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MV Agusta (, full name: MV AGUSTA Motor S.p.A., original name: Meccanica Verghera Agusta or MV) is an Italian high end
motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style ...
manufacturer. It was founded by Count Domenico Agusta on 19 January 1945 as one of the branches of the
Agusta Agusta was an Italian helicopter manufacturer. It was based in Samarate, Northern Italy. The company was founded by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923, who flew his first aeroplane in 1907. The MV Agusta motorcycle manufacturer began as an offshoot ...
aircraft company near
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
in Cascina Costa. The
abbreviation An abbreviation () is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method including shortening (linguistics), shortening, contraction (grammar), contraction, initialism (which includes acronym), or crasis. An abbreviation may be a shortened for ...
MV stands for ''Meccanica'' (mechanics) ''Verghera'', the hamlet where the first MVs were made. The modern headquarters and main production facilities are located in
Varese Varese ( , ; or ; ; ; archaic ) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 was 80,559. It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or exurban part ...
, Italy on the shore of Lake Varese.


History


1943–1945: From idea to mass production

The genesis of the Agusta company came in the early 20th century. Count Giovanni Agusta left
Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
for
northern Italy Northern Italy (, , ) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. The Italian National Institute of Statistics defines the region as encompassing the four Northwest Italy, northwestern Regions of Italy, regions of Piedmo ...
, where he built his first aircraft, the AG.1, four years after the
Wright brothers The Wright brothers, Orville Wright (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912), were American aviation List of aviation pioneers, pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flyin ...
had made history in the US. The First World War, which demonstrated the prospects of aviation, prompted Agusta to be decisive. In 1923, in the town of Samarate, he founded the Costruzioni Aeronautiche Giovanni Agusta S.A. (usually shortened to
Agusta Agusta was an Italian helicopter manufacturer. It was based in Samarate, Northern Italy. The company was founded by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923, who flew his first aeroplane in 1907. The MV Agusta motorcycle manufacturer began as an offshoot ...
) aircraft factory. He died in 1927 at the age of 48, leaving his life's work to his wife Giuseppina and his sons,
Domenico Domenico is an Italian given name for males and may refer to: People * Domenico Alfani, Italian painter * Domenico Allegri, Italian composer * Domenico Alvaro, Italian mobster * Domenico Ambrogi, Italian painter * Domenico Auria, Italian a ...
, Vincenzo, Mario and Corrado. Aircraft orders were plentiful and business generally went well until 1945, when provisions of the peace treaty that ended
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
(reiterated in the
Paris Peace Treaties, 1947 The Paris Peace Treaties () were signed on 10 February 1947 following the end of World War II in 1945. The Paris Peace Conference lasted from 29 July until 15 October 1946. The victorious wartime Allied powers (principally the United Kingdom, ...
), forbid
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
from producing aircraft. Acting quickly to save their business and their employees' jobs, the Agustas turned to an idea formulated by Count Domenico Agusta during the war. Domenico believed that the business could best be diversified and made peaceful by commencing the production of motorcycles, which would be needed by a country gutted by war. On January 19, 1945, in the town of Cascina Costa (near the
Malpensa airport Milan Malpensa Airport "Silvio Berlusconi" is an international airport in Ferno, in the Province of Varese, Lombardy, Italy. It is the largest airport in northern Italy, serving Lombardy, Piedmont, and Liguria, as well as the Swiss canton of Ti ...
near Milan), a private company, Meccanica Verghera S.r.l., was registered. Using an engine that had been prepared by August 1943—a 98 cc single-cylinder
two-stroke A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes of the piston, one up and one down, in one revolution of the crankshaft in contrast to a four-stroke engine which re ...
with a two-stage gear box—and spare parts obtained from the black market to bypass shortages, a prototype motorcycle was constructed. The prototype was exhibited to the press in late October 1945 at a dealership on Via Piatti in
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
. It was light motorcycle with a steel tube rigid frame, a girder fork, 19-inch wheels, and a gas tank marked with a large M and V. It was initially called "Vespa 98" before being renamed to "MV 98" to avoid confusion with the
Vespa Vespa () is an Italian brand of scooters and mopeds manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian. The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A. of Pontedera, Italy, to a ...
motorscooter produced by Piaggio. The MV 98 was first produced en masse in 1946. Two versions were sold to consumers: Economica, based on the prototype presented a year earlier, and Turismo, distinguished by the presence of a three-speed gearbox and a rear suspension. The Turismo proved to be so overwhelmingly popular that before long, the Economica was discontinued. In 1946, about 50 units were produced.


