Moto Bellissima

Global Success for the Fratelli Boselli 
After the retreating German army razed their truck factory during the Allied advance through Italy, brothers Giuseppe, Carlo, Ettore, and Luigi Boselli launched a new venture in Milan in 1948 to supply war-torn Italy's need for basic transportation. FB Mondial—the initials for "Fratelli Boselli" and Mondial translated from French as "Global"—quickly earned a reputation for producing high-quality, lightweight motorcycles. With a keen understanding that racing victories were vital to the company's acceptance among the fraternity of motorcycle manufacturers, Giuseppe Boselli collaborated with chief engineer Alfonso Drusiani to produce a radical new racer. Drusiani's 125cc four-stroke single cylinder engine with twin overhead camshafts took rivals Morini and MV Agusta by storm and earned global acclaim on racetracks throughout Europe and Great Britain.

Mondial introduced its first production roadsters in 1950. The pushrod four-stroke 125cc bikes possessed some styling and engineering similarities to their racing counterparts, and were offered in sport, super sport, and touring trim. Each featured identical frames with pressed-steel girder forks and plunger rear suspension. Although more expensive than counterparts offered by rival companies, the Mondial roadsters were particularly sturdy, fast, and in high demand by riding enthusiasts eager to mount bikes so similar to the world champions of the racing circuit. Mondial's Grand Prix titles in 1949, 1950, and 1951 were referenced in the company's logo on the gas tanks of its roadsters.

Moto Rumi's "Hunchback" 
In the late 1940s, Donnino Rumi, who had converted his father's foundry into a diversified production factory during the 1920s, recognized the changing patterns of consumption during Italy's postwar recovery and decided to focus on the manufacture of lightweight motorcycles. Rumi based their motorcycle's power plant on designer Pietro Vassena's two-stroke, horizontal twin cylinder engine with 125cc capacity, a radically novel configuration that contrasted with the four-stroke, vertical single cylinder design employed since the pioneering days of motorcycle history. A prototype was developed in 1949, and a definitive version generated tremendous interest when it debuted in March of 1950.

Rumi's first-year success with street motorcycles in 1950 encouraged the company to produce a model specifically for racing. Their objective was to make a reliable machine that maximized the liveliness of the 125cc two-stroke twin on a lightweight frame. When introduced at the Milan Motorcycle Exhibition in 1951, Rumi's Competition SS 52 was dubbed the "Gobbetto" (Hunchback)—a name inspired by the unusual hump in its elongated fuel tank, which ended abruptly above the steering head. Although the Gobbetto had difficulty competing with four-stroke racing bikes at topflight speed events, it performed quite well on urban circuits, endurance races, and hill events where acceleration and the skill of the rider played a greater role. A new version with various modifications and a slightly more rounded form was introduced in 1953, but the Gobbetto nickname remained in use for this distinctive motorcycle. A total of no more than fifty units left the line before Rumi ended production of this model in 1955.

Devil's Top-of-the-Line 
Officine Costruzioni Martinelli di Bergamo in Northern Italy began as a manufacturer of gears for Italian automakers such as Ansaldo and Fiat prior to World War II. After perceiving the growing demand for affordable and efficient personal transportation during Italy's recovery, the company began producing motorcycles in 1953 under the name Moto Devil, a curiously named marque in a predominantly Catholic country. Engineer William Soncini distinguished himself with a series of two-stroke motorcycles that earned a number of racing victories in 1955 and 1956. In addition to the successful 160cc two-stroke platform, Devil also built a four-stroke 20bhp 175 overhead valve single-cylinder race bike that topped 100 mph; very fast for the time.

Devil's top-of-the-line 160 Raid production bike featured a compact, modern frame similar to the race version, with its tubular double-cradle design only slightly modified to accommodate the air filter at the left rear. Other minor changes included raising the large fenders a few inches from the wheels and placing two metal trunks below the seats to carry necessary tools and spare parts. Very few Raids were built and most were painted red. This example in white is exceedingly rare. Although a good performer, the company's 160cc bikes may have suffered from appearing too similar to rival MV Agusta's highly touted 150cc engine that debuted the same year; and its 175cc was matched, perhaps unfairly, with Moto Parilla's entry. Devil racers were frequently successful, but the company was unable to achieve the ultimate victory, a Grand Prix championship, and pressures from its competitors forced the company's closure in 1957.

