The "Società Anonima Moto Guzzi" was founded in Genoa on March 15, 1921, in the office of Paolo Cassanello, Corso Aurelio, with the corporate purpose of "the manufacture and sale of motorcycles and all other activities relating to the metallurgical and mechanical industries".
The company's shareholders were Emanuele Vittorio Parodi, a famous Genoese shipowner, his son George and his friend Carlo Guzzi, a former comrade in the Royal Air Force, along with Giovanni Ravelli, an aviator like Parodi, who died on August 11, 1919 during a test flight.
The eagle with outstretched wings was introduced into the Moto Guzzi logo as a tribute to him.
The first motorcycle was the legendary Normale, producing 8 hp. Several successful models followed, such as the 1928 Guzzi G.T., nicknamed "Norge" for the Arctic Circle raid, and the Airone 250 (1939), for over 15 years Italy's most popular "medium-displacement" bike.
Sporting victories were not long in coming: the first came at the prestigious Targa Florio in 1921, inaugurating an impressive series of successes: by 1957, when it retired from competition, Moto Guzzi had 14 world speed titles and 11 Tourist Trophies to its name.
After the war, new models were launched, such as the Guzzino 65 ("Cardellino"), which remained the best-selling motorcycle in Europe for 10 years. Later came the legendary Galletto (1950) and Lodola 175 (1956). The world's first manufacturer, Moto Guzzi built a resolutely futuristic wind tunnel in Mandello del Lario in 1950.
The racing team showed its genius, and included technicians such as Umberto Todero and Enrico Cantoni, and a designer who would soon become a legend: Giulio Cesare Carcano, from Milan, father of the eight-cylinder Guzzi with 285 km/h top speed.
At the end of the 60s, Moto Guzzi gave birth to the 90° V-twin engine, an engine block destined to become the symbol of Moto Guzzi.
This was followed by models such as the Guzzi V7, the V7 Special and another myth: the Guzzi V7 Sport.
The glorious two-cylinder is also available in smaller displacements with the V35 and V50.
The quintessential large-displacement Grand Tourer, the Moto Guzzi California will be equipped with electronic fuel injection and an integral three-disc braking system.
Made for the American market, with additional Ambassador and Eldorado equipment, it featured the characteristic 850 c3 engine. The sporting heritage, on the other hand, is concentrated on models such as the Le Mans, the Daytona, the Centauro and the Sport 1100. This inimitable style made a comeback in the nineties, with the new California, Nevada and Sport V11 series.
On December 30, 2004, Moto Guzzi joined the Piaggio Group (of which Roberto Colaninno is Chairman and CEO), the European leader in motorized two-wheelers and one of the world's leading manufacturers in the sector.
In March 2005, the Breva 1100 model was presented, a new Italian product that was a great success in the Roadster segment.
In September of the same year, the launch of the Griso 1100 caused quite a stir. This motorcycle was born of unique technical and stylistic choices.
From April 2006, Breva and Griso are available in the ultra-classic 850 c3 displacement version.
In May 2006, with the Norge 1200, Guzzi returns to Grand Touring: total protection, refined construction and a new 1200 c3 twin-cylinder to swallow up the miles in comfort, thanks to uncompromising equipment.
Norge convinced the 14 international journalists who, in July 2006, took it to the North Cape, and rode 4429 km in the footsteps of its ancestor created by Giuseppe Guzzi, the G.T. 500, in 1928.
And to demonstrate the love that all Moto Guzzi owners devote to their motorcycles, from September 15 to 17, 15,000 people from over 20 countries descended on Mandello del Lario for the fourth edition of the GMG - Guzzi World Days.
The network of Guzzi associations, headed by the Moto Guzzi Club, is particularly well-developed and enjoys unrivalled loyalty.
Just think: there are over 25,000 Moto Club members worldwide, led by the USA with 52 Clubs, and over 70 websites dedicated to Moto Guzzi.
Moto Guzzi doesn't betray its fans, and the Mandello eagle's sporting heart starts beating again: in March 2006, on the famous Daytona circuit in the USA, Gianfranco Guareschi scores a historic double with two victories in the Battle of Twins.
This success was repeated in 2007 when Guareschi, once again a Moto Guzzi loyalist, won the event. In the wake of the American success, Moto Guzzi's sporting spirit is captured in a new model, the 1200 Sport.
Introduced in October 2006, the 1200 Sport is a racy Roadster with a design that displays a strong personality, driven by the latest evolution of the 1200 c3 90° V-twin.
For 2007, the House of Mandello looks set to be stronger than ever.
At the end of 2006, on the occasion of the 64th EICMA Show in Milan, Moto Guzzi presented the Griso 8V - the fascinating evolution of the roadster equipped with the new 4-valve-per-cylinder engine delivering over 110 hp - and the Bellagio, a custom motorcycle powered by a 940cc short-stroke bycylinder.
