Gregory Bender

Moto Guzzi history 1920-2017

A compilation of several histories published on the Moto Guzzi website.

Created:

Updated:

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Thanks to Sergio from Guzzitek for writing, compiling, and sharing this history with me.

This history (edition ) is a compilation of several histories published on the Moto Guzzi website.

2001 - 2005 - 2009 (written by Paolo Pezzini) - -

Eventual translations: DeepL.

1921-1934

Horizontal single-cylinder four-stroke 500 cm3 engine, four-valves cylinder head and overhead camshaft, 88 mm bore, 82 mm stroke... With the help of the blacksmith Giorgio Ripamonti, Carlo Guzzi had just built his first motorbike. It was in 1920 and the motorbike was presented to Emanuele Vittorio Parodi, a Genoese shipowner, who, after an initial loan of 2,000 lire, agreed to finance the creation of a motorbike production company.

Unlike almost all other manufacturers who were looking for performance, every component of the motorbike that Carlo Guzzi had in mind was rational and essential. Above all, he had to guarantee functionality and reliability from this first prototype, so radically different from other motorbikes due to its engine configuration and low frame. A philosophy that has accompanied Guzzi products throughout (the 80 years of) the company's life.

On 15 March 1921 the Società Anonima Moto Guzzi was established in the offices of the notary Paolo Cassanello in Corso Aurelio Saffi, Genoa, for the manufacture and sale of motorbikes and all other activities connected with the metal and mechanical industry. The partners of the company were the famous Genoese shipowner Emanuele Vittorio Parodi, his son Giorgio and his friend Carlo Guzzi. Guzzi was a former comrade of Parodi's in the Italian Air Force, as was another friend, Giovanni Ravelli, an aviator - like Parodi - who however died on 11th August 1919 during a test flight. It was in memory of this friend that the eagle with outstretched wings was chosen as the symbol of Moto Guzzi.

The factory is 300 m2 and employs 17 people.

The first motorbikes bore the initials G.P. (Guzzi-Parodi), but to avoid confusion with Giorgio Parodi's initials the following models were named Moto Guzzi.

To promote the new brand, Carlo Guzzi decided to make his racing debut immediately and, on 28th May 1921, took part in the Milan-Naples raid with the only two machines produced up to that point, winning 20th and 21st places. But it took only four months to see Gino Finzi's Guzzi make a sensational debut on the finish line of the famous Targa Florio. It was the beginning of an extraordinary series of 3,329 successes, including 11 Tourist Trophy and 14 World Championship titles that rewarded the commitment of the Mandello company in the races between 1921 and 1957.

The company's first motorbike was the legendary Normale 8 CV. The Sport series, introduced in 1923 with remarkable success (notably the Sport 15 model), was followed in 1928 by the launch of the GT, nicknamed Norge to commemorate the expedition to the Arctic Circle, the first Moto Guzzi with an elastic frame, an innovation first criticised and then adopted by manufacturers all over the world.

1934-1946

The company's growth has been spectacular. In 1934, just 13 years after its creation, the 17 employees at the Guzzi factory in Mandello had grown to 700. That was the year in which the famous Guzzi 500 V twin engine made its debut, dominating the world championship circuits without a doubt thanks to its highly original 120° V engine.

The final consecration of the international race took place in 1935 on the Isle of Man with the Guzzi 250 and 500 twin-cylinders, both with elastic frame, winner of the Tourist Trophy. For the first time in history, a non-English motorbike had won what had already become the most important race in the world and Moto Guzzi became a legend, with the extraordinary protagonists of those years such as Tenni, Woods and later Ruffo, Lorenzetti and Anderson to name just a few of the official Guzzi riders.

In the 1930s two new models were presented to the public, the P 175 and the P 250 with its derivatives: the P.E., the P.L., the Egretta, the Ardetta and then, in 1939, the famous Airone 250, for almost 15 years the most popular medium-displacement motorbike in Italy.

For private pilots, racing models such as the Dondolino, the Gambalunga and the Condor were developed.