MV Agusta's "Flying Saucer" 
Milan's MV Agusta was established as a motorcycle manufacturer in 1945, retaining employment for workers at the Agusta aviation company at the end of World War II. The "M" stood for Meccanica (mechanics) and "V" for Verghera (the city in which the factory was established). Production motorcycles were largely made and sold to fund the factory's racing team, which experienced great success in the 125cc class beginning in the late 1940s. MV introduced an 8bhp overhead camshaft 175cc design at the Milan Motorcycle Exhibition in 1952. A year later, MV introduced their 11bhp CS Sport model with telescopic forks and the unique winged tank. After viewing the tank's distinctive shape, the media dubbed the bike the "Disco Volante," or flying saucer. Encouraged by the very popular 175cc production racing classes needing higher performance, and underpinned by their racing background, MV introduced the higher performance 15bhp Earles fork CSS Super Sport overhead camshaft 175cc model at the 1954 annual Milan show.

This CSS Super Sport "Disco Volante" was recently restored for this exhibition. Prior to restoration, it was successfully campaigned in the two-day, 300-mile, 2010 Giro d'California where it placed first in the 175cc Class and first place overall. It was restored as close to its original condition as possible, except for the addition of a modern battery-less electronic ignition for greater reliability. It will be returned to the road and campaigned at future riding events following this exhibition.

Benelli's Little Lion 
In 1911 in Pesaro, Italy, the widow Teresa Benelli established a repair garage to support her six sons. The successful business evolved to manufacture parts and eventually presented its first motorcycle in 1921. Racing success soon followed, with Benelli bikes earning championships throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The company made its mark in 1937 with a 250cc 4-cylinder double overhead camshaft bike that was one of the fastest motorcycles of its class at that time. After the destruction of its factory from bombing raids during WWII, and the removal of salvaged machinery to Germany by departing German forces, Benelli did not reopen until 1949. Two of the Benelli brothers left at this time to form a rival company, Motobi, where they developed the classic egg-shaped engine style used in one form or another by Motobi, Benelli, and another Italian firm, Aermacchi.

Benelli's 250cc Leonessa (Lioness) and 125cc Leoncino (Little Lion) were well received by attendees of the 1951 Milan Motorcycle Exhibition. The Leoncino was offered in both two-stroke and four-stroke versions and employed an elaborate chain-driven overhead camshaft using a cascade of gears. Leo Tartarini, who later founded the Italian motorcycle firm Italjet, rode a two-stroke Leoncino to victory in the 1953 Motogiro d'Italia, Italy's primary long-distance time trial race and proving grounds for the motorcycle industry in the 1950s. The Leoncino became the factory's most successful production bike of the 1950s.

Ceccato and Taglioni 
In 1950, Pietro Ceccato hired Fabio Taglioni as design consultant at his motorcycle factory in Montecchio Maggiore near Vicenza in Northern Italy. Taglioni was an airplane and motorcycle mechanic during World War II and had recently graduated with an industrial engineering degree from the University of Bologna. Taglioni's first engine for Ceccato was a 75cc overhead camshaft single designed with assistance from students he instructed at Bologna's polytechnic institute. The bike's tremendous success at the Motogiro d'Italia, a long-distance rally through Italy and the industry's primary proving grounds, attracted the attention of rival Mondial, which hired Taglioni away in 1952. Mondial, in turn, lost Taglioni to Ducati in 1954, where the legendary engineer made history with a series of highly innovative and successful race bikes.

Ceccato produced a wide range of both two-stroke and four-stroke motorcycles after Taglioni's departure. Particularly successful were their smaller bikes with camshaft drives that employed a train of gears up the offside of the cylinder. The 75cc version won its class during the 1956 Milano-Taranto race, and the 98cc version challenged both Ducati and Laverda in the 100cc category. This 160cc International Sport was produced for street racing. It features modern shocks, having recently competed in the revival of Motogiro d'Italia. The exhaust pipe's cover was closed to quiet the bike through town, and then reopened once back in the countryside. This bike's original owner affixed a religious medallion to the pipe offering protection to the rider, following a tradition of racers attaching good-luck charms to their motorcycles. The bag at the rear of the bike was not stock but was added for carrying racing paper work and spare spark plugs.

