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80 years of Moto Guzzi Excellence |
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1917 Carlo Guzzi and Giorgio Parodi meet
in the Italian Air Force and agree to start a motorcycle company after
the war. A third pilot in their unit, Giovanni Ravelli, was a well-known racer of the time. He would have become a Moto Guzzi partner as well, but he was killed in a plane crash. |
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1920 Built with the help of the town
blacksmith in the moutain village of Mandello, Carlo Guzzi's original
prototype features a four-valve overhead-cam 500 cc single-cylinder engine
mounted horizontally. 1921 Seventeen production models are produced at the Mandello del Lario factory. Moto Guzzi makes its racing debut in the Milan-to-Naples race. Later that year, Guzzi racing wins its first race: the torturous Targa Florio. |
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1924
After the championship of Europe at the Monza Autodrome, the Secretary
of the International Federation wrote: "The three Guzzis . . dominated
the event virtually from beginning to end, thus proving the importance
of the Italian mortorcycle industry." 1928 With the G.T. (Grand Tourer), Moto Guzzi introduced the sprung frame. The world was not yet ready, however and only 78 were ever built. |
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1930 A horizontal 4-cylinder competition bike is introduced. In
this era, all of the men at the Moto Guzzi factory sign their hand-built engines personally. |
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1933 Moto Guzzi introduces its first V-Twin, the 500 cc "Bicilidrica". | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1935
Irishman Stanley Woods rides a "quarter-liter" -class Guzzi victory
in the Tourist Trophy race on the Isle of Man. It was the first win
by a non-British machine in 24 years. 1940-45 Moto Guzzi production is interrupted by World War II. 1947 A Guzzi takes the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy once more--the factory team's first post-war win. |
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1955 The
otto cilindri, or 8-cylinder Guzzi debuts at the Belgian Grand Prix. The
only motorcycle of its kind ever built, the V8 proved to be a formidable
racing machine. 1957 Moto Guzzi wins its fifth consecutive world champonship in the 350 cc class. Later that same year, the company officially retires from Grand Prix racing after 3,000 victories and 8 world championships. |
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1960 Under
contract to the Italian military, Moto Guzzi produces the truck-like 3 X 3, powered by a totally new engine: the 90-degree transverse V-twin. |
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1965 700-cc
V7 makes its debut at the Milan show. With it is introduced the 90-degree
V-twin engine that will become the Guzzi signature. 1967 Lino Tonti succeeds Giulio Cesare Carcano as chief engineer. |
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1971 The V7 sport, 850 GT, and the first California are introduced at the Milan Show. These models were still almost completely hand made. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1973 Alessandro
De Tomaso buys Moto Guzzi. He also owns Benelli, and later adds Maserati
and Innocenti. 1984 Guzzi introduces its first 1000 cc LeMans. 1989 Guzzi Quota 1000 off-road bike sports a 1000-cc powerplant packing 72 horsepower. |
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1992 The Daytona is launched--a 100 hp bike with Guzzi's most modern styling ever. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1994 The
California 1100-Guzzi's Heavyweight Custom/Cruiser appears, available
with carburetors or fuel -injection. 1996 A re-invigorated Moto Guzzi celebrates its 75th anniversary with a production output of 6,500 bikes. Now the longest--standing motorcycle manufacturer in Italy, Moto Guzzi is committed to increasing production to 20,000 units in the early years of the 21st Century. |
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1997 The Future of Moto Guzzi-The Centauro -Radically styled "Naked Sport Bike". | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1998 The Quota 1100 ES replacing the Quota1000 debuts in the U.S., adding a dual purpose sport bike to the Moto Guzzi family. At home climbing the countryside hills as well as dodging pot holes in the city, the Quota 1100 ES becomes Moto Guzzi's Urban Assault Vehicle. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2000 Debuting at the Milan Cycle Show in 1997, the V11 Sport reaches
the U.S. market in 2000. With it's green-red color scheme the V11 Sport
is reminiscent of the legendary V7 Sport of the '60s. Acquisition of Moto Guzzi S.p.A. by Aprilia S.p.A. . Aprilia's technology, especially in manufacturing and logistics, quickly accelerates Moto Guzzi's modernization of production. In turn, Moto Guzzi not only strengthens Aprilia, but also adds important engine production capability/capacity to the company's portfolio of strategic options. |
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2001 Technology and 80 years of tradition merge in the new Limited Edition
V11 Sport Rosso Mandello, the Moto Guzzi café racer. Moto Guzzi Celebrates 80 Years of Motorcycling Excellence. |
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More Historic Guzzi's |
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