A superb and rare photo, made from what we believe is the original
negative, of the magnificent 1952 250cc
world champion, the Italian Enrico
Lorenzetti , seen in action with his 250cc Moto Guzzi Gambalunghino s.o.h.c. factory GP racer
during the 1952 Isle of Man 250cc Lightweight TT
which was ridden on June 13, 1952.
This great photograph
of the Isle of Man TT was taken during the 250cc race of 1952. Lorenzetti finished
the race in second position
and went on to become the new 1952
World Champion 250cc!! The race was won by Fergus Anderson on an
identical Guzzi Gambalunghino with an average race speed of 83.82 mph (134.9 km/h).
Enrico Lorenzetti was an Italian
professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who competed in the 1940s and
1950s. In 1952 he won the 250cc World Championship as a works rider for Moto
Guzzi.
Lorenzetti is seen on the photo riding Guzzi’s famous 250cc Gambalunghino factory
racing single, a similar machine with which Enrico Lorenzetti would clinch in
1952 the 250cc World Championship. The
Gambalunghino was Guzzi’s 250cc factory racer between 1949 and 1952, during
which it claimed 2 world titles in the 250cc class. The bore and stroke were
the characteristic Guzzi 250 measurements of 68 x 68 mm. The 246.8cc engine
delivered a power output of 20 hp at 7,000 rpm. Its top speed was approx. 90 mph.
Moto Guzzi, also known as Guzzi, is the oldest European manufacturer in continuous
motorcycle production. Established in 1921 in Mandello
del Lario, Italy,
Moto Guzzi has led Italy's
motorcycling manufacture, enjoyed prominence in worldwide motorcycle racing,
and led the industry in ground-breaking innovation – for the greater part of
its history. The company's history has been shaped by the importance of racing,
engineering innovation and a constant adaptation to the changes in the
motorcycle industry since its inception 1921. Moto Guzzi was conceived by two
aircraft pilots and their mechanic serving in the Corpo Aeronautico Militare
(the Italian Air Corp, CAM) during World War
I: Carlo Guzzi, Giovanni Ravelli and Giorgio Parodi. By happenstance assigned
to the same Miraglia Squadron based outside Venice, the three became close, despite
starkly different socio-economic backgrounds. The trio envisioned creating a
motorcycle company after the war. Guzzi would engineer the motor bikes, Parodi
(son of wealthy Genovese ship-owners) would finance the venture, and Ravelli
(already a famous pilot and motocycle racer) would promote the bikes with his
racing prowess. Guzzi and Parodi (along with Parodi's brother) formed Moto
Guzzi in 1921. Ravelli, ironically, had died just days after the war's end in an
aircraft crash and is commemorated by the eagle's wings that form the Moto
Guzzi logo. Carlo Guzzi and Giorgio Parodi, along with Giorgio's brother
Angelo, created a privately held silent partnership "Società Anonima Moto
Guzzi" on 15 March 1921,
for the purpose of (according to the original articles of incorporation)
"the manufacture and the sale of motor cycles and any other activity in
relation to or connected to metallurgical and mechanical industry". The
formation of the company hinged on an initial loan of two thousand Lira from
the Parodis' father, Emanuele Vittorio, which he gave on 3 January 1919,
offering the balance of the loan upon his review of the project's progress:
Dear Giorgio, you can let both your partners know that I will offer you for your
first 1,500 or 2,000 Lire. Although with the condition that the sum, under no
circumstances, shall be increased. Likewise, I reserve the right to supervise
your progress before giving my agreement to this project. The company was
legally based in Genoa, Italy, with its headquarters in
Mandello. The very earliest motorcycle bore the name G.P. (Guzzi-Parodi),
though when it started the marque had changed its name to Moto Guzzi. As the
only actual shareholders, the Parodi's wanted to shield their shipping fortunes
by avoiding confusion of name G.P. with Giorgio Parodi's initials. Carlo Guzzi
initially received royalties for each motorcycle produced, holding no ownership
in the company that bore his name. In 1946 Moto Guzzi formally incorporated as
Moto Guzzi S.p.A. with Giorgio Parodi as chairman. Carlo Guzzi's first engine
design was a horizontal single that dominated the first 45 years of the
company's history in various configurations. Through 1934, each engine bore the
signature of the mechanic who built it. As originally envisioned, the company
used racing to promote the brand. In the 1935 Isle of Man TT, Moto Guzzi
factory rider Stanley Woods performed an impressive double victory with wins in
the Lightweight TT as well as the Senior TT. Until the mid 1940s, the
traditional horizontal four-stroke single cylinder 500 cc engines
outfitted with one overhead and one side valve (also known as: IOE, inlet over
exhaust or F-head) were the highest performance engines Moto Guzzi sold to the
general public. By contrast, the company supplied the official racing team and
private racers with higher performance racing machines with varying overhead
cam, multi-valve configurations and cylinder designs. In the 1950s, Moto Guzzi,
along with the Italian factories of Gilera and Mondial, led the world of Grand
Prix motorcycle racing. With durable and lightweight 250 cc and
350 cc bikes designed by Giulio Carcano, the firm dominated the
middleweight classes. The factory won five consecutive 350 cc world
championships between 1953 and 1957.