After the war, the motorbike market changed radically

The war left Italy deeply marked, with almost all roads damaged and the car accessible to only a privileged few. The motorbike therefore became a key factor in the mobility of Italians, thanks in part to the technological advances that made it possible to develop low consumption and high performance motorbikes.

After the Second World War, Italians moved around on scooters and light motorbikes, which attracted a much wider audience than their more powerful sisters, offering acceptable speeds while being sturdy, relatively clean and easy to ride and maintain.

1946-1966

These are precisely the main features of the 65 cc Guzzino, launched by Moto Guzzi in 1946. Designed by Antonio Micucci and renamed Cardellino in the 1950s, for over a decade the Guzzino was the best-selling light motorbike in Italy and Europe, so much so that when the first rally was organised in 1949, just three years after its launch, 14,000 people took part. The unprecedented success of the Guzzino paved the way for the production of other light motorbikes, from the Galletto, the highly original hybrid between a scooter and a motorbike, to the Zigolo, a 98 cc light motorbike and the 175 cc Lodola, the last design to bear Carlo Guzzi's name in 1956.

In 1949 the first World Motorcycle Championship was held and Bruno Ruffo took the title on a Moto Guzzi 250.

At the top end of the range, in 1950, the then obsolete GTV 500 (later renamed Astore) was replaced by the Falcone 500, which became the dream of most motorcyclists in the 1950s.

In 1950 Moto Guzzi installed a state-of-the-art wind tunnel at the Mandello del Lario, making it the first manufacturer in the world to do so.

1954: Moto Guzzi's factory covered 24,000 m2 and employed over 160 people.

Alongside Carlo Guzzi, the racing team included top mechanics such as Umberto Todero (who remained at the factory for a long time until his death in 2005 at the age of 82) and Enrico Cantoni, as well as a designer who became a legend, Giulio Cesare Carcano. After joining Moto Guzzi in 1936, he was responsible for the creation of the sensational Guzzi 500 Otto Cilindri. Considered by many to be the most extraordinary two-wheeled machine of all time, with its 90° V engine, the Otto Cilindri had an unprecedented number of cylinders and demonstrated the exceptional technical level of Mandello's design department. As early as 1955, during its first official outing at the Belgian Grand Prix test in Spa, the Otto Cilindri gave a glimpse of its extraordinary potential. The following year, with its 72 HP and 285KPH, it was officially released on the tracks where it scored its first successes. In 1957, the withdrawal of the company from racing, by mutual agreement between the Italian producers, prevented the development of this spectacular machine.

Giorgio Parodi died in 1955 and Carlo Guzzi in 1964. A deep crisis hit the motorbike sector in the 1960s and in 1966 Moto Guzzi went bankrupt and came under the control of IMI (Istituto Mobiliare Italiano). Giulio Cesare Carcano was thanked: he became a naval architect and died in 2005 at the age of 94.

1967-2004

In 1967, Moto Guzzi was bought by SEIMM (Società Esercito Industrie Moto Meccaniche). Lino Tonti, Carcano's successor, will greatly develop the V7s.

At that time, the company focused on light machines such as the Dingo and Trotter mopeds, much in demand by young people, and on the development of a new 90° V-twin engine designed by Carcano that would become the symbol of Moto Guzzi to this day.

The Guzzi V7, developed in 1963 and launched in 1967, was the first to be equipped with this Carcano V-twin with a displacement of 703 cc. It was a remarkable success and, after the V7 Special with a 750 cc engine, the legendary V7 Sport was launched in 1971, with a completely new frame and a formidable evolution of the V engine, due to the ingenuity of Lino Tonti. This machine, with its elegant lines and exceptional stability, was an extraordinary success.

For the American market, the Special, California and Ambassador versions were developed. In 1973, Guzzi became part of the De Tomaso Inc. group and began to produce a series of four-cylinder engines, culminating in the Guzzi 254, and then refocused production on the development of the V-twin, which was always highly appreciated by the public and identified with the distinctive character of the Mandello company.

The mythical V-twin was also produced in smaller cylinders: the V35 and V50. The largest version of this engine equipped the Gran Turismo®: the Moto Guzzi California, which evolved to include electronic injection and a three-disc braking system.

