MV Agusta is a motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1945 near Milan in Cascina Costa, Italy. The company began as an offshoot of the Agusta aviation company which was formed by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923. The Count died in 1927, leaving the company in the hands of his wife and sons, Domenico, Vincenzo, Mario and Corrado. Count Vincenzo Agusta together with his brother Domenico formed MV Agusta at the end of the Second World War as a means to save the jobs of employees of the Agusta firm and also to fill the post-war need for cheap, efficient transportation. The initials MV stood for Meccanica, or mechanics, Verghera, the city in Italy where the first MV’s were made.

The company manufactured small-displacement, Café racer style motorcycles (mostly 125 to 150 cc) through the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1960s small motorcycle sales declined, and MV started producing larger displacement cycles in more limited quantities. A 250 cc, and later a 350 cc twin were produced, and a 600 cc four-cylinder evolved into a 750 cc.
Count Vincenzo and Domenico Agusta had a passion for mechanical workings and for motorcycle racing. Much like Enzo Ferrari, they produced and sold motorcycles almost exculsively to fund their racing efforts. They were determined to have the best Grand Prix motorcycle racing team in the world and spared no expense on their passion.

MV Agusta produced their first prototype, called « Vespa 98″, in 1945. After learning that the name had already been registered by Piaggio for its Vespa motorscooter, it was referred to simply by the number “98”. In 1948, the company built a 125 cc two-stroke single and entered Franco Bertoni in the Italian Grand Prix. Bertoni won the event held in Monza and instantly put the new motorcycle manufacturer on the map.In the 1949 season, the 125 cc or Ultra light weight class gained new prestige. More motorcycle manufacturers were competing in the inaugural World Championships that were held in Switzerland, Netherlands and Italy. The Mondial 125 cc DOHC design dominated the 1949 season.

The MV riders placed 9th and 10th in the final standings. In 1950, Arturo Magni and Piero Remor joined the company after working with Gilera. Magni was the chief mechanic and Remor was chief designer.[1] The 1950 season and 1951 season were development years, as the company adopted the 125 Dohc four-stroke engine. Racing efforts only produced a fifth place finish at the Dutch TT in 1950. The 1951, results were only slightly better.

MV Racing engine 125 ccThe 1952 season saw the introduction of telescopic forks, full width alloy brake hubs and a sleek fuel tank on the 125 race bike. Power was 15 bhp (11 kW) @ 10800 rpm. Britain’s Cecil Sandford piloted the new MV 125 to a 1952 Isle of Man TT victory and went on to win MV Agusta’s first world championship.With the success of the 1952 season, independent or “privateer” riders could now purchase a “catalog” version of the 125 Dohc, now available through the company. The Sport Competizione racer had many of the same features as the factory bike. These included a multi-plate clutch, gear-driven oil pump, Dell’Orto 27mm SS1 carburetor and remote float chamber. The bike was nicknamed “The Boy Racer”. In 1953 the race engineers adopted the Earl-type forks to help with handling problems on the works racers. The 1953 season saw the introduction of the 350 Four. MV’s racing efforts now included the 500 cc, 350 cc and 125 cc class.The mid 1950s saw the introduction of the 175 cc class. MV Agusta produced the 175 CSS for street use and also developed a 175 cc production racer for privateer racing.

The 175 cc was very popular in Britain in the mid 1950s. Racers like, Micheal O’Rourke, Derek Minter and Bob Keeler raced the 175 and 125 Sport Competizione around Europe with a great deal of success. The marketing strategy of “race it on Sunday , sell it on Monday” was employed. For racing, early MV racing engines had the right side casting removed for instant access to the gear box.After the 1957 season, the Italian motorcycle manufacturers Gilera, Moto Guzzi and Mondial, jointly agreed to withdraw from Grand Prix competition, citing escalating costs and diminishing motorcycle sales as a reason. Count Agusta originally agreed to withdraw, but then had second thoughts. MV Agusta would go on to dominate Grand Prix racing, winning 17 consecutive 500 cc world championships.

Count Agusta’s competitive nature usually saw him hire some of the best riders of the time, namely Carlo Ubbiali, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Phil Read, among others, and having the best engineers, most notably Arturo Magni. The three and four cylinder race bikes were known for their excellent road handling. The fire-engine red racing machines became a hallmark of Grand Prix racing in the 1960s and early 1970s.With the death of Count Domenico Agusta in 1971, the company lost its guiding force. The company won their last Grand Prix in 1976, and by the 1980 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, they were out of racing. Shortly thereafter, they ceased motorcycle production. Between 1948 and 1976 MV Agusta motorcycles had won over 3000 races and 63 World Championships overall. After MV Agusta left the racing scene in 1980, Magni began producing his own custom-framed MV motorcycles.[2]

Production models into 1953 and 1971:

