Gilera Classic Cars for Sale

The Gilera company was begun in 1909 by Giuseppe Gilera in the Italian town of Arcore and eventually dominated all levels of motorcycle racing with innovative, futuristic models that relied on style, strength and speed.

Pre-War Gilera Motorcycles

Gilera's motorcycle production began with the VT317. By the 1920's Gilera were making their mark in international races with their 500cc flatheads. Further developments in the 1930's resulted in the overhead Quattro Bulloni 500 and the Otto Bulloni. In 1935, Gilera's most significant step was to purchase the rights to the most powerful known engine at that time, the Rondine four cylinder engine with 45kw (60hp). Just one year later it was incorporated into Gilera's innovative racing motorcycle, the superior Rondine 500cc. It had a water cooled supercharger, double overhead camshafts and operated at 60KW (60hp) at 9000 with a maximum speed of 140mph/240kph. The design set the standard for all Gilera's subsequent models of the next forty years. The Rondine proved to be a first class motorcycle, in the setting a new world record of 274.81kmh in 1937 which they held for twenty years and led to them winning the 1939 European Championship. During the mid-thirties, Gilera also developed several four stroke engines between 100cc and 500cc including the 1939 classic, Saturno, which had been inspired by the Otto Bulloni VTEGS 500cc.

Post-War Gilera Motorcycles

Once production had resumed after the turmoil of the Second World War, Gilera introduced an updated version of the Saturno along with a series of small to medium sized engines. The Saturno was in production between 1947 and 1959, featuring a single cylinder 498cc OHV engine and a rear suspension with twin spring coils. However, the Saturno San Remo version met with success on home ground but failed to compete successfully against multi-cylinder opponents.

Race Track Gilera Dominance

The 1950's was Gilera's true golden age of race track dominance. In the Moto GP World Championship, they scored victories in 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955 and 1957, adding Manufacturer's Awards in the 500cc category for the years 1952, 1953, 1955 and 1957. They finished first in the Isle of Man TT in 1955 and 1957. With Italian titles and Tourist Trophies, they had collected a total of forty Grand Prix awards by the late 1950's. The next decade saw Gilera slipping to second or third place and even though sales were still high, Gilera became part of the expanding Paggio group. Under Paggio's leadership, the Gilera brand continued to perform well with stylish models such as the Bicilindrica Cross and the CX165, leading to a brief return to Moto Cross racing in the nineties.