A superb and rare photo, made from what we believe is the original negative, of the legendary Italian racing ace Carlo Bandirola on his 1951 MV Agusta 500cc four cylinder works racer . The image was shot during a MV factory test session while testing a new telescopic front fork and a new frame / chassis on the Italian circuit of Monza, March 28, 1951. This information came from the spec. sheet that came with the negative.

The Northern Italian circuit of Monza was regarded as MV Agusta’s home circuit, the factory was located in the city of Gallarate, not to far away from Monza.

It is a gorgeous and very historic photo

M.V. Agusta 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 (on the photo), Vincenzo, Mario and Corrado. Count Vincenzo Agusta together with his brother Domenico formed MV Agusta (the MV stood for Meccanica Verghera) 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. Count Vincenzo and Domenico Agusta had a passion for mechanical workings and for motorcycle racing. They were determined to have the best Grand Prix motorcycle racing team in the world and spared no expense on their passion. They achieved this goal by hiring some of the best riders of the time, namely Carlo Ubbiali, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Phil Read, and others, and having the best engineers, most notably Arturo Magni. The fire-engine red racing machines became a hallmark of Grand Prix racing in the 1960s and early 1970s, winning 17 consecutive 500 cc World Championships, and 63 World Championships overall. 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 1980, stopped producing motorcycles altogether. The Agusta aviation branch continued on with its successful helicopter business. Interestingly, MV produced their first prototype, ironically called "Vespa," in 1945. After learning of Piaggio's brand new motorscooter of the same name, it was changed to MV 98. The company successfully manufactured small-displacement, quintessential Café racer style motorcycles (mostly 125-350 cc) through the 1950s and 1960s, followed by the big four cylinder 600cc and 750cc bikes in the 1960s and 1970s.

It is a very nice non period photo that reflects a wonderful era of motorcycling’s rich history in a wonderful way. This is your rare chance to own this photo, therefore it is printed in a nice large format of ca. 8" x 12" (ca.20 x 30 cm).