1945–1980: Agusta family period

Count Domenico Agusta had a passion for mechanical workings and for motorcycle racing. Much like
Enzo Ferrari Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari (; ; 18 February 1898 – 14 August 1988) was an Italian racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of Scuderia Ferrari in Grand Prix motor racing, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque. Under h ...
, the Agusta family produced and sold motorcycles almost exclusively to fund their racing efforts. So soon after the start of production of its first model MV 98, the company launched its own factory racing program. The date of the first MV Agusta race is unknown, but the first victory was delivered by Vicenzo Nincioni in the road race held in
La Spezia La Spezia (, or ; ; , in the local ) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. La Spezia is the second-largest city in the Liguria ...
on October 6, 1946. Just a week later, he took the third place in Valenza, where the first place was also taken by the MV racer Mario Cornalea. On November 3, in
Monza Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...
, MV racers Vicenzo Ninconi, Mario Cornalea and Mario Paleari occupied the entire podium for the first time in MV racing history. In the end of 1946, a special racing motorcycle was assembled at the factory in Caschina Costa. Its main advantages over the serial model 98 were a telescopic fork and a plunger type rear suspension. The frame remained a simple tubular (closed type) and was shortened by 50 mm to improve the handling. The handle bar was narrowed and the rearsets were moved back to make a sportier riding position. The two-stroke engine was improved by enlarging the cylinders ports, raising the compression ratio and installing a new 20 mm horizontal carburetor. The number of gears was increased from two to three. As a result, the power increased to 5 hp at 5,400 rpm, and the maximum speed increased to 95 km/h. Soon almost all of these improvements were also applied on the production model MV 98. By that time, the capacity of 98 cc was no longer relevant in racing world, which had become more organized and moved on to the classic 125, 250 and 500 cc categories. In 1947, MV Agusta went to the Milan Trade Fair with a number of new features. In addition to a "Luxury" version of the 98, the two-cylinder, two-stroke 125 cc bikes and the 250 cc single-cylinder 4T bikes appeared. Technical characteristics of the MV Agusta 250 Turismo were regular for those times. Its single-cylinder engine with compression ratio 6.0:1 produced 11 hp at 4,700 rpm allowing the motorcycle to speed up to 110 km/h. Only 100 units of the MV 250 Turismo were produced within three years. The model with a 125 cc two-stroke twin engine had a very similar design to the MV 98. The only differences were a four-speed gearbox and two cylinders instead of one. This model was well received by the press as well as by the audience of many motorcycles shows. However this model didn't go to serial production mainly because its high price. Instead of this model MV Agusta launched a more affordable 125 Turismo, which was the result of the development of the original MV 98. It was powered by a 123.5 cc (53 × 56 mm) single-cylinder engine shoving out 4.8 hp and equipped by a girder fork. Together with the 125 Turismo, MV introduced 125 Corsa designed for national and world championships. The power increased up to 9 hp. Its steel trellis frame, fabricated from thinner tubing, helped to reduce the weight from 75 to 55 kg. Two friction dampers had been added. And both wheels were replaced with 21-inch ones in accordance with the technical regulations of the races. The bike was good enough to help Franco Bertoni to win the 1948 Grand Prix of Nations at Monza. In the 1949 season, the 125 cc, or ultra-light weight class, gained new prestige. More motorcycle manufacturers were competing in the inaugural world championships that were held in Switzerland, Netherlands and Italy. The Mondial 125 cc
DOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine in which the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combus ...
design dominated the 1949 season. In the end of 1949, Count Domenico Agusta invited two key professionals from GileraPiero Remor, who designed Gilera's four-cylinder 500cc racing motorcycle, and
Arturo Magni Arturo Magni (Usmate Velate, 24 September 1925 - Samarate, 2 December 2015) was an Italians, Italian engineer racing team manager and entrepreneur. Early life Arturo Magni was born in Usmate Velate, near Milan in the Lombardy Regions of Italy, r ...
, who was the chief mechanic of the Gilera's racing team. So they repeated a 500 cc four-cylinder engine and designed a racing model with 125 cc DOHC single-cylinder engine. The MV's first 500 – a Gilera clone – made its race debut at Spa-Francorchamps in July 1950, just six months after Remor had put pen to paper in MV's Cascina Costa race shop. After a short twenty-minute run on the factory test bench, ex-Gilera rider Arcisco Artesiani managed a creditable fifth on the untested and ungainly MV 500. His race average speed of 160.66 km/h was impressive, but the remainder of the season proved difficult and the MV failed to live up to expectations. Artesiani's third place at Monza in the Nations Grand Prix was the highlight of the 1950 season, and Artesiani finished eighth overall in the
World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
. The MV's first racing success came later with the 125cc DOHC four-stroke engine. The 1950 season and 1951 season were development years. Racing efforts only produced a fifth-place finish at the
Dutch TT The Dutch Tourist Trophy, also known as the ''TT Assen'', and also sometimes known as the Dutch Motorcycle Grand Prix, is an annual Dutch motorsport event established in 1925 for road racing motorcycles held on the TT Circuit Assen, also known ...
in 1950. The 1951 results were only slightly better. The 1952 season saw the introduction of telescopic forks, full width alloy brake hubs and a sleek fuel tank on the 125 cc race bike. Britain's Cecil Sandford piloted the new MV 125 to a 1952 Isle of Man TT victory and went on to win MV Agusta's first world championship. And in September that year
Leslie Graham Robert Leslie Graham (14 September 1911 – 12 June 1953) was a British motorcycle road racing, road racer who competed in the 1930s and 1940s. He won the inaugural Grand Prix motorcycle racing List of Grand Prix motorcycle racing World champ ...
made Count Agusta the happiest man alive by winning MV's first 500 cc Grand Prix, on the hallowed asphalt of
Monza Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...
, beating Gilera's Umberto Masetti by 58 seconds. Giuseppe Commendatore Gilera was so incensed that he lodged a protest, claiming MV's engine was oversize. It wasn't. In 1952, the Agusta factory started building helicopters under licence to American manufacturer
Bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...
. And
aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...
once again became fundamental to the Count's business. Although MV Agusta continued to sell small numbers of exotic road bikes, from this moment on racing was a hobby for Count Domenico. Helicopters made him a fortune, which he spent on racing. Aviation technology also served him well on the racetrack. His Grand Prix bikes were constructed using the same high-tech casting, forging and machining techniques used in the manufacture of his helicopters. At that time MV product line-up consisted of motorcycles and scooters with
two-stroke engine A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a Thermodynamic power cycle, power cycle with two strokes of the piston, one up and one down, in one revolution of the crankshaft in contrast to a f ...
s, with a capacity from 98 to 150 cc. But people who lived in mountainous areas always preferred
four-stroke engine A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either directi ...
s because of their torque. So Remor was tasked to design a four-stroke road model. At the end of 1952, the MV Agusta 175 was released in two versions: CST and CSTL. It was their first production machine with a four-stroke engine. The unit construction single-cylinder engine was designed with an overhead camshaft for high performance. The chain-driven camshaft operated the valves via rocker arms, which were closed by hairpin valve springs. The engine was inclined forward at 10° and manufactured in alloy and a bore and stroke of 59.5 × 62 mm. This model had a frame of a double loop design using tubes for the front sections and pressed steel members at the rear. The engine was used as a stressed member. Suspension was telescopic forks at the front and a swinging arm at the rear. The 175 CST was equipped with separate saddles and 17" wheels, the CSTL (''Turismo Lusso'') had 19" wheels and a "long seat" (dualseat) fitted. The 175 CST weighed 103 kg and figured top speed of 100 km/h. In less than a year MV Agusta introduced a sportier version 175 CS with a larger carburetor (22 mm instead of 18 mm), a higher compression ratio, a larger cylinder head with bigger fins, aluminum wheel rims and plenty of glossy red paint. Its 175 cc one-cylinder engine produced 11 hp at 6700 rpm, giving a 115 km/h top speed. This model featured lower handlebars, a more sporty riding position and a beautifully sculpted fuel tank that quickly earned it the unofficial nickname "Disco Volante" ( English: flying saucer) as, viewed from the front, the tank shape was reminiscent of a flying saucer. In July 1954, MV began offering a very limited-availability racing model 175 CSS (''Super Sport''). The engine was further turned from the CS model, including higher compression ratio and a larger carburetor, to produce 15 hp at 8,800 rpm. Cycle parts were the same as the CS model, except it was fitted with Earles forks. In 1955, MV Agusta designed the 175 CSS-5V for the 175 cc ''Formula Sport Derivata'' race series. The "Squalo" ( English: shark), as it was generally known, had a lighter frame based on that used on the works racers, larger brakes, a magneto, Earles forks and a five-speed gearbox. The bike became the part of motorcycle racing history thanks to the first victory of young
Mike Hailwood Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer, who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from to , and Formula One between and . Nicknamed "the Bike", Hailwood was ...
