A Brief History of the Italian Marque
Built in Milan, 1923-1925
The brothers Gino and Aldo Finzi, of Venetian origin, were keen motorcyclists.
In 1921 Gino won the Targa Florio riding the first Moto Guzzi built in Mandello, the legendary number 51.
Aldo was politically active and towards the end of the first war flew with the Venetian squadron of Gabriele D' Annunzio to Vienna to drop propaganda leaflets.
The brothers Finzi formed Fabbrica Nazionale Motocicli Maxima di Voghera which constructs a superb transverse twin of 690cc and 750cc which is announced to the public in 1920.
The Moto Finzi was built in the factories of Voghera Maxima and first publicized at the Salone del Ciclo e Motociclo di Milano (the Milan Show) in January 1923.
The 598cc engine is a narrow angle 36 degree V-twin with oil-bath chain drive and interchangeable wheels, a very advanced design for the day.
The production continued until 1924, but the following year Maxima close its doors.
The probable the cause was that in 1924 the Honorable Aldo Finzi, Under-secretary of the Interior, experienced political misfortune when unfairly implicated in the murder of Socialist Party deputy Matteotti. As Finzi was Jewish, there may have been other motives for the false accusation.
Aldo Finzi strongly opposed Mussolini and after his fall became a resistance fighter against the Nazis. He was captured and murdered with the other 330 victims of the Fosse Ardeatine massacre in Rome, 1944.
Moto Finzi appears to have built hundreds of motorcycles with some sources stating three hundred units per year.
Sources: Moto di Lombardia, Wikipedia, Henshaw, et al.
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