In February 2007, at the Piaggio Group's world dealer convention in Berlin, a new Moto Guzzi project is unveiled, a large enduro road bike with a particularly evocative name: Stelvio.
On March 26, 2007, near Lake Como, Moto Guzzi once again keeps its promise: a few months after the Milan show, the final version of the Bellagio is presented to the press, followed in September by the powerful Griso 1200 8V.
But 2007 is also the year of the Moto Guzzi World Days, ennobled by the presence of a movie star: actor Ewan Mc Gregor, who arrived in Mandello del Lario to collect his white California Vintage, purchased a few months earlier during the filming of the documentary Long Way Down, part of which took place inside the Guzzi factory.
At EICMA 2007, two models at either end of Moto Guzzi's extensive range were previewed: the Stelvio 1200 and the V7 Classic.
In March 2008, the former was presented to the international press in Siena, while the following month, journalists rode the V7 Classic on the streets of Milan to get their first driving impressions.
a contract is signed for the sale of 35 Norge GT motorcycles to the Berlin police force, in addition to the 20 California Vintage motorcycles for the special cuirassiers corps delivered the same year.
2009 sees the introduction of the V7 Cafè, a sporty variation of the Classic version, presented in Rome with the Griso SE in March and the Stelvio NTX, which also marks the introduction of ABS on the maxi enduro registered in Mandello.
The bike, the star of an international press launch on the roads of the Dolomites, is equipped with the engine that underwent the first update on the "Quattrovalvole", featuring new camshafts.
at the 67th Milan International Motorcycle Show in 2009, Moto Guzzi returns to the international limelight with three futuristic prototypes designed by Miguel Galluzzi and Pierre Terblanche: V12LM, V12 Strada and V12X, which immediately won the Motorcycle Design Association Award (a design association with 165 members on four continents) for best motorcycle design.
at the end of 2009, the Piaggio Group also announces a major investment program that involves not only the development of Moto Guzzi's future product ranges, but also the Mandello del Lario production site, which is still being renovated with far-reaching structural interventions to make it more modern, functional and efficient.
EICMA 2010 in Milan also sees the unveiling of new models: the all-new large 1200 8V with four valves per cylinder - the Stelvio 1200 8V, the Stelvio 1200 NTX and the Norge GT 8V - which will be launched on the roads of Tuscany in spring 2011.
The Racer V7 is also launched. This is a true 750 c3 production Special, inspired by the V7 Sport-based models of the 1970s.
The V7 Racer enhances Moto Guzzi styling with a judicious combination of technology and attention to detail.
The eye is immediately drawn to the chrome tank, adorned with a refined leather strap, metal ornaments and the Moto Guzzi logo, matching the red frame. An identical displacement, the Nevada Anniversario, equipped with a small block engine, celebrates the twentieth anniversary of Mandello del Lario's "little one" with a new sporty custom that stands alongside the particularly popular and appreciated Classic.
2011, the year of Moto Guzzi's 90th anniversary, begins with a pleasant surprise: a brand-new white Moto Guzzi California is unveiled at the Piaggio Group's international dealer meeting on January 27 and 28.
The event, which brought together nearly two thousand Group dealers at Monaco's Grimaldi Forum as it does every year, concluded with an unexpected preview that anticipates the future product strategies of the "Eagle Brand" in the year of Moto Guzzi's 90th anniversary: the prototype of the new California, equipped with a new 1400 c3, 90° V-twin engine.
The bike, still at the prototype stage, takes over from a legendary motorcycle, displaying an unprecedented style that capitalizes on the engine architecture and the generous size of the seat and tank enveloping the cylinders.
2011 marks the 90th anniversary of the Eagle brand: on March 15, the Piaggio Group celebrated the official "anniversary" of the founding of Moto Guzzi, kicking off a series of events paying tribute to Italy's most beloved motorcycle manufacturer.
In April, the new range of premium Stelvio and Norge 8V models were launched, followed in July by the Raid International Mandello - Cap Nord, which brought together representatives of the most authoritative international press in the field, following in the footsteps of Naco Guzzi, who travelled the same route in 1928.
The celebrations were rounded off by the arrival of 20,000 Guzzi motorcyclists in Mandello for the Moto Guzzi World Days, where they were able to get a feel for the company's future, both in terms of the product and the new, modern infrastructure that will be installed at the Via Parodi 57 headquarters.
2012 gets off to a flying start with the new V7 range, equipped with a redesigned, highly efficient engine block that has propelled Mandello's new mid-range model to the top of the group's best-selling motorcycle rankings in just a few months.
In the meantime, the first images of the California 1400 arrive from Miami, a motorcycle with charm and content destined to mark a turning point in Moto Guzzi production.
Even before its unveiling, the new Moto Guzzi California 1400 was attracting the attention of motorcycle enthusiasts the world over. All it took was the announcement of the arrival of the new cruiser, built at the historic site of Mandello del Lario, and the first indiscretions, to arouse curiosity and anticipation for the latest addition to a tradition that places Moto Guzzi among the aristocracy of world motorcycling.