Taglioni's "Marianna" 
In 1946, Ducati made an early and important contribution to Italy's postwar recovery with the production of Europe's first new postwar automotive design, the Cucciolo (Little Puppy), a four-stroke clip-on engine that powered bicycles. More than 200,000 were sold before the company developed its own 60cc motorcycle in 1950. Ducati Meccanica developed a racing team to help publicize their bikes in 1953. Although the company's racers regularly finished well in the standings in the early 1950s, they did not achieve a first-place finish until engineer Fabio Taglioni was recruited from rival Mondial and developed an overhead camshaft single, the Gran Sport, in both 100cc and 125cc. The bike was dubbed the "Marianna" due to Taglioni's design securing approval during the Catholic celebration of St. Mary. The bevel head Ducatis won the top five places in both classes in their first entry in 1956.

Privateer Italo Piana, a supremely talented racer and mechanic, tuned Taglioni's engine, modified his own frame, and hand-hammered a dustbin-style fairing on this bike, which he piloted to the closed-course track racing championship in Italy in 1956 and 1957. Dustbin-style fairings added to a bike's top speed, but were dangerously unstable in crosswinds and were banned from sanctioned racing in 1957. The image of the prancing horse applied to the sides of early Ducati racing bikes and on Ferrari race cars was an homage to Italian World War I flying ace, Francesco Baracca, who symbolized the traits of sportsmanship and bravery and whose plane bore the insignia as a reminder of his cavalry service. Piana's blood type was handwritten atop this Marianna's tank in a customary practice for bikes that were ridden exclusively; otherwise, it was listed on the riders' helmets.

Peripoli's "Juliet" 
The Fratelli Peripoli company established Giulietta as a division to make mopeds and scooters in the late 1950s. The name was perhaps inspired by the nearby tourist attraction, the legendary home of Juliet Capulet in neighboring Verona. After a revision of Italy's Highway Code in 1959 made 50cc motorcycles an attractive option for younger riders, the company produced the 50cc Giulietta Super Sport in both moped and motorcycle versions. The bike's space-age styling helped distinguish the Giulietta in a crowded field of newly introduced, small-displacement motorcycles. Its streamlined body gracefully flared outward over the rear tire similar to the style of the era's automobiles. A distinctive tan-and-blue color scheme was employed on nearly every element, including its heavily padded seat.

The Giulietta Super Sport cost little to run and was relatively easy to maintain. While most of Giulietta's output was powered by Minarelli two-stroke engines, the Giulietta Super Sport used a Moto Morini Franco two-stroke motor, suspended below the pressed-steel frame as a stressed member of the bike. All the engine mounts were made of rubber, and a cush-drive rear hub smoothed out the Giulietta Super Sport's power delivery. Oil-filled heavy-duty telescoping forks, a torsion-free frame, powerful brakes, and alloy hubs contributed to the bike's overall comfort and ease of use, making the Giulietta Super Sport popular with that considerable segment of the country's motorcycle riders using their bikes for utilitarian purposes more than recreation or sport.

Alfonso Morini's Gamble 
Moto Morini's origins began with a partnership between Mario Mazzetti and Alfonso Morini, who built a highly regarded two-stroke 125cc race bike as their first motorcycle in 1924 under the marque Motocicli MM. MM bikes were remarkably successful in the 1920s and 1930s, with their 125cc establishing six world records at the Monza racetrack in 1927, and their 175cc setting a new record for its class with a speed of more than 100 miles per hour in 1933. Morini, wishing to expand the business and increase production, broke with Mazzetti in 1937 and established a rival business under his own name. This was a significant gamble, as the motorcycle industry was in considerable turmoil while Italy's economy was mobilizing for war. Morini's fledgling factory produced lightweight trucks and then military equipment during World War II, prior to the plant's partial destruction in Allied bombing raids in 1943.