Dedicated to the American market, with the Ambassador and Eldorado variants, the California had the classic displacement of 850 cc, a displacement that has since been rediscovered in the current range.

In 1972, the prototype of the 850 Le Mans reached a speed of 225KPH. Symbol of the Moto Guzzi sports bikes, it will be available in 1975. It will evolve into a 1000 cc in 1988 and the last 100 models will be numbered in 1993.

In 1984 and 1985, the dentist Dr. John Wittner entered a modified 850 Le Mans in endurance races in the USA. In 1986, De Tomaso hired him to develop a new sports bike based on a new frame. It will be the spine-frame of the Daytona, the Sport 1100 and the Quota. The 1000 engine will be pushed into 1100cc for the Sport 1100 and the Quota, under the watchful eye of Umberto Todero. The V11s will be the daughters of the Sport 1100. Models that have maintained the brand's sporting heritage.

The style and uniqueness of these motorbikes were updated in the 1990s with the new California, Nevada and V11 Sport.

1996 saw the end of the De Tomaso era with TRG, the Trident Rowan Group, acquiring Moto Guzzi.

In 2001, Moto Guzzi, now part of the Aprilia Group, launched the new V11 Sport Rosso Mandello, the result of that combination of tradition and innovation that has always characterised products bearing the Mandello eagle, representing the birth of an unparalleled legend in motorcycling history.

2004-2009

On 30th December 2004, Moto Guzzi became part of the Piaggio Group (Chairman Roberto Colaninno, Deputy Chairman Matteo Colaninno, Chief Executive Officer Rocco Sabelli, General Manager Gianclaudio Neri), the European leader in the two-wheeler market and one of the world's leading manufacturers in the sector.

Moto Guzzi thus joined Europe's top motorcycle group, with a turnover of 1.5 billion Euros, 24% of the European and 35% of the Italian two-wheeler market, sales of over 600,000 units a year, 6,000 employees, 8 plants around the world, and a presence in over 50 countries.

Expressing the spirit of this renaissance, the Breva 1100 was presented in March 2005, a new successful Italian offer for the naked segment. In September of the same year, the Griso 1100 was successfully launched, a motorbike with original technical solutions and a unique style. From April 2006, the Breva and the Griso were also offered with the 850cc engine that is Guzzi's trademark.

In May 2006, the Norge 1200 marked Guzzi's return to the Gran Turismo® genre: a motorbike offering total protection from the elements, the new 1200 cc V-twin engine and uncompromisingly generous standard equipment to devour kilometres in comfort. The Norge was admired by the 14 journalists who, in July 2006, rode a 4,429 km convoy to the North Cape, following the route taken in 1928 by the motorbike's predecessor, the GT 500 created by Giuseppe Guzzi.

Testifying to the great passion that unites all Moto Guzzi owners, between the 15th and 17th September 2006, 15,000 Guzzisti from over 20 different countries flocked to the Mandello del Lario for the fourth edition of the GMG (Giornate Mondiali Guzzi - World Guzzi Days). Under the aegis of the Moto Guzzi Club, the countless associations of Guzzi owners from all over the world can boast unprecedented loyalty. There are more than 25,000 Moto Guzzi club members worldwide (including the largest group in the USA with 52 clubs), and more than 70 websites dedicated to the brand.

Moto Guzzi succeeds in fulfilling the dreams of his faithful fans, and the sporting heart of the Mandello eagle beats again: in March 2006, on the legendary Daytona circuit, Gianfranco Guareschi wins a historic double victory by winning both rounds of the Battle of Twins. On March 6th 2007 Guareschi repeated the performance and won the following year's edition on his faithful Moto Guzzi. Encouraged by these victories in races on the other side of the Atlantic, a new model was created to embody the sporting spirit of the Moto Guzzi: the 1200 Sport. Introduced in October 2006, the 1200 Sport is a sophisticated naked machine, bursting with personality in every aspect of its design, chassis architecture and ergonomics, and powered by the latest generation 1200 cc 90° V-twin engine.