, the future nine-time world champion. Mike won his first ever race on one of these machines bored out to 196 cc in a 200-cc class race at Oulton Park in 1957. Around 200 of the model were manufactured between 1954 and 1957. The 175 cc engine became famous not only in road racing. From 1955 to 1958, MV also produced off-road racing motorcycles. But, perhaps, the most unexpected option manufactured in the same years was the trike Motocarro with a load capacity of 300 kg. Unfortunately the 175 cc family had a considerable drawback. In fact, the flip side of its advantages. After all, the motorcycle was designed by the racing engineer, who spent the best part of his life following the rule brilliantly formulated by
Ferdinand Porsche Ferdinand Porsche (3 September 1875 – 30 January 1951) was a German automotive engineering, automotive engineer and founder of the Porsche, Porsche AG. He is best known for creating the first Petrol engine, gasoline–Electric motor, el ...
: "The perfect racing car crosses the finish line first and subsequently falls into its component parts". Four-stroke 175-cc MV Agusta engines were distinguished by excellent dynamics at that time, but not durability. They were even given the nickname "Fragile Diamonds". In addition, the upper camshaft complicated the procedure for cleaning carbon deposits, which was required several times a season due to the quality of oil and fuel. Therefore, for the new 125cc motorcycle, which was supposed to replace two-stroke models, a simplified version of the four-stroke engine was developed, with pushrods operating the valves. The model debuted in 1954 in two versions: Turismo Rapido (6.5 hp) and Rapido Sport (7.5 hp). The chassis was similar to the 175-cc models (although the first units used a fully tubular frame, it was soon replaced by the same mixed design as the 175 CST), but a radical improvement appeared on the Rapido Sport was a hydraulically damped telescopic fork. Now Italian engineers were ready to take the next step: to increase capacity up to 250 cc. In the fall of 1956, the company introduced the 250 Raid. Its name seemed to hint: the toys were over, it was time to go on a long journey – at least across Europe (the name was chosen by voting among dealers of the brand). Technically, the motorcycle became the development of a 125-cc model: a single-cylinder four-stroke overhead valve (OHV) engine, a four-speed gearbox, a duplex frame closed through the crankcase of the power unit. Of course, everything was done much more solidly, so the dry weight of the motorcycle increased from 102 to 160 kg. As a result, 14 hp engine could hardly power this bike to 115 km/h. In addition, the motorcycle looked like a clone of the junior models, with no hints of its high status. All of that generated low demand. In 1959, in an attempt to recover the poor sales of the 250, the company introduced a 16-hp 300-cc version. Army and police purchased a small number of these motorcycles in respective versions, but the overall sales were far from brilliant. As a result, the success hoped for was not realized with only 544 250-cc machines and about 500 300-cc machines being produced. Trying to completely rid the brand of the dubious fame of "fragile diamonds", the company's engineers completely redesigned the lubrication system by the 1959 season: they installed a high-performance oil pump, a centrifugal oil filter, and increased the volume of the pan. The main new MV Agusta 125 TRE advertising message was focused on its reliability and assured 100,000 km mileage without any problems, for which the model was nicknamed "Centomila" ( English: one hundred thousand). In 1958, responding to the new Italian Road Law ( Italian: Codice della strada), which closed highways for motorcycles of 125 cc or less, the company released a 150-cc version of the MV Agusta 150 RS (Rapido Sport). Its 10 hp engine accelerating the motorcycle up to 110 km/h, allowed it to stay in the stream (the most popular car of those times – the
Fiat 500 The Fiat 500 (, ) is an Economy car, economy / city car that was manufactured and marketed by Fiat Automobiles from 1957 until 1975. It was sold as a two-door semi-convertible or saloon car and as a three-door panel van or estate car. Launched ...
– had a lower maximum speed). The same engine, detuned to 7 hp, was also installed on the small three-wheeled scooter Centauro. This machine with a load capacity of 350 kg already had a cab. In 1957, MV produced a cheaper version of the 175-cc engine with a camshaft located in the engine block. Later in 1959, this engine bored up to 232 cc became a heart of a new motorcycle –
Tevere The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...
( English:
Tiber The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...
). In fact, the 11 hp Tevere was a more dynamic and less affordable version of MV Agusta 150 RS, so the model was discontinued soon. But the 232-cc engine itself, equipped with forced cooling, was produced until 1968, to complete the Trasporto Tevere cargo scooter. A new family of ultralight (only 83 kg for basic version) Checca motorcycles debuted in 1960 to replace the Ottantatrè model. Technically Checca was similar to the 125-cc Centomila, but with a scaled parts. The basic version GT was equipped with an 83-cc 4 hp engine, an upper level GTE version had a 99-cc 5.15-hp engine and the Sport version had a 99-cc 6.5-hp engine. In 1962, the family was supplemented the GTL version with a 125-cc 5.5-hp engine. The family was in production for totally 9 years, however it had no big commercial success. The 1958 Italian Road Law ( Italian: Codice della strada) defined a new category "ciclomotore": a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with engine capacity 50 cc or less and speed 40 km/h or less. Italian motorcycle industry saw in the new law an opportunity to attract younger riders’ audience. MV Agusta from its side presented Liberty family in 1962. In fact, it was the same Checca, but even more lightweight and simplified, with a 47.7-cc 1.5-hp engine at 4,500 rpm. An interesting fact that sales of the Liberty Sport version significantly exceeded the sales of the basic Liberty Turismo. After the 1957 season, the Italian motorcycle manufacturers Gilera, Moto Guzzi and Mondial jointly agreed to withdraw from Grand Prix competition due to escalating costs and diminishing sales. Count Agusta originally agreed to withdraw, but then had second thoughts. MV Agusta went on to dominate Grand Prix racing, winning 17 consecutive 500-cc world championships. Count Agusta's competitive nature drove him to hire some of the best riders of the time, including Carlo Ubbiali, John Surtees,
Mike Hailwood Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer, who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from to , and Formula One between and . Nicknamed "the Bike", Hailwood was ...
,
Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini (; born 16 June 1942) is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer and racing team manager. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1963 to 1977, most prominently as a member of ...
, Phil Read, and the best engineers, in particular
Arturo Magni Arturo Magni (Usmate Velate, 24 September 1925 - Samarate, 2 December 2015) was an Italians, Italian engineer racing team manager and entrepreneur. Early life Arturo Magni was born in Usmate Velate, near Milan in the Lombardy Regions of Italy, r ...
. The three- and four-cylinder race bikes were known for their excellent road handling. The fire-engine red racing machines became a hallmark of Grand Prix racing in the 1960s and early 1970s. In the early 1960s, MV Agusta decided to return to offroad sport (at the end of the 1950s, MV racers were successful in
enduro Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on extended cross-country, off-road courses. Enduro consists of many different obstacles and challenges. The main type of enduro event, and the format to which the World Enduro Championship is run, is ...
races, including in the famous Six Days race). A new 125 Regolarita was created by order of Fiamme Oro team. The model was equipped with a 125-cc engine boosted up to 12.5 hp and a five-speed gearbox. Traditionally light MV frame was reinforced with a lower subframe, becoming closed. 19-inch wheels got offroad tyres. This motorcycle became successful, so tens such motorcycles were also sold amateur racers. Moreover, a five-speed gearbox has become standard for 125-cc and 150-cc road motorcycles since 1966, the factory line-up was supplemented by the Scrambler version. The main MV premiere at the 1965
EICMA EICMA (''Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori''), or the Milan Motorcycle Shows is an annual trade show in Milan, Italy featuring motorcycles. The 2018 show drew over half a million visitors and more than 1,200 exhibiting brands ...
Milan Motorcycle Show was the flagship model 600 with an inline-four 590-cc engine. Such significant novelty put the all new two-cylinder line-up on the background. Most probably it happened also because of the new two-cylinder motorcycles had a regular look, very similar to the previous motorcycles. The MV Agusta 250 B (''Bicilindrica'') had a 247 cc (53 × 56 mm) four-stroke parallel twin engine, a battery ignition system, two carburetors and a five-speed gearbox. Its 19 hp were enough to achieve 135 km/h. But the price was too high, and the characteristics were not the most impressive, which is why by the end of 1970 the total number of released three versions barely reached 1,452 units, and the model gave way to another generation, a much more successful MV Agusta 350 B with engine bored out to 349 cc. Motorcycles MV Agusta became more advanced, with modern electrical equipment and improved suspensions. At the same time MV Agusta kept the look of its motorcycles almost unchanged. Meanwhile, the 1960s became a turning point in motorcycle design world, and other Italian companies set new design excellence standards not supported by MV Agusta with its motorcycles' look "from the 1950s". The first significant design improvement became only in 1970, however it was not well accepted by customers and the second change became in 1971. The changes included elongated gas tanks, front forks without covers, low handlebars, saddles with a "hump". The new MV Agusta 125 Sport entered the market in 1974. Now, the design was one step ahead! The straightened lines that were just coming into fashion reflected the trend set a year earlier by the prototype MV Agusta 350 Ipotesi. Even the fins and the crankcase got square-shape. Some of the motorcycles were equipped with a Grand Prix type fairing. Technical advantages included fully enclosed, fully tubular duplex frame, front disc brake and electronic ignition system. Alas, it was the last development of one- and two-cylinder motorcycles. The heirs of Domenico Agusta did not have passion to the motorcycle business and it declined soon. The last MV motorcycle manufactured in the company's old factory was 125 Sport in 1977.


