Moto Guzzi’s century

100 years ago on 15th March, 1921, Moto Guzzi was born. Carlo Guzzi, an ingenious yet practical man, had worked out before he reached his 20th birthday, how to motorise his bicycle.

During WW1, he was enrolled in the Air Force and met two pilots; Georgio Parodi and Giovanni Ravelli, the latter already a successful motorcycle racer. They formed a strong friendship and promised each other that when the war was over, they would form a motorcycle company.

Ravelli did not live to see that, perishing in an air crash in 1919, but Guzzi and Parodi went through with the plan, using the Air Force’s Eagle motif as their symbol. In 1921, 17 motorcycles were built from new premises at Mandello del Lario on the shores of Lake Como. From the outset, the Moto Guzzi brand became synonymous with quality, innovation and design flair.

Like everything, planned celebrations to mark the event have been either curtailed or slimmed back, but the Moto Guzzi World Days at Mandello del Lario are due to take place from 9-12 September, 2021. While the celebrations may be set to flourish in Lombardy, plans for similar festivities in Australia have been severely hit by COVID lockdowns and restrictions. Whatever the situation, Moto Guzzi enthusiasts worldwide will rejoice a rare feat in automotive history; 100 years of continuous production at Mandello.

From the 4-valve singles of the 1920s to the fabulous V8 of 1957 (top), Moto Guzzi was always at the forefront of technology.