After the war ended in 1945, Morini was finally able to return the company's focus to motorcycle design and production, presenting a new model to the public as early as 1946. In 1953, Morini introduced a four-stroke 175cc pushrod overhead valve engine on models including three that referenced Italian card games—the Settebello, the Briscola, and the Tresette, or "Three Sevens." Morini's 1958 Tresette is perhaps the first production motorcycle to feature a race tail—an aerodynamic extension of the body behind the motorcycle seat. Morini's 1963 Tresette Sprint features a double-barreled Silentium exhaust system, alloy head and cylinder barrel, a finned oil sump and finned rear brake plate, and side-panel decals that reference the card game for which it was named.

Mondial's First-Class Record 
FB Mondial achieved sudden and lasting fame in the motorcycle world by earning ten world titles in its first nine years of operation in postwar Italy. Mondial's racing victories translated to the successful marketing of production bikes for the general public. After the company's withdrawal from racing, first in 1957 and then again in 1966, sales of their esteemed 125cc to 175cc roadsters plummeted. Although the company was in decline in the 1960s, the famous factory continued to produce extraordinary motorcycles on occasion. An example is the Record Sport, introduced at the 1965 Milan Motorcycle Exhibition and designed to mimic the increasingly popular 50cc race bikes of the mid-1960s.

The Record was a 48cc two-stroke single cylinder bike with four gears, an angled carburetor, and 5bhp. A long narrow tank, short seat with raised tail, and mechanically operated Campagnolo disc front brake enhanced its racing appearance. The Record was the first production motorcycle of this size to adopt a disc brake and featured several high-end components, such as lightweight alloy rims and telescopic hydraulic shocks. The overall production quality and attention to details on the Record far exceeded what customers expected from a machine in the 50cc class.

Itom and the 50cc Class 
Itom was an early contributor to Italy's motorcycle industry after World War II and secured an excellent reputation for its 50cc and 65cc single-cylinder two-stroke engines by the mid-1950s. The Astor Super Sport, a 50cc motorcycle with three speeds and handlebar gearshifts, debuted in 1954. Itom was a major contributor to the booming popularity of small-displacement motorcycles in the late 1950s and 1960s. The company's successes on the racetrack led to Grand Prix championship racing status for the 50cc class in 1962. Although Itom never entered production racers, private riders on the company's bikes comprised the majority of racers in the 50cc class from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, before yielding to production racers by Honda and Kreidler.

This Astor Super Sport from 1969 features Itom's familiar yellow-and-white color scheme, used to dramatic effect on its long "shark" style fuel tank, bisected across the top by a leather strap. The round tail and angular forms of both the headlight and the tank, which curiously featured two gas caps, provided the Astor Super Sport with a distinctive appearance. The bike's excellent performance further distinguished the Astor Super Sport in a crowded field of 50cc entries.

Drusiani's Masterpiece 
FB (Fratelli Boselli) Mondial, established in 1948, made an immediate impact on motorcycle racing with its technically advanced double overhead camshaft 125cc engine. Designer Alfonso Drusiani's creation employed a short vertical shaft beside the cylinder to drive a train of five gears within the cylinder head. The two camshafts were driven by the gears at each end of the train of five gears. The engine revved freely due to a nearly "square" stroke of 53mm x 56.4mm and the precise valve actuation from the overhead camhafts, providing the bike with extraordinary power. Its first race at the 1948 Grand Prix of Nations in Faenza ended prematurely due to a split gas tank, but soon afterward, the bike established new speed records in standing start ¼ mile and kilometer sprints and earned a victory at Monza in the inaugural year of the new Grand Prix circuit in 1949.

Drusiani's machine outclassed rivals MV Agusta and Benelli, winning every single race in the 125cc series from 1949 to 1951 and transforming the perception of the ultra-lightweight class among industry insiders and racing fans alike. Carlo Ubbiali rode this bike to a 125cc class Grand Prix world championship in 1951 on his way to dominating the 125cc and 250cc classes during the Grand Prix's early years, winning one world championship for Mondial and eight for MV Agusta before retiring in 1960 at age thirty, still at the height of his racing prowess.