2006 was an extraordinary year for Moto Guzzi, which closed with a record annual production figure of more than 10,000 motorbikes (a result previously achieved in 1983), and sales of 10,200 motorbikes, a 46.4% increase in volume compared to 2005.

The year 2007 saw the brand come alive more than ever. At the 64th EICMA show in Milan at the end of 2006, Moto Guzzi presented the Griso 8V - an evolution of the hypnotising naked model powered by a new 4-valve engine with over 110 HP - and the Bellagio, a custom motorbike powered by a 940 cc engine. At the Piaggio World Dealer Convention held in Berlin in February 2007, the project for a new Moto Guzzi was unveiled - a street enduro with the evocative name: Stelvio.

On 26 March 2007, with Lake Como in the background, Moto Guzzi once again proved that it keeps its promises by presenting the final version of the Bellagio to the press just a few months after the Milan Motor Show, while the following September it unveiled the powerful Griso 1200 8V.

2007 was also the year of the Giornate Mondiali Moto Guzzi event, which was given an even more exclusive character with the appearance of film star Ewan Mc Gregor. The actor had come to Mandello del Lario to collect his white California Vintage, bought a few months earlier during the filming of his adventure TV show Long Way Down at the Guzzi factory. The EICMA 2007 saw the world premiere of two models at the opposite end of the Moto Guzzi range: the Stelvio 1200 and the V7 Classic. The Stelvio 1200 was presented to the international press in March 2008 in the medieval town of Rocca Salimbeni, headquarters of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena bank, while the following May journalists had the opportunity to test the capabilities of the agile V7 Classic for the first time in the streets of Milan.

A significant testimony to the quality of the brand was given when Guzzi won the contract to deliver 35 Moto Guzzi Norge GTs to the Berlin police, while 20 Moto Guzzi California Vintage motorbikes were delivered the same year to the Italian Presidential Guard Force Corazzieri. 2009 saw the introduction of the V7 Cafè, a sporty variant of the V7 that complements the existing Classic, presented in Rome with the Griso SE in March, and the Stelvio NTX, which marked the introduction of ABS on the Guzzi maxi enduro. This motorbike, presented to the international press on the roads of the Dolomites, is powered by the first upgrade of the Quattrovalvole engine, with new camshafts.

At the end of 2009, at the 67th International Motorcycle Show in Milan, Moto Guzzi attracted worldwide attention with three futuristic prototypes designed by Miguel Galluzzi and Pierre Terblanche : V12 LM, V12 Strada and V12 X, which immediately received the award from the Motorcycle Design Association (a design association with 165 members on four continents) for best motorbike design.

At the end of 2009, the Piaggio Group also announced an important investment programme, which not only concerns the development of the future Moto Guzzi product lines, but also the production plant in Mandello del Lario, where a major restructuring project is currently underway to make the plant more modern, functional and efficient to reflect the brand's renaissance.

A series of new Moto Guzzi models was also unveiled at the 2010 edition of the EICMA in Milan. The brand new family of large 1200 8V motorbikes with four valves per cylinder - namely the Stelvio 1200 8V, the Stelvio 1200 NTX and the Norge GT 8V - was presented at the show, while the press launch of the motorbikes took place on the roads of Tuscany in spring 2011.

This year also saw the launch of the V7 Racer, a true production special with a 750 cc engine inspired by the special stages of the 1970s based on the V7 Sport. The V7 Racer celebrates Moto Guzzi's traditional style codes in a clever blend of technology and refined craftsmanship. Details such as the chrome fuel tank with an elegant leather strap, and the metallic accents of the Moto Guzzi badge matching the red frame colour catch the eye at first glance. The Nevada Anniversario, which celebrates the twenty years of the baby Guzzi with a new sporting tradition to join the ever-popular Classic, is equipped with the same engine.

2010-2017

2011, the year of Moto Guzzi's 90th anniversary, begins with a pleasant surprise: a new white Moto Guzzi California is unveiled at the Piaggio Group's International Dealer Meeting on 27 and 28 January.

