Italian Motorcycles

Today in Motorcycle History

Giuseppe Ricordi

A Brief History

Giuseppe Ricordi was not a manufacturer, and actually had little to do with motorcycles specifically. However, he was instrumental in the development of the sport in Italy.

"The first iron bicycles with their wooden wheels found him perched on their high saddles during the first races run on the Milan 'bastioni; (the elevated avenues west of the city centre -NdT) or the first trips between Milan and Monza.

Ricordi accompanied the bicycle up to its latest transformation: the automobile, passing through other passions such as the photo-camera and the steam-boat. He became a photography entrepreneur even before an automotive one, and the name of the Pagliano & Ricordi Company, founded by him, remains one of the most respected of its time.

Automobilism had in Ricordi one of its pioneers, and in 1893 Milan saw the first noisy and shaky steam coach built by him. From 1895 he was the general distributor for Benz, and later he introduced to Italy the new names of the foreign industry: Décauville, De Dion, De Dietrich, Stanley, Rochet, Panhard, Cottereau, all the foreign makes which were successful in Italy passed through the Ricordi Garage in Milano. Even the first and main exhibitions and meetings of the new sport had in Ricordi a powerful leader and co-operator..."

His story is told by Gianni Cancellieri here: Giuseppe Ricordi: he was the first

Source: aisastoryauto.it

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