Moto Guzzi Classic Cars for Sale

Moto Guzzi, the Italian motorcycle manufacturer, was founded in 1921 by two former Italian air force pilots and a wealthy backer in the town of Mandello Del Lario. The company, and the brand, was named after one of the founders, Carlo Guzzi who was also the designer.

The early years of Moto Guzzi

The first Moto Guzzi engine design was a horizontal single and it dominated the first 45 years of the company's history. It was used in models such as the Normale, the Sport 15, the Alce, the Egretta, the Airone, the Motoleggera, the Falcone and the Cardellino. In 1935, the Moto Guzzi riding team came to prominence by winning the Isle of Man TT in the Lightweight and Senior races, thus establishing the Moto Guzzi marque. By the 1950's, Moto Guzzi was dominating the middleweight motorcycle classes in Grand Prix racing, with designs by Giulio Carcano. Moto Guzzi won 5 consecutive 350cc world championships in this decade and Carcano's design for the V8 500cc GP Race Bike had one of the most complex engine designs ever.

The middle years of Moto Guzzi

Despite the success of Moto Guzzi designs, the company fell into serious financial crisis in the 1960's due to the death of its financial backer and his son. In 1967, it was taken over by a state-owned receiver. This saw Moto Guzzi adapting away from motorcycles to automobiles and also mopeds, including models such as the Dingo and the Trotter. But they still produced excellent motorcycles engines including the 90 degree V twin engine which was destined to be become an icon of the Moto Guzzi brand. In 1973, the company was taken back into private ownership by De Tomaso of Argentina and returned to profitability. It was during this period, in 1976, that Moto Guzzi released the 850 Le Mans model, a beautifully styled motorbike which proved to be one of the most cherished and sought-after Moto Guzzi models.

Moto Guzzi to the present day

The company was acquired by Aprilla in the year 2000 but their ownership tenure proved to be quite brief as Aprilla themselves fell into financial difficulties. Nonetheless, Aprilla had committed a large sum of money to the renovation of the Moto Guzzi Mandello factory. New laws requiring the wearing of helmets and increased insurance rates for teenagers both had an impact on sales and severely impacted on the company's profitability. In 2004, the company was taken over by Piaggio who invested heavily, thereby enabling Moto Guzzi to manufacture and release a new line of retro-themed designs such as the 2008 V7 Classic.