Moto Guzzi: an “Italian story”
Time turns into history when, looking back, one realizes that they have managed to capture and preserve the essence of that time in a vision: this is the case of Moto Guzzi, a now iconic, if not legendary, and well-known brand even the uninitiated of the motorcycle sector, capable of concentrating and mixing tradition and innovation in vehicles with a unique character.
Since 2014, Moto Guzzi S.p.A. is part of the Piaggio Group and over the decades the company has produced more than fifty models, but this “Italian history” has deep roots that date back more than a century ago. It all began in Genoa in 1921, when Carlo Guzzi and Giorgio Parodi, aviators returning from the First World War, joined forces to realize a common dream: to give life to a motorcycle manufacturer, currently the oldest in Europe. This is how the Società Anonima Moto Guzzi was born, with registered office in the Ligurian capital and production site in Mandello del Lario, a town located on the eastern shore of Lake Como, in the province of Lecco.
Since then Moto Guzzi has been synonymous with power and reliability, but also a clear example of the search for an unmistakable aesthetic signature, starting with the legendary eagle, symbol of the company.
The flight of the eagle
The first Moto Guzzi experimental model, a prototype called G.P. 500, had a logo on the tank formed by a simple rhombus, inside which was enclosed the same initials of that name: GP. The latter clearly indicated the initials of the surnames Guzzi and Parodi, the two founding partners of the company. Later, to avoid misunderstandings with the initials of Giorgio Parodi alone, it was decided to adopt the majestic eagle of the Regia Marina as an emblem to remember Giovanni Ravelli, himself an aviator and veteran of the Great War, as well as co-inspirer of the project, who died prematurely in 1919, after a tragic crash during a test flight. Unfortunately Ravelli, unlike Guzzi and Parodi, was unable to realize that dream which, through a deep passion for mechanics, bound him to his friends and comrades in arms. The dedication to Ravelli, in addition to being an emotional tribute, consisted of a favorable omen for every rider who, astride a Moto Guzzi, would have darted along the roads of the whole world protected by the vigorous wings of the king of birds of prey. Even today, that eagle watches over the Guzzi enthusiasts, bringing with it the smell of asphalt and the unmistakable flavor of a prodigious and memorable story.
A milestone: the first V7
The Guzzi V7 has been a real cult model for decades, not only among the motorcycles of this major manufacturer. The V7 was presented for the first time at the Milan Cycle and Motorcycle Show in 1965, immediately achieving enormous success. Over the decades, this little two-wheeled masterpiece will become the object of desire for generations and generations of motorcyclists. The peculiarity of the V7 consists in being the first motorcycle with a transverse V engine, which guarantees stability and therefore riding pleasure. This feature has contributed to the success of Moto Guzzi, which specializes precisely in the production of ninety-degree V-twin engines.
The V7 Sport and the vocation for sport tourism
In 1957, the Moto Guzzi withdrew from the speed world championship, after having participated in some editions of the competition. Despite this, the company did not lose its vocation for the sports set-up. The nature of a product, like that of a living being, can be smoothed and modified, but it cannot forget its predisposition. Therefore, in 1971, fourteen years later, the Moto Guzzi V7 Sport was assembled inside the Mandello del Lario plant: it was the first breath that gave life to a motorcycle which, thanks to its charm, quickly established itself as a model of reference for sports tourism lovers. It is a timeless charm, typical of everything that is destined to resist, so much so that it still lasts today without betraying the expectations, not even those of the most demanding bikers.