Spanish production

Count Agusta had plans to expand the MV Agusta brand internationally. In post-
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
Spain, the Franco regime banned the import of motorcycles and also forbade foreign nationals from settling in Spain, or starting a business there. Brothers Mario and Natale Corando and financiers Enrique Favier and Antonio Sommariva wanted to set up manufacture of MV machines under licence by a local factory, which had licenses and manufacturing permits and therefore had access to raw materials. A deal was struck with Nilo Masó of
Alpha Alpha (uppercase , lowercase ) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the Phoenician letter ''aleph'' , whose name comes from the West Semitic word for ' ...
in
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
and MV Alpha was formed in 1948. Sales were good, but because of the limited facilities of Alpha, production could not be increased. The licence to produce MV motorcycles was transferred to the larger and better equipped Avello factory in the Natahoyo neighbourhood of
Gijón Gijón () or () is a city and municipality in north-western Spain. It is the largest city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality by population in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Asturias. It is located on the coa ...
in
Asturias Asturias (; ; ) officially the Principality of Asturias, is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensive with the provinces of Spain, province of Asturias and contains some of the territory t ...
in 1951, creating the MV Avello brand. Production in Spain continued until 1972.


1967–1974: World's first production transverse 4-cylinder motorcycles

Inline 4-cylinder engines have been a modern characteristic feature of MV Agusta. For the first time this type of engine designed by Pierro Remor was used in the 1950 Grand Prix season. In the mid-1960s, when the demand for large engine capacity motorcycles grew, there was born an idea to apply it on a road bike (the first prototype MV Agusta 500 Grand Turismo R19 was built in 1951). It was rumored that preventing any competition Count Agusta ordered to build the road vehicle with no possibility of converting it into a racing one. Therefore, the MV Agusta 600 debuted at the Milan Trade Fair in 1965 was deliberately distinguished by the massive parts of the 592-cc engine, final shaft drive and weighed 221 kg. It became the world's first production motorcycle with a four-cylinder
transverse engine A transverse engine is an engine mounted in a vehicle so that the engine's crankshaft axis is perpendicular to the direction of travel. Many modern front-wheel drive vehicles use this arrangement. Most rear-wheel drive vehicles use a longitudinal ...
. Four-cylinder motorcycles such as the FN Four had been in production since 1905, but they all had
longitudinal engine In automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine is an internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, from front to back. See also: transverse engine Use This type of motor is usually used fo ...
s. It was followed by models with engines with a displacement of 743, 790, 837 and 862 cm3, including the legendary 750 Sport and 750 Sport America. Even when the company canceled motorcycle production in 1977,
Arturo Magni Arturo Magni (Usmate Velate, 24 September 1925 - Samarate, 2 December 2015) was an Italians, Italian engineer racing team manager and entrepreneur. Early life Arturo Magni was born in Usmate Velate, near Milan in the Lombardy Regions of Italy, r ...
was authorized to produce and sell motorcycles under the MV Agusta brand on its own. The most advanced model, the 1978 Grand Prix 1100, developed 119 hp, weighed only 202 kg and accelerated from 0–100 km/h in 3.9 sec. The history of the 750 S America model began when Chris Garville and Jim Cotherman of Commerce Overseas Corporation, the US MV importers, got the idea that with a few modifications, the MV 750 S had great potential in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. In the autumn of 1974, they travelled to Italy to discuss these upgrades which were rather well received by Cascina Costa. Result-oriented, the two American businessmen called for an improved design and performance ("style and speed") and announced that they could sell hundreds of this new machine. In terms of style, the 750 Sport America features a sporty look reminiscent of a "Luxury Café Racer". It was equipped with a 19-litre fuel tank, a small racing mudguard, a single-seater covered in black alcantara fabric and four exhausts. In terms of performance, the engine's displacement was increased to 790 cc and is now powered by four 26 mm Dell'Orto concentric-shaft carburettors (smaller than those of the 750 S, they have the added advantage of remaining stable on bumpy roads). The buyer could either choose four chrome-plated megaphones or else, exhausts with a matt black finish producing a more acceptable noise level. With a compression ratio of 9.5:1, the four-cylinder produced 75 hp and could take the 750 America to nearly 210 km/h at 8,500 rpm. The America was equipped with a 38 mm Ceriani front fork and a double disc at the front similar to that of the last 750 S. However, the dealers' hopes did not materialize: there were few customers ready to pay $6,500 for 750 Sport America (for comparison, the Honda CB750 cost $2,190) and only 540 units were produced.


1973–1977: Revolutionary 350 cc

MV Agusta 350 S Ipotesi was an example of a car designer's experience in a motorcycle world. It was in production for only two years, and 1,991 units were made. But this happened most probably due to the change of business focuses of the company after Count Domenico Agusta's death. Anyway the design of the MV Agusta 350 S has become decisive in the industry for the next 15 years. While almost all motorcycle designers were focused on round shapes, MV Agusta presented at 1973 Milan Motorcycle Show a prototype 350 Ipotesi that was characterised by horizontal lines and sharp angles. It was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, founder of Italdesign. The bike used cast alloy wheels and triple disc brakes which were a significant innovation for that time. Two years later this model named 350 S went into production. It kept even the squared external cases of the engine, despite the fact that the basic motor internals were identical to the previous 350 twin model. Output was increased from 27 hp at 7800 rpm to 34 hp at 8500 rpm claimed.


1946–1977: Experiments, concepts and non-standard vehicles

MV Agusta is famous by its experiments and expands of the range. In 1949, the company launched production of scooters. From 1955 till 1969, MV produced mopeds. In 1975, the company presented the Mini Moto 4 V that looked like MV racing bikes (including even four exhausts and "Grand Prix" front fairing) but it had a 50-cc engine with 1.5 hp only. The two seater car Vetturetta 350 ( English: microcar), presented in 1953, was designed by Pierro Remor to demonstrate the potential of the young company. Of course it has never been brought to market. Now it's part of a motoring exhibition at the MV Agusta Museum. But MV Agusta also produced lightweight commercial vehicles that were actively sold and used. The first production three-wheeled delivery truck ( Italian: motocarro) appeared in 1947 and had the same 98-cc single-cylinder two-stroke engine as that used in MV 98. It was an odd-looking vehicle with a wooden front-loading bed and a steering wheel. In 1948, several commercial MVs came with a 125-cc two-stroke single-cylinder engine with a three-speed gearbox. In 1949, this engine was replaced with the new four-speed 125 cc.   The second edition of the MV Agusta's commercial three-wheeler – the 175 Motocarro – was presented in 1954. There were several advancements compared to the 98. The steering wheel was replaced by a handlebar. The engine was a 172.3-cc four-stroke derived from the 175 CST (1954) with a single overhead cam. The load bay was at the rear and was made of metal. The wheels were much larger in diameter (17") and the load capacity was of 350 kg. In 1958, the company unveiled the 150 Centauro RF model. It was the third ‘transport’ vehicle from MV Agusta, and the first with a cab. The 150 cc four-stroke engine was based on the 125 cc unit found in the Turismo Rapido (1954), though this also got a cooling fan. All that yielded 7 hp through a four-speed (plus reverse) gearbox, good for a top speed of about 60 km/h. In 1961, the 150 Centauro RF was replaced by the modernized 150 Centauro RBF with an engine that was derived from the 150 Centomila. There was the "big brother" of the Centauro which was called the Trasporto Tevere (TT) with the load capacity increased from 350 to 520 kg. The engine was a 235 cc four-stroke with 10 hp and a forced cooling. Further versions were the "MV TTB" (1961) and the "MV TTC" (1965). However, the real car appeared in the MV Agusta's range in 1956. The 1100 / D2 model was powered by a 1,079 cc twin-cylinder diesel with a four-speed gearbox. Producing 27 hp, it was able to carry a ton. It was offered as a pick-up truck, a delivery van and a pure chassis. The latest modification was the 1101 / D2L with a load capacity of 1200 kg. MV Agusta also created a single-passenger hovercraft with a 300 cc two-stroke twin (1959), a compact tractor 185 Trattore (1962) and a tracked articulated, all-terrain carrier created by request of  the Italian Ministry of Defense (1969).


