheet back | Heliotropo Siambretta color layout |
Bermellón (Vermilion)
 |  |  |
| Bermellón sheet | Bermellón sheet back | Bermellón Siambretta color layout |
Gris Plata (Silver Grey)
 |  |  |
| Gris Plata sheet | Gris Plata sheet back | Gris Plata Siambretta color layout |
Zafiro (Sapphire)
 |  |  |
| Zafiro sheet | Zafiro sheet back | Zafiro Siambretta color layout |
Furthermore, if we would like to represent this colors on computer, the RGB color codes are:
- Naranja: 236-53-20
- Pino: 35-123-98
- Heliotropo: 62-119-120
- Bermellón: 201-43-23
- Gris Plata: 188-206-198
- Zafiro: 19-67-113
In this way, and without any doubt, it’s unveiled of the many “mysteries” in the Siambretta’s world: The original color layout of the Siambretta 175 TV.
And what about the Siambretta 125 and 150?
Up to now there aren’t official evidence about the color layout of this Siambretta models. Something confirmed we have, based on sayings of ex siam workers closed related to the Siambretta’s paint section, is that the color of this Siambretta model is quite similar to the Lambretta’s Verde Oliva (Green Olive). In our Downloads section you can find this Lechler’s Lambretta Color Catalog with the PPGs color codes, with the Green Olive between them.
 |
| Lechler PSG Color Table |
We can assure the color was “quite similar” to Green Olive thanks to the sayings of this ex workers who, also, told us that the new employees of the Siambretta’s paint section were sent to mix the different inks to create this famous “Siambretta Green”, as a way “of learning the duties of the job”.
As you can imagine, that inexperience combined with poor color mixing technology made that the thousands of lots of Siambrettas doesn’t have the exactly same color.
In El Siambrettista we tirelessly work to find out high quality information of the time, with the aim of having a trusted source of information and, in this way, to learn and to have a better understanding of our national vehicule. Because of this, it’s so gratifying for us to write an article with such a trusted information like this one.
It’s because of that, if you consider you have information or material of the time that could be considered interesting for all our readers or Siambretta/Lambretta owners, Contact us!