In realizing that low weight alone might not continue to
win races for the company, Carcano designed the V8 500 cc GP race
bike—whose engine was to become one of the most complex engines of its time.
Despite the bike's having led many races and frequently posted the fastest lap
time, it often failed to complete races because of mechanical problems.
Ultimately, the V8 was not developed further as Moto Guzzi withdrew (together
with the main competitors Gilera and Mondial) from racing after the 1957 season
citing escalating costs and diminishing motorcycle sales. By the time of its
pull out from Grand Prix racing, Moto Guzzi had won 3,329 official races, 8
World Championships, 6 Constructor's Championships and 11 Isle of Man TT
victories. The period after World War II was as difficult in Mandello del Lario
as it was elsewhere in post-war Europe. The
solution was production of inexpensive, lighter cycles. The 1946
"Motoleggera", a 65 cc lightweight motorcycle became very
popular in post-war Italy.
A four-stroke 175 cc scooter known as the "Galletto" also sold
well. Though modest cycles for the company, the lighter cycles continue to
feature Guzzi's innovation and commitment to quality. The step-through Galletto
initially featured a manual, foot-shifted three-speed (160 cc)
configuration then later a four-speed (175 cc) set-up by the end of 1952.
The displacement was increased to 192 cc in 1954 and electric start was
added in 1961. Moto Guzzi was limited in its endeavors to penetrate the
important scooter market as motorcycle popularity waned after WWII. Italian
scooter competitors would not tolerate an incursion from Moto Guzzi. By
innovating the first large-wheeled scooter, Guzzi competed less directly with
manufacturers of small-wheeled scooters such as Piaggio (Vespa) and Lambretta.
To illustrate the delicate balance within the Italian post-war motorcycle and
scooter markets, when Guzzi developed their own prototype for a small-wheeled
scooter, Lambretta retaliated with a prototype for a small V-twin motorcycle
threatening to directly compete on Moto Guzzi's turf. The two companies
compromised: Guzzi never produced their small-wheeled scooter and Lambretta
never manufactured the motorcycle. Notably, the drive train that Lambretta made
in their 1953 motorcycle prototype remarkably resembles the V-twin + drive
shaft arrangement that Guzzi developed more than ten years later, ultimately to
become iconic of the company. By 1964, the company was in full financial
crisis. Emanuele Parodi and his son Giorgio had died, Carlo Guzzi had retired
to private life, and direction passed to Enrico Parodi, Giorgio's brother.
Carlo Guzzi died on 3
November 1964, in Mandello, after a brief hospital stay in Davos.
In February 1967, SEIMM (Società Esercizio Industrie Moto Meccaniche), a state
controlled receiver, took ownership of Moto Guzzi. The SEIMM oversight saw Moto
Guzzi adapting to a cultural shift away from motorcycles to automobiles. The
company focused on popular lightweight mopeds including the Dingo and Trotter —
and the 125 cc Stornello motorcycle. Also during the SEIMM years Guzzi
developed the 90° V twin engine, designed by Giulio Cesare Carcano, which would
become iconic of Moto Guzzi. Though Moto Guzzi has employed engines of myriad
configurations, none has come to symbolize the company more than the air-cooled
90° V-twin with a longitudinal crankshaft orientation and the engine's
transverse cylinder heads projecting prominently on either side of the bike.
The original V-twin was designed in the early 1960s by engineer Giulio Cesare
Carcano, designer of the DOHC V8 Grand Prix racer. The air-cooled, longitudinal
crankshaft, transverse cylinder, pushrod V-twin began life with 700 cc
displacement and 45 hp (34 kW) – designed to win a competition sponsored
by the Italian government for a new police bike. The sturdy shaft-drive,
air-cooled V-twin won, giving Moto Guzzi renewed competitiveness. This 1967
Moto Guzzi V7 with the original Carcano engine has been continuously developed
into the 1200 cc, 80 hp (60 kW) versions offered today (2006).
