A Brief History of the Italian Marque
Conceived by two fighter pilots and an aircraft mechanic during the war years, this motorcycle was built by Carlo Guzzi and Giorgio Parodi in 1919.
The machine is notable for the ingenious solutions adopted in construction: shortstroke, single overhead cam, horizontal cylinder engine (which became characteristic of Moto Guzzi), four valve cylinder head, metal clutch discs, three speed gearbox, and recirculating lubrication to a separate oil tank. Only the one machine was built, a prototype with G.P. as the tank insignia, and quite a machine it was. It could do almost 130 km/h, quite outstanding performance for the day. It has survived, and is displayed at the Moto Guzzi Museum.
In 1921 production of Moto Guzzi began.
Notes
1. Some sources give 1920 as the date of manufacture. Mick Walker says 1919, as does the Guzzi Museum.
2. There was also a Moto GP built in 1927 by Griffoni and Piccini.
Source: Moto di Lombardia
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