1971–1980: Loss of the guiding force

With the death of Count Domenico Agusta in 1971, the company lost its guiding force. The company won their last Grand Prix in
1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
and by the end of the season they were out of racing. The company's precarious economic position forced MV Agusta to seek out a new financial partner. A solution was found in the form of public financing giant EFIM (''Ente Partecipazioni e Finanziamento Industria Manifatturiera''), which demanded that MV Agusta exit the motorcycle industry if were to have any chance of straightening its finances. However, they continued to sell bikes until 1980, when the last machine in the Cascina Costa warehouses was bought up.


1991–2004: The revival. Age of Cagiva

The MV Agusta brand survived thanks to Castiglioni family. In 1960 Italian industrial entrepreneur Giovanni Castiglioni founded a metal fittings plant to produce buttons and rivets for jeans, locks and loops for suitcases, and similar fittings. This business was successful and soon two of Giovanni's sons – Gianfranco and Claudio – joined the company. They both had a passion for motorcycles, probably caused by the proximity of
Aermacchi Aermacchi was an Italian aircraft manufacturer. Formerly known as Aeronautica Macchi, the company was founded in 1912 by Giulio Macchi at Varese in north-western Lombardy as Nieuport-Macchi, to build Nieuport monoplanes under licence for the It ...
(the European subsidiary of AMF-Harley-Davidson since 1960) factory in Varese. At the end of 1976, when MV announced its withdrawal from motorcycle racing, Castiglioni brothers tried to buy the MV racing team, but Corrado Agusta did not approve the deal. Then Castiglioni bought a Suzuki RG500, painted it in traditional MV Agusta colours – red and silver – and provided it to the racers
Gianfranco Bonera Gianfranco Bonera (born 2 April 1945 in Porpetto, Province of Udine) is an Italian former Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racing, road racer. His best year was in 1974 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, 1974 when he won ...
and Marco Lucchinelli in the 1978 racing season. In the same year, they bought the Aermacchi factory in Varese and renaming it
Cagiva Cagiva is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It was founded in 1950 by Giovanni Castiglioni in Varese, originally producing small metal components. Giovanni's sons, Claudio and Gianfranco Castiglioni, went into the motorcycle industry in 1978. ...
(CAstiglioni + GIovanni + VArese). Brothers were focused on more on racing rather than on serial production and they launched the new project Cagiva GP500 led by Ezio Mascheroni, former head of the AMF-Harley-Davidson racing division. Soon Cagiva became the largest Italian motorcycle manufacturer with annual production of 40,000 units. Things move slowly in Italy and, in the spring of 1992, the Castiglioni family finally managed to acquire MV Agusta. At the time, the Castiglionis owned
Cagiva Cagiva is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It was founded in 1950 by Giovanni Castiglioni in Varese, originally producing small metal components. Giovanni's sons, Claudio and Gianfranco Castiglioni, went into the motorcycle industry in 1978. ...
,
Ducati Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A () is an Italian motorcycle manufacturing company headquartered in Bologna, Italy. History Barely a month after the official liberation of Italy in 1944, SIATA announced its intention to sell this engine, called ...
, Moto Morini and Husqvarna, and operated out of the old Harley-Davidson Aermacchi premises at Schiranna on the shores of Lake Varese. Massimo Tamburini ran Cagiva's design department, CRC (that time this abbreviation stood for "Cagiva Research Centre"), in
San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...
. Tamburini came to Cagiva from Bimota (the ‘Ta’ in Bimota), and by late 1992 was in the final stages of finishing the Ducati 916. But after the 916 was finished, Tamburini was ill with a stomach tumour and it wasn't until 1995 that he could embark on the next production bike project: the four-cylinder F4. The first prototype was completed on the eve of the 1997
Trade Fair A trade show, also known as trade fair, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific Industry (economics), industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest Product (business), products and se ...
in Milan and exhibited to the press for the first time on September 16 of that year. But this presentation became a big surprise because this bike bore the MV Agusta logo. The genesis for a new four-cylinder motorcycle went back to September, 1989 when Claudio Castiglioni and Tamburini discussed creating a high-performance 750cc four-cylinder all-Italian motorcycle. As CRC was heavily involved in Cagiva's 500cc Grand Prix racing program, resources to develop the F4 were limited so
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...
Engineering in
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
was engaged to develop the prototype. The four-cylinder engine was initially similar to half a Ferrari V8. The choice of radial valves was also Ferrari Formula 1-inspired. Engine development was problematic and in 1991 the F4 project was moved to the Ducati factory at Borgo Panigale in
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
. Here two of Ducati's most eminent engineers, Massimo Bordi and Fabio Taglioni were engaged to help facilitate development. By 1994 the Cagiva Group was under considerable financial pressure and, at the end of the year, the Cagiva Racing Department closed. Department head Riccardo Rosa then assumed control of the F4 project, which moved back to Schrianna. Andrea Goggi, an engineer with Cagiva since 1988, was entrusted with redesigning the engine. Massimo Tamburini was given the task of finalising the chassis and styling. By now it was decided the F4 would be an MV Agusta and Tamburini was given a blank sheet of paper with the freedom to design what he wanted. When Cagiva sold Ducati to the Texas Pacific Group in 1996, Tamburini elected to stay with Cagiva, citing as his reason, "Cagiva is my family". The F4 was equipped with an inline four cylinder 749.5 cc engine with radial valves. It produced 126 hp at 12,500 rpm and 72 Nm at 10,500 rpm. The maximum speed was 275 km/h. But probably the most unique feature was the design: the F4 was even exhibited in the Guggenheim Museum in New York during
the Art of the Motorcycle The Art of the Motorcycle was an Art exhibition, exhibition that presented 114 motorcycles chosen for their historic importance or design excellenceSawetz. "The Art of the Motorcycle is curated by Thomas Krens, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenh ...
exhibition from June 26 to September 20, 1998. The exhibit list included 95 of the most outstanding motorcycles of all ages. And four of them are MV Agusta brands. The fifties and sixties of the 20th century were represented by two grand prix 500 cc prototypes of the MV Agusta (1956 and 1968 seasons), the first half of the 1970s – by the MV Agusta 750 S (1973), and the late 1990s – the MV Agusta F4 750 (1998). The success of the exhibition was so significant that the museum repeated it twice more: in its branches in Bilbao and Las Vegas. In 1999 the Cagiva Group was restructured for strategic purposes, with MV Agusta becoming the parent company and main brand identity. Cagiva along with Husqvarna thus became MV Agusta's subsidiaries. The subsequent process of industrialisation was divided into two distinct stages: the first with production of a limited run of 300 F4 Serie Oro ( English: Gold Series) bikes, with carbon fibre bodywork, magnesium parts and an engine with sand cast crankcases anticipating the construction of the S model, destined for a broader range of users thanks to its price, cut by half over that of the previous version. With just minor improvements the F4 750 was in production until 2004, when it was replaced by the F4 1000. At the same time, in addition to the regular versions of the 750 cc sports bike (S, S 1 + 1, S EVO2 and S EVO3), number of special editions were also produced: 140 hp Senna in 2002 (in memory of the legendary Brazilian racer Ayrton Senna) and 146 hp SPR / SR in 2003 (with improved cylinder head, intake and exhaust). Each special edition was limited by 300 units.