Lino Tonti redesigned the motor for the 1971 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport. This engine
is the basis of the currently used 750 cc, 1100 cc and 1200 cc
Guzzi engines. Notably, the longitudinal crankshaft and orientation of the
engine creates a slight gyroscope effect, with a slightly asymmetrical behavior
in turns. After experiencing financial difficulties in the late 1960s, De
Tomaso Industries Inc. (D.T.I. Group or DTI), manufacturer of the De Tomaso
sports and luxury cars, owned by Argentinian industrialist Alejandro de Tomaso,
purchased SEIMM (and thereby Moto Guzzi) along with Benelli and Maserati in
1973. Under Tomaso's stewardship, Moto Guzzi returned to profitability, though
other reports suggest a period of limited investment in Moto Guzzi followed
attributed to DTI using Moto Guzzi financially prioritizing their automotive
ventures. In 1976 Guzzi released the 850 Le
Mans, a cafe racer that was a stylistic masterpiece
and still today considered one of the most iconic and sought after of all
Guzzis. A marketing success that would compete with other Italian superbikes,
it spawned four later models from Mark II to its culmination in the 1990s, the
Mark V. The initial model is known widely but incorrectly as the Mark I.
Technically, it is simply the 850 Le
Mans. It was named in homage to the 24-Hour endurance
race and circuit in France.
The Mark I had two production runs with slight modifications. The first run,
known as Series 1, used the roundish CEV stop/taillight used on many Italian bikes
of the decade. Less than 2,000 of the round taillight bikes were made and they
are the most desirable Guzzi of the era. The second production run, known as
the Series 2 and totaling around 4,000 bikes, used a De Tomaso-designed
rectangular taillight/reflector and modified rear guard. This was also used on
the Mark II and SP models. The taillight and guard was the biggest change
between Series 1 and 2 but other modifications included later inclusion of a
tripmeter, black fork lowers, a more generous dual seat that replaced the
split-proned original seat, exhaust pipe heel guards and inferior fuel taps.
The extra cost compared to the T3 model paid for performance items such as high
compression domed pistons, larger inlet and exhaust valves and Dell'Orto 36mm
pumper carbs with filterless grey plastic velocity stacks. Most Mk I bikes were
brilliant red although a very small number were painted in metallic ice blue.
An exceedingly small number of Series 2 bikes were white. In 1979 a small block version
of the air-cooled V-twin designed by engineer Lino Tonti was introduced as the
V35. Radical when introduced, the design featured horizontally split crankcases
and heron heads. The former was a common feature of contemporary Japanese
motorcycle design, whilst the latter was widely used in car engines. Both
features allow more efficient mass production and also the design of the engine
and associated components cut the weight from 548 lb (249 kg) of the
contemporary 850 T3 to the 385 lb
(175 kg)
of the V35. The power of the original V35 at 35 bhp (26 kW) was
competitive with engines of comparable displacement of the period — later
larger versions (V50, V65, V75) were rapidly outclassed by competing water
cooled engines. Notably, the Breva and Nevada
today feature a descendent of Tonti's V35 engine: the 750 cc V-twin, rated
at 48 bhp (36 kW). With its ease of maintenance, durability and even,
flat torque curve, the engine design remains suitable to everyday, real-world
situations. As Guzzi continued to develop the V-twin, power was increased in
the mid 1980s when Guzzi created 4 valve versions of the "small
block" series. Of these, the 650 and the 750 were rated at 60 bhp
(45 kW) and 65 bhp (48 kW) respectively. The production of the
4-valve "small block" engines ended in the later 1980s. Moto Guzzis
have used an hydraulic integrated brake system, where the right front disc
works off the handlebar lever, while the left front and the rear disc work off
the foot brake. The cartridge front fork used in Guzzi's motorcycles of the
later 1970s and 1980s is a Guzzi invention. Instead of containing the damping
oil in the fork it is in a cartridge. Oil in the fork is purely for
lubrication.
This is a very nice and very rare photo that reflects a wonderful era of
Moto Guzzi ‘s rich motorcycle 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). It makes it perfectly suitable for
framing!
Shipping costs will only be $ 7.00 regardless of how many photos you
buy. For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!
(Note: A. Herl, Inc. does not appear on
photo, for ebay purposes only)
No copyright
expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our
archives that we have gathered from various sources.
All items always sent well
protected in PVC clear files and board backed
envelopes.
We have
photographs that came from professional collections and/or were bought from the
original photographer or press studio! They are all of professional and
excellent quality.
After many decades
of professionally collecting photographs and posters we are clearing out our
archives. They make the perfect gift and are perfectly suited for framing. They
will look gorgeous unframed and will be a true asset nicely framed with a
border. They are a gorgeous and great asset in every home, workshop, workplace,
restaurant, bar or club!
First come -
first served. And you can always contact us for your requests. Please ask any
questions before the auction ends.