Founded: 1921
Moto Guzzi headquarters: Via Parodi 57, Mandello del Lario, Italy
Moto Guzzi parent: Piaggio & C. SpA
Official website: www.motoguzzi.com
March 15, 1921 in Genoa, Moto Guzzi was founded by the company Societa Anonima. The company’s main activity was “production and sale of motorcycles.” The company’s founders were the Genoese ship owner Emanuele Vittorio Parodi, his son Giorgio and friend Carlo Guzzi. Guzzi and Parodi served together in the Italian Air Force.
The first motorcycle of the company was Normale with 8 horsepower. He was followed by 1928 Guzzi G. T. In 1939, the Airone 250 came out. This was the best-selling medium-cubed motorcycle in Italy.
After the Second World War, Guzzino 65 Cardellino was created, the best-selling moped in Europe for 10 years, the legendary scooter Galletto (1950) and Lodola 175 (1956). In 1950, Guzzi became the first who built a wind tunnel for testing life-size motorcycles.
At the end of the 60’s, under the Guzzi logo, the V2 engine was introduced, which soon became a symbol and a visiting card of the company for many years.
On December 30, 2004 Moto Guzzi became part of the Piaggio Group, which became a kind of revival of the dying brand. On the wave of this revival were the bikes Breva 1100 (March 2005), Griso 1100 (September 2005). In May 2006, Guzzi returned to the Gran Turismo class with their new Norge. In 2006, the brand returns to motor racing.
Piaggio Group invested not only in the development of new models, but also in the re-equipment of the factory in Mandello del Lario in order to increase productivity, quality and production efficiency. Thanks to more than timely investment, in 2011, the year of the 90th anniversary of the brand, the company demonstrated new items: Moto Guzzi California with a 1400 cm3 engine and a V7 Scrambler.