• 175 CS 1953–1959
• Pullman 1953-1956
• 125 Turismo Rapido 1954–1958
• 48 Moped 1955–1959
• 1952 150 cc Turismo
• Superpullman 1955–1957
• 300 Twin 1955
• Raid 250 cc and 300 cc 1956–1962
• Ottantatre 83 cc 1958–1960
• 175 A B 1958-1959
• 125 TREL. Centomila 1959–1963
• 150 4T 1959–1970
• Chicco Scooter 1960–1964
• Tevere 235 1959–1960
• Checca ( 83 cc, 99 cc, 125cc ) 1960–1969L
• iberty 50 cc 1962–1969
• Germano 50 cc 1964–1968
• Arno 166 GT 1964–1965
• 125 GT-GTL 1964–1973
• 125 Regolarita 1965–1970
• 250 Twin 1966–1971

(thanks to MV Agusta Collection & Wikipedia)

By Mr. Jean
Those who visited the section scooters of this beautiful site and who had, especially, the good idea to read the text of introduction which your devoted laid on the subject…
And indeed, those already know that on Vintage avenue, we like the old machines which make noise, those who often break down and piss some oil.
Thus:  » you like the old incontinent skins which make faintnesses  » the gossips exclaim. A little of respect if it – pleases you!
No! We we love the old ladies who have of the dog and the character, what is not the similar!

The shortcut is fast borrowed to speak to you about big cubes of legend; of these beautiful English, of these brilliant American and these pulpy Italian which you certainly crossed one day, or in a movie in the cinema or then, and it is still better, to pass in whirlwind in front of your eyes stunned by so much speed and fury.
How to forget Clint Eastwood being astride his Triumph in « Coogan bluff « ?
How not to evoke Peter Fonda and Denis Hopper in fantastic « Easy Rider « ? What did they pilot? « Solex motobécanes »?

They were Harley-Davidson Softail with telescopic forks (just to observe better stars painted on the reservoir).
At random: with what mythical machine, the big Steve McQueen, takes t-il the flight (and also some barbed wires in the face) in the movie  » The big escape « ?
Nobody? Then set, please, note band of nice ignoramuses whom you are!
This motorcycle was Triumph TR6 of 1963 equipped with a bicylinder vertical engine gone up on a frame Rickman.

Listen to this engine roaring out, I have gooseflesh there!
So many names which ring as distant echos in the valley of the dreams and the freedom:
Norton, Triumph, Bsa, Ducatti, Laverda and the others Motorcycle Guzzi
So many(much) of mesmerizing tones in our ears eager for mechanical legends and for motorcycle poetry.

And the new motorcycles? Will say yourselves me.
These new motorcycles will stop of the being soon and it is all the property which we wish them.
Good reading my friends!

By Mr. Jean

In the movie  » The wild ones « , young and beautiful Marlon Brando appears from the foreground to the handlebars of a machine taken out quite straight ahead of hells.

The glance leaking out under a disturbing cap screwed well on a skull which, in the time, is not emptied yet. The plan widens then on a whole band(strip) of motorized hooligans.

We realize very fast, then, that we do not have to deal with a group of seminarists with bike. They are having a walk and nothing seems to be able to stop(arrest) them. The most sparkling machine, it is the leader with cap which possesses her(it): Marlon himself!

Wide handlebars, enormous reservoir with the emblem chrome-plated on sides, wheels with wheel rims with beams, muffler chrome-plated with silencer  » fish-tail  » and this luxurious headlight which seems to open the road to this  » wild outing « .

More doubts, this motorcycle is English and not does not import which English it is Triumph Thunderbird 650 delivered by the factories of Coventry in 1953. Produced from 1949 till 1966, this Thunderbird 650 is almost identical to Speedtwin 500 but more powerful, a little heavier and endowed with an arm oscillating behind, what makes it more comfortable than 500.

His Its bicylinder engine 4 time and cooled by air develop a power of 34 ch in 6300 tr / min what allows him to reach the 160 kph speed! It is not the most powerful 650 produced by Triumph but this motorcycle is going to go into the legend because it becomes fast popular and liked by his owners.

This  » bird of thunder  » be going to cross the roads of the whole world. In 1957, English are going to cover her(it) with a dressing of type « bathtub » . The Americans hate this dressing which gives a look of « scooter ».

Then English abandon it in 1963 and it finds all its magnificence!

Its only defect? She pissed some oil of everywhere, in the big confusion of her pilot(driver) who had to, often, throw all his clothes to the trash can. To find one today, in restored state of chase, it is necessary to open quite big the purse: up to 20.000 euro according to the series.

Or then, you can look for a wreck in a barn in the depths of Milwaukee. Begin then the long road of the pilgrim restaurant owner, full of pitfalls, rich in education  and in patience. Some old English warned still have treasures in their stocks of spare parts but, it is still necessary, to pick up them.

Good luck!