2004–2016: Time of changes

By December 2004 due to cashflow problems, Claudio Castiglioni was forced to sell a bigger part of his stake in MV Agusta (65% of the share capital) to Malaysian car maker
Proton A proton is a stable subatomic particle, symbol , Hydron (chemistry), H+, or 1H+ with a positive electric charge of +1 ''e'' (elementary charge). Its mass is slightly less than the mass of a neutron and approximately times the mass of an e ...
for 70 million
euro The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...
s. One year later Proton sold its shares to the Italian financial holding GEVI S.p.A. for 1 euro only. In the meantime, Castiglioni obtained from the North American financier Oliver Curme, a general partner with
Battery Ventures Battery Ventures is a global, technology-focused investment firm. Founded in 1983, the firm makes venture-capital and private-equity investments in markets across the globe from offices in Boston, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Israel and Lond ...
, who owned the Norton brand, license for production of a new generation of Norton motorcycles (designed by Tamburini) in Italy. However the deal was not approved by GEVI S.p.A. which proceed with another deal and sold Husqvarna to
BMW Motorrad ''BMW Motorrad'' is the motorcycle brand and division of German automotive manufacturer, BMW. It has produced motorcycles since 1923, and achieved record sales for the fifth year in succession in 2015. With a total of 136,963 vehicles sold in 201 ...
in July 2007.BMW Buys Husqvarna From MV Agusta
roadracingworld.com retrieved on September 30, 2007
Being disappointed by these decisions, Castiglioni found a new opportunity for MV Agusta: on July 11, 2008,
Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression along with i ...
announced they had signed a definitive agreement to acquire the MV Agusta Group for 109 million
US dollars The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
(about 70 million euros), completing the acquisition on August 8, 2008. Castiglioni remained its president. Harley-Davidson invested 40 million euros into debts pay-off, production upgrade and the new model launches – a completely new three-cylinder F3 designed by the Ezio Mascheroni (who developed also Cagiva GP500 in the past). However, due to its own problems Harley-Davidson decided to sell MV Agusta in October 2009. On August 6, 2010, Castiglioni family repurchased the new MV Agusta company, financially healthy and seriously refreshed, for just 1 euro. At
EICMA EICMA (''Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori''), or the Milan Motorcycle Shows is an annual trade show in Milan, Italy featuring motorcycles. The 2018 show drew over half a million visitors and more than 1,200 exhibiting brands ...
2010, MV Agusta unveiled the next generation of the extreme F4 sports bike with the new Corsa Corta engine with a capacity of 998 cc and 201 hp. It was the first new four-cylinder engine MV Agusta since 2005. At the same time, the Brutale naked line was updated, getting new model names 990 R (998 cc, 139 hp) and 1090 R (1078 cc, 142 hp). As a result, sales were increased for 50% in Q1 2010 and by the end of the year they achieved 3650 units. However, on August 17, 2011, after a long illness at the age of 64, Claudio Castiglioni died. Giovanni Castiglioni, the son of Claudio, became the head of the company, and Massimo Bordi, who returned to the motorcycle industry, became vice-president. " F3 is our future," – Claudio Castiglioni said at the presentation of the three-cylinder F3 model – in fact, he shared the company strategy for the coming years. Production of the "supersport" F3 675 and its naked version Brutale 675 began at the Varese factory in 2012. A year later they were supplemented by 798 cc F3 800 and also by Rivale 800 hypermotard. Then the range of three-cylinder models was expanded with Brutale 800 and the Brutale 800 Dragster, as well as the Turismo Veloce 800 and Stradale 800 sport tourers. During the next years MV Agusta demonstrated significant sales growth: 3,687 units in 2011 (+1% vs prior year), 6557 in 2012 (+70%), 7488 in 2013 (+14%), 9200 in 2014 (+23%). However the company was not able to manage such explosive growth situation from processes and financials side and finally MV Agusta increased its debt again. In addition to this MV experienced its traditional problems with dealer network and spare parts delivery. Therefore, the announced partnership with
Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG GmbH, commonly known as AMG (Aufrecht, Melcher, Großaspach), is the high-performance subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz AG. AMG independently hires engineers and contracts with manufacturers to customize Mercedes-Benz AMG v ...
looked like a good deal for MV Agusta . The motivation of Mercedes-AMG acquisition of 25% of MV (rumored for 30 millions
euro The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...
s of injections into the company plus support in sales & marketing operations) remains unclear. But this followed similar acquisition strategy by rival
Ducati Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A () is an Italian motorcycle manufacturing company headquartered in Bologna, Italy. History Barely a month after the official liberation of Italy in 1944, SIATA announced its intention to sell this engine, called ...
, now in partnership with
Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. The origins of the compa ...
. Anyway this deal helped MV Agusta with getting back lenders' confidence and in February 2015, Banca Popolare di Milano, Banca Popolare di Milano (BPM) with the guarantees of the Italian export credit agency Servizi Assicurativi del Commercio Estero, SACE loaned to MV Agusta 15 million euros to implement a new business plan. In addition, suppliers opened a new €25 million credit line for MV. According to the press Giovani Castiglioni expected more investments from Mercedes-AMG which didn't hurry with it. To the beginning of 2016,
Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG GmbH, commonly known as AMG (Aufrecht, Melcher, Großaspach), is the high-performance subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz AG. AMG independently hires engineers and contracts with manufacturers to customize Mercedes-Benz AMG v ...
became ready to sell non-core asset with debts of over 40 million euros. However, taking into account the clause in the loan agreement with BPM that allows the bank to demand early repayment of debt, if Mercedes-AMG participation in the authorized capital of MV Agusta falls below 20%, the situation became difficult. Due to debts grow, suppliers began to refuse massively shipments of the components. Finally MV Agusta was forced to call for a judge protection to avoid bankruptcy. In March 2016, municipal court of Varese approved the protective act "''Concordato di continuità''" ( English: continuity agreement), putting a moratorium on creditors' requirements for the period of a new investor search. MV Agusta from its side was obliged to reduce production from 9,000 motorcycles per year to 6,000-7,000, to reduce R&D costs from 15 million euros to 7 million, to reduce expenses for the racing division MV Agusta Reparto Corse, Reparto Corse from 4 million euros to 600 thousand. In addition MV had to fire at least 200 employees. This was followed in early April by reports that MV was negotiating the repurchase of AMG's 25% stake in the company and looking for a new major investor, whilst retaining the majority shareholding of the Castiglioni family. Even of greater concern, were reports that MV were not delivering any spare parts and that the factory might have ceased production. However, the final debt restructuring plan was approved by the court only in December 2017 when a new investor came.


