Esordio agonistico delle moto Malanca
Le moto Malanca fanno il loro esordio in campo agonistico con i piloti Otello Buscherini e Walter Villa. La ditta, fondata in via della Crocetta da Mario Malanca, ex dipendente Ducati, produce dal 1947 componenti di moto e dal 1956 ciclomotori completi, esportati in tutto il mondo.
Tra il 1968 e il 1973 le moto Malanca conquisteranno sei campionati italiani nelle classi 50 e 60 cc. Nel 1973 sarà messa a punto una moto da 125 cc bicilindrica raffreddata ad acqua, che parteciperà al Campionato del Mondo di Velocità, vincendo con Buscherini i gran premi di Cecoslovacchia e di Finlandia.
Trasferita a Pontecchio Marconi, l'azienda chiuderà la sua attività nel 1986, dopo essersi affacciata anche al campionato mondiale della classe 250 cc con il pilota Stefano Caracchi.
Source: Biblioteca Salaborsa Licence: CC BY 4.0
A Brief History of the Marque
Manufactured: 1956-86
During WWII Mario Malanca served with the Italian Air Force and subsequently worked with Ducati. In 1947 he began producing mechanical parts and hubs for motorcycle wheels at a workshop he established in via della Crocetta, Bologna, and built his first production motorcycles in 1956. Over the following years sales accelerated with markets first in Italy and then in Asia and the United States. In 1960 in a new factory was built to cope with the burgeoning sales, and among other models produced two scooters, the Vispetta (1962) and the Super Vis (1963-1969). The firm also introduced models powered by 49cc Franco Morini engines, the Nicky moped and the Comfort 3M.
In 1968 the Malanca company made their racing debut with two famous riders, Walter Villa and Otello Buscherini.
In five years the Malanca team won six championships in the 50cc and 60cc classes, and Buscherini won two rounds of the 125cc GP.
A 125cc two-stroke twin was introduced at the 1973 Paris Salon, and by 1976 the range included 125cc models E2C Tourist and Sport, and a 150cc E2C. For the 1977 season the 150 range was named GT, and included over the following years the GT Strada, 3 GTS, 3GT Strada, and the very attractive 150 3 GTI.
In 1978 Mario's son Marco stepped up as CEO of the company, now named Malanca Motors SpA. Production focused on 125cc sports models popular with road racing enthusiasts.
The factory moved to a new facility in via Pila 6 in Pontecchio Marconi in 1979. That year saw the introduction of the GTI-125, followed in 1980 by the GTI-80. Watercooled versions of the 125cc models appeared, the OB One - named not for the Star Wars character but for one of their riders, Otello Buscherini, who had died during a GP race at Mugello in 1976.
1985 saw the factory team compete in the 250 GP with Stefano Caracchi in the saddle.
In 1986 the company folded, ending the Malanca brand.
Sources: MC Storico Conti, Tragatsch p199, Biblioteca Salaborsa, malanca.altervista.org