Refined styling, cutting-edge technology and exceptional dynamic features characterize the new California 1400 in its two versions, Touring and Custom, whose personality and use are quite distinct.
The Moto Guzzi California 1400, the Touring version of which was presented in Europe at the end of 2012, and the Custom version at the beginning of 2013, is powered by the all-new, powerful 1,400 cm3 V-twin engine, the largest of its type ever produced in Europe.
With its extraordinary visual impact, the California 1400's styling expresses Moto Guzzi's unique class and tradition, combined with a design and technological content that is unprecedented, but much appreciated by Guzzi enthusiasts the world over. It's no coincidence that Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, a collector of vintage Guzzi motorcycles, has agreed to be the face of the new California 1400s in a fantastic advertising campaign. Hand-built at the historic site of Mandello del Lario, where Moto Guzzi was founded in 1921, these new flagships of Italian industry are the world's first Cruisers equipped with traction control, multi-map "ride by wire" technology and DRL LED daytime lighting.
Thanks to the success of its product ranges, the fruit of an investment policy that has involved both R&D activities and the renovation of the historic Mandello del Lario site, in 2012 Moto Guzzi recorded sales growth of 15.3%, clearly bucking the trend in the European motorcycle market. In the first half of 2013 , Moto Guzzi continued its momentum, recording growth of 11.2% compared to the 1st half of the previous year.
In May 2013, Robb Report the American magazine, which for almost 40 years has been one of the world's most influential luxury periodicals, included the large Custom produced in Italy at Mandello del Lario, in its Best of the Best Luxury Portfolio of 2013.
After achieving unanimous consensus around the world, in August 2013 the Moto Guzzi California 1400 won another important accolade in the USA, taking first prize in the Cruiser category in the competition organized by Cycle World. This prize is all the more important as it comes from the most influential motorcycle magazine on the other side of the Atlantic, a veritable benchmark for enthusiasts worldwide.the North American market is the cradle of the great Cruiser motorcycles, the jewels of the road, a segment in which American brands have a strong presence.
2014 sees the complete renovation of the V7 and the birth of Moto Guzzi V7II.
The second generation of the Moto Guzzi V7 retains the stylistic personality of the previous model: a design that combines the shapes of Guzzi motorcycles of the past with the demands of a modern motorcycle capable of satisfying the widest possible range of enthusiasts.
The Moto Guzzi V7 II is also a completely revamped motorcycle in terms of technology, engines, ergonomics, reliability, build quality, finish and riding pleasure. 6th gear, ABS braking and traction control are just some of the new features.
The new generation V7 comes in 3 versions with distinct personalities: the V7 II Stone, the Special and the Racer.
2015 sees the launch of two spectacular motorcycles based on the powerful 1400 cm3 twin-cylinder, the Eldorado and Audace. Modern and luxurious, the Eldorado is the heir to the unforgettable "850", which enjoyed great success in the USA over 40 years ago. It's a sumptuous, avant-garde motorcycle that looks resolutely to the future. Chrome inserts and hand-crafted finishes are combined with LED lighting to create classic lines that place Moto Guzzi in a new dimension, where refinement speaks Italian.
Moto Guzzi Audace is a motorcycle with a strong, rebellious personality. It has been designed to enhance the spectacular performance of the powerful 1,400 cm3 V-twin made in Mandello, the largest ever produced in Europe.
Only the absolute pleasure of riding has guided the development of a model where the best technology is at the service of performance, and which presents itself with a strong personality aesthetic, a carbon look that perfectly interprets the dark soul of Moto Guzzi.
2016 kicks off with the commercial launch of the Moto Guzzi Stornello, a lightweight off-road variation of the V7II range. more than 50 years after its birth, it's the return of one of Guzzi's best-known motorcycles, synonymous with build quality and inimitable style. The new Stornello stands out for its many precious details and the choice of colors that enhance its charm and elegance. Produced in limited, numbered editions, the V7II Stornello is the latest interpretation of Moto Guzzi's exclusive ability to produce truly special motorcycles in series.
In March 2016, to coincide with Moto Guzzi's 95th anniversary, the V9 arrived, a new medium-displacement custom that comes in two versions with very distinct personalities. The more classic is the V9 Roamer, while the V9 Bobber is Moto Guzzi's darker, sportier soul, distinguished by the sober look of total black and big tires on 16-inch rims.
The most eagerly awaited new model for 2016 is the MGX-21 Flying Fortress. After its debut at the autumn shows, this summer sees the road debut of one of the most spectacular Guzzi motorcycles ever. In fact, the MGX-21 is the most unconventional, affluent and technologically advanced of the large 1,400 cruisers built at Mandello del Lario
Credits : Moto-Guzzi