Since 2017

In November 2016, Giovanni Castiglioni and the UK-Russian fund COMSAR Invest (part of the Ocean Group International, Black Ocean Group, managed by the Sardarov family) agreed to conclude an investment agreement. The new debt restructuring plan for MV Agusta Motor S.p.A. was approved by the court in March 2017. At the same time the protective act "''Concordato di continuità''" ( English: continuity agreement) was extended. To the mid of 2017 Black Ocean Group acquired 49% of the shares of MV Agusta Holding (parent company of MV Agusta Motor S.p.A.) and Giovanni Castiglioni kept 51%.
Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG GmbH, commonly known as AMG (Aufrecht, Melcher, Großaspach), is the high-performance subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz AG. AMG independently hires engineers and contracts with manufacturers to customize Mercedes-Benz AMG v ...
received payment from the parties for its 25%  in November 2017. In March 2018, Giovanni Castiglioni, the Chief executive officer, CEO of MV Agusta, announced that the company was working on three new motorcycles based on a new 1,000 cc engine. The bikes consisted of a naked roadster, a café style roadster, and a replacement of the F4 superbike that will cease production in December 2018. The F4 replacement could be electric/gas hybrid, reportedly making more than 300 horsepower, and potentially would not be ready for production until 2021. At the
EICMA EICMA (''Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori''), or the Milan Motorcycle Shows is an annual trade show in Milan, Italy featuring motorcycles. The 2018 show drew over half a million visitors and more than 1,200 exhibiting brands ...
2018 MV Agusta announced the a new family of 1,000 cc in-line "fours" created by MV technical director Brian Gillen and chief designer Adrian Morton. MV Agusta Brutale series#Third generation, Brutale 1000 Serie Oro with 208 hp (or 212 hp with full exhaust system) and 115 Nm allowed to achieve a maximum of 312 km/h, was introduced as the world's most powerful and fastest naked bike. It was also won a title of  the most beautiful bike of EICMA 2018 (35% of visitors' votes ahead of 19% for
Ducati Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A () is an Italian motorcycle manufacturing company headquartered in Bologna, Italy. History Barely a month after the official liberation of Italy in 1944, SIATA announced its intention to sell this engine, called ...
Ducati Hypermotard, Hypermotard SP and 9% for Aprilia Aprilia RSV4, RSV4 1100 Factory). At
EICMA EICMA (''Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori''), or the Milan Motorcycle Shows is an annual trade show in Milan, Italy featuring motorcycles. The 2018 show drew over half a million visitors and more than 1,200 exhibiting brands ...
2018 MV Agusta also introduced two new models. The first was the world's first neo-classic racer MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Serie Oro, Superveloce 800 Serie Oro, built on the platform of the MV Agusta F3 series, F3 800 (148 hp) with the design inspired by Italian sports cars of the 1960s and 1970s. The second one was the MV Agusta F4 series#F4 Claudio, F4 Claudio – the last and the greatest model in the F4 history that paid tribute to Claudio Castiglioni. Superveloce 800 Serie Oro was limited by 300 units and F4 Claudio – by 100 units. At the end of 2018 MV Agusta was recapitalized by extra 40 million euros. In the same year, Timur Sardarov was appointed the Chief executive officer, CEO of MV Agusta. In October 2019, MV presented a new five-year business plan, promising annual production growth up to 25,000 units in 5 years. Massimo Bordi, was appointed deputy general director, and Paolo Bettin was appointed financial director. Former president of the company Giovanni Castiglioni kept the role of a consultant. In 2020 MV Agusta produced the MV Agusta Superveloce, a retro racer styled motorcycle based on the F3 800 Supersport. It is described by MV Agusta as ''"a modern interpretation of the iconic stylistic concept of the MV Agusta. A fusion of vintage and contemporary ensures that the future incorporates the memories of good times gone by"'' In November 2022, KTM, Pierer Mobility (KTM) acquired a 25.1% minority stake in MV Agusta by way of a capital increase. Pierer Mobility, will provide MV Agusta with supply chain support, take over of purchasing and global sales activities. In March 2024, the stake was increased to 50,1%. In January 2025, with the financial crisis of KTM, MV Agusta returns under the full control of the Sardarov Family.


Racing history


Race wins (1948–1976)

The name of MV Agusta became popular in 1948 when Franco Bertoni won the 125 cc in the Italian Grand Prix. By that time MV Agusta adopted the commercial slogan: "Racing experience at the service of mass production". The manufacturer won its first world championship in with Cecil Sandford in the 125 cc class. Starting a domination in all classes, MV Agusta won the 125 cc, 250 cc, 350 cc and 500 cc titles simultaneously in , and . The Italian manufacturer made an impressive streak conquering all 500 cc class riders' championships between 1958 and 1974. MV Agusta retired from Grand Prix racing at the end of the season, having won 270 Grand Prix motorcycle races, 38 World Riders' Championships and 37 World Constructors' Championships with legendary riders such as
Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini (; born 16 June 1942) is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer and racing team manager. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1963 to 1977, most prominently as a member of ...
,
Mike Hailwood Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer, who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from to , and Formula One between and . Nicknamed "the Bike", Hailwood was ...
, Phil Read, Carlo Ubbiali, Gary Hocking and John Surtees.


MotoGP World Championship

MV Agusta won the following world titles: * List of 500cc/MotoGP Motorcycle World Champions, 500 cc class  ( John Surtees, Gary Hocking,
Mike Hailwood Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer, who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from to , and Formula One between and . Nicknamed "the Bike", Hailwood was ...
,
Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini (; born 16 June 1942) is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer and racing team manager. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1963 to 1977, most prominently as a member of ...
, Phil Read) ** 1956, 1958 to 1974 * List of 350cc Motorcycle World Champions, 350 cc class  ( John Surtees, Gary Hocking,
Mike Hailwood Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer, who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from to , and Formula One between and . Nicknamed "the Bike", Hailwood was ...
,
Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini (; born 16 June 1942) is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer and racing team manager. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1963 to 1977, most prominently as a member of ...
) ** 1958, 1959 to 1961, 1968 to 1973 * List of 250cc Motorcycle World Champions, 250 cc class  ( Carlo Ubbiali, Tarquinio Provini) ** 1956, 1958 to 1960 * List of 125cc Motorcycle World Champions, 125 cc class  ( Cecil Sandford, Carlo Ubbiali) ** 1952, 1955, 1956, 1958 to 1960


MotoGP World Constructors' Champions

* 500 cc class ** 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 * 350 cc class ** 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 * 250 cc class ** 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960 * 125 cc class ** 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960


Isle of Man Tourist Trophy

MV Agusta also won races in the famous Tourist Trophy.
Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini (; born 16 June 1942) is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer and racing team manager. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1963 to 1977, most prominently as a member of ...
made his Tourist Trophy debut in 1965 in the junior class on an MV 350 three-cylinder and finish third. He participated in 16 TT races, all on MV Agustas, he won the race 10 times, retired three times and was on the podium in the other races. He completed a senior-junior double in 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1972.
Mike Hailwood Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer, who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from to , and Formula One between and . Nicknamed "the Bike", Hailwood was ...
won the Tourist Trophy on an MV Agusta four times, three in senior class and one in junior class. John Surtees turned to MV Agusta in 1956 and won the senior class. In 1958, he finished the junior and senior classes in first position, a feat he repeated in 1959. He also won the 1960 edition. MV Agusta won the Tourist Trophy 34 times.


Return to racing

Although there were no factory racing efforts, independent ("privateer") teams were racing the F4 750. In 2003 Big Show Racing of Chicago, Illinois, USA, fielded an F4 750 in the Formula USA, Daytona International Speedway 200 Mile Team Challenge. The team placed second overall with riders Larry Denning and Aaron Risinger piloting the bike. In 2004 the company made a semi-official return to racing, backing the ''MV Agusta Deutschland'' team in the IDM German Superbike championship: Jörg Teuchert claimed two wins riding a F4 1000S, marking the company's return to a victory since Agostini's 1976 German motorcycle Grand Prix, 1976 German Grand Prix win. In 2005 the racing activities were expanded to the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup with Italian teams ''EVR Corse'' and ''Gimotorsports''. MV Agusta won the Italian Superstock Championship in 2006 with Luca Scassa, 30 years after its last title (Agostini's 1976 500cc Italian Championship). In 2008 Scassa won the Italian Superbike Championship on a factory-backed machine from the racing department in Schiranna,
Varese Varese ( , ; or ; ; ; archaic ) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 was 80,559. It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or exurban part ...
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. Team Fast by Ferracci entered two F4s for Luca Scassa and Matt Lynn in the 2007 AMA Superbike Championship season. The company planned its return to racing for the 2008 Superbike World Championship season: Carl Fogarty's English-based Team Foggy Racing was going to run the team; However the project was aborted due to a lack of sponsorship.Foggy Racing scraps WSBK return.
crash.net retrieved on September 30, 2007
In 2013 two MV Agusta F4-RR were entered by Grant Racing in the British Superstock Championship. The MV Agusta F3 675 competed in the 2013 Supersport World Championship season with two bikes managed by Team ParkinGO; Roberto Rolfo and Christian Iddon rode the bikes achieving three podiums. In 2014 MV Agusta made the official return to racing establishing the MV Agusta Reparto Corse works team, managing both World Superbike and Supersport activities. In 2018 it was announced that MV Agusta would return to Grand Prix racing as well with Forward Racing in Moto2. The new bike will begin testing in July for a return to racing in the 2019 season. It will be the first time since 1976 that MV Agusta will have an entry on the grand prix entry list when it dropped out due to financial difficulties. In November 2018, Stefano Manzi and Dominique Aegerter were announced as the team's two riders in the manufacturer's return to Grand Prix racing. The new bike also features a new engine package built for it. The aging Honda CBR600RR inline-4 engine – which had been used since the inaugural Moto2 season back in 2010 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, 2010 – was replaced by a 765 cc (46.7 cu in) triple cylinder engine developed by Triumph Motorcycles Ltd, Triumph Motorcycles based on the Triumph Street Triple, Street Triple RS 765.


MV Agusta Reparto Corse


Classic product history


Classic street models (1946–1980)

* 98 cc 1946–1949 * 125 twin 1947 * 125 3-speed 1948–1949 * 125 TEL 1949–1954 * 125 CSL scooter 1949–1951 * 250 1947–1951 * MV Agusta 125 Motore Lungo, 125 Motore Lungo 1950–1953 * 125 CGT scooter 1950–1952 * 500 Turismo 1950 * Ovunque scooter 1951–1954 * 150 1952–1953 * MV Agusta 175#175 CS, 175 CS 1953–1959 * MV Agusta 125 Pullman, Pullman 1953–1956 * 125 Turismo Rapido 1954–1958 * 48 moped 1955–1959 * MV Agusta 125 Super Pullman, Super Pullman 1955–1958 * 300 twin 1955 * MV Agusta 250 Raid, 250 Raid and MV Agusta 300 Raid, 300 Raid 1956–1962 * Ottantatre 83 cc 1958–1960 * MV Agusta 175#AB models, 175 AB 1958–1959 * 125 TREL. Centomila 1959–1963 * 150 4T 1959–1970 * Chicco scooter 1960–1964 * MV Agusta 235 Tevere, 235 Tevere 1959–1960 * Checca ( 83 cc, 99 cc, 125 cc ) 1960–1969 * MV Agusta Liberty, Liberty 50 cc 1962–1969 * Germano 50 cc 1964–1968 * MV Agusta Arno 166 GT, Arno 166 GT 1964–1965 * 125 GT-GTL 1964–1973 * MV Agusta 125 Regolarità, 125 Regolarità 1965–1970 * MV Agusta 250B, 250B 1968–1971 * MV Agusta 600, 600 tourer * MV Agusta 750 S, 750 GT * MV Agusta 750 S, 750SS * 750 Sport (drum brake) 1972–1974 * 750 Sport (disc brake) 1974 * 750 Sport America 1975–1978 * MV Agusta 750 Sport America#Model variants, 850SS * MV Agusta 350B Sport 1970–1974 * 350 Ipotesi 1975–1977 * 125 Sport 1975–1980


Race models (1946–1976)

* 98/125 two-stroke 1946–1949 * MV Agusta 125 Bialbero, 125 Bialbero 1950–1960 * MV Agusta 125 SOHC, 125 Monoalbero 1953–1956 * 125 disc valve 1965 * MV Agusta 175 CSS-5V, 175 CSS-5V 1954–1960 * MV Agusta 175 Bialbero, 175 Bialbero 1952–1958 * MV Agusta 203 Bialbero, 203 Bialbero 1955 * MV Agusta 220 Bialbero, 220 Bialbero 1955 * MV Agusta 250 Monocilindrica Bialbero, 250 Monocilindrica Bialbero 1956–1959 * MV Agusta 250 Bicilindrica, 250 Bicilindrica 1959–1961 * MV Agusta 350 racers#MV Agusta 350 4C 1954-1964, 350 four 1954–1964 * MV Agusta 350 racers#MV Agusta 350 2C 1957, 350 twin 1957 * MV Agusta 350 racers#MV Agusta 350 6C 1957, 350 six 1957 * MV Agusta 350 racers#MV Agusta 350 3C 1965-1973, 350 three 1965–1973 * MV Agusta 350 racers#MV Agusta 350 6C 1968, 350 six 1968 * MV Agusta 350 racers#MV Agusta 350 4C 1972-1976, 350 four 1972–1976 * MV Agusta 500 racers#MV Agusta 500 4C 1950-1966, 500 four 1950–1966 * MV Agusta 500 Three, 500 three 1966–1973 * MV Agusta 500 Four, 500 four 1973–1976 * MV Agusta 500 Six, 500 six 1957–1958


Modern product history (from 1998)


MV Agusta F4


MV Agusta Brutale


MV Agusta F3


MV Agusta Rivale

* MV Agusta Rivale, Rivale (2013) Limited editions * MV Agusta Rivale#Rivale Urban Camo, Rivale Urban Camo (2014)


MV Agusta Dragster 800 cc

* MV Agusta Dragster series#Dragster 800, Dragster 800 (2014) * MV Agusta Dragster series#Dragster 800 RR, Dragster 800 RR (2015) * MV Agusta Dragster series#Dragster 800 RR SCS, Dragster 800 RR SCS (2020) * MV Agusta Dragster series#Dragster 800 Rosso, Dragster 800 Rosso (2020) Limited editions * MV Agusta Dragster series#Dragster 800 RC, Dragster 800 RC (2017) [350 total] * MV Agusta Dragster series#Dragster 800 RR LH44, Dragster 800 RR LH44 (2018) [144 total] * MV Agusta Dragster series#Dragster 800 RR Pirelli, Dragster 800 RR Pirelli (2019) * MV Agusta Dragster series#Dragster 800 RR America, Dragster 800 RR America (2019) [200 units] * MV Agusta Dragster series#Dragster 800 RC SCS, Dragster 800 RC SCS (2021)


MV Agusta Stradale 800

* Stradale 800 (2015)


MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800 cc

* MV Agusta Turismo Veloce, Turismo Veloce (2015) * MV Agusta Turismo Veloce#Turismo Veloce Lusso, Turismo Veloce Lusso (2018) * MV Agusta Turismo Veloce#Turismo Veloce Lusso SCS, Turismo Veloce Lusso SCS (2018) * MV Agusta Turismo Veloce#Turismo Veloce 800 Rosso, Turismo Veloce 800 Rosso (2020) Limited editions * MV Agusta Turismo Veloce#Turismo Veloce RC, Turismo Veloce RC (2017) [250 total] * MV Agusta Turismo Veloce#Turismo Veloce RC SCS, Turismo Veloce RC SCS (2019) [250 total]


MV Agusta RVS#1

* MV Agusta RVS 1, RVS#1 (2019)


MV Agusta Superveloce 800

* MV Agusta Superveloce#Superveloce 800, Superveloce 800 (2020) * MV Agusta Superveloce#Superveloce 800, Superveloce 800 (2021) Limited editions * MV Agusta Superveloce#Superveloce 800 Serie Oro, Superveloce 800 Serie Oro (2020) [300 total] * MV Agusta Superveloce#Superveloce 800 Alpine, Superveloce 800 Alpine (2020) [110 total] * MV Agusta Superveloce#Superveloce 800 Ago, Superveloce 800 Ago (2021) [311 total] MV Agusta New officially upcoming series for 2024 MV Agusta plans new model onslaught for 2024 https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/news/2023/may/mv-agusta-2024-bikes


MV Agusta Rush 1000

Limited editions * MV Agusta Rush 1000, Rush 1000 (2020) [300 total]


See also

* Museo Giacomo Agostini *List of Italian companies *List of motorcycle manufacturers


References

*


External links

*
MV Agusta Official heritageFondazione Museo Agusta - Agusta Museum



Unofficial MV Agusta heritage
{{coord, 45.8039531, 8.7774456, display=title MV Agusta, Motorcycle manufacturers of Italy Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1945 Italian companies established in 1945 Italian brands Economy of Varese Engine manufacturers of Italy