The event, which, as every year at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, brought together almost 2,000 Group dealers, concluded with an unexpected preview that anticipates the future product strategies of the Eagle Brand in the year of Moto Guzzi's 90th anniversary: the prototype of the new California, equipped with a new 1400 cc 90° V-shaped transverse twin-cylinder engine.

The motorbike, still at the prototype stage, takes over from a mythical motorbike, displaying an original style that relies on the architecture of the engine and the generous size of the saddle and the tank enveloping the cylinders.

But 2011 has many more exciting things in store to mark the 90th birthday of the Eagle brand: on 15 March, the Piaggio Group celebrated the official anniversary of the foundation of Moto Guzzi with a highly anticipated announcement: Mandello del Lario will once again set the stage for the GMG event in mid-September this year. Preparations are already under way for an extraordinary 90th Anniversary edition of the Giornate Mondiali Guzzi, to give 20,000 Guzzisti from all over the world the chance to celebrate together with Moto Guzzi, discover the brand's future models and see at first hand the modernisation and restoration work to transform the historic Mandello del Lario factory into a modern production facility, in which ninety years of glorious motorcycle history live side by side with the latest manufacturing technology.

2012 starts under the sign of the new V7 range. New engine, revamped design, brand new equipment: the legend of the V7 reaches its highest expression yet.

The new V7 (available in three versions: V7 Stone, V7 Special, V7 Racer) is a completely new bike, more powerful, faster, thriftier, more ecological, better refined and more comfortable than the previous version, and yet still with a cardan shaft driven 90° transversal V two cylinder engine and double frame.

Even before its presentation at the EICMA motor show in Milan, November 2012, the new Moto Guzzi California 1400 captured the attention of motorbike fans all over the world. The announcement heralding the debut of the new cruiser built in the historic factory in Mandello del Lario, and a few early rumours, were all it took to arouse curiosity and anticipation about the latest representative of a tradition that has established Moto Guzzi as an aristocrat among world motorcycle brands.

Refined style, cutting-edge technology and exceptional dynamic features characterise the new California 1400 in the Touring and Custom versions, two distinct models in terms of personality and intended use.

The new California 1400 is a bike of firsts, starting from the 1400 engine, a record engine size for a V-twin motorcycle engine in Europe. The powerful 90° transverse V-twin, elastically mounted on a brand new chassis, delivers a torque of 120 Nm at just 2750 RPM.

Everything on the California Touring and the California Custom contributes to combining the best of modern, cutting-edge technology with the classic style and elegance of the Moto Guzzi brand: multimap Ride by Wire accelerator, cruise control, MGCT traction control system and two-channel ABS. Hand built in the Mandello del Lario plant, where Moto Guzzi bikes have been turned out without interruption since 1921, the California 1400 models stand out for the attention to craftmanshipwith which each single component is assembled. A level of care that makes every Moto Guzzi California a unique piece, with the power to match and accentuate the strong personality of a passionate and exlusive clientele.

Thanks to the success of its range, the result of a policy of investment in both R&D activities and the renovation of the historic Mandello del Lario site, Moto Guzzi recorded sales growth of 15.3% in 2012, a clear counter-trend to the European motorbike market. In the first half of 2013, Moto Guzzi continued its momentum, recording 11.2% growth compared with the first half of the previous year.

In May 2013, Robb Report, the American magazine, which for almost 40 years has been one of the world's most influential luxury periodicals, included the large Custom produced in Italy at Mandello del Lario in its Best of the Best Luxury Portfolio for 2013.

After achieving unanimous consensus around the world, the Moto Guzzi California 1400 won in August 2013, another important recognition in the USA, winning first prize in the Cruiser category in the competition organised by Cycle World. This award is all the more important because it comes from the most influential motorbike magazine in the United States, a true reference point for motorbike enthusiasts around the world, and it is precisely the North American market that is the cradle of the great Cruiser motorbikes, the flagships of the road, a segment where the presence of American brands is important.

In 2014, complete renovation of the V7 and birth of Moto Guzzi V7 II. The second generation of the Moto Guzzi V7 keeps the stylistic personality of the previous model intact: a design that combines the shapes of the Guzzi motorbikes of the past with the requirements of a modern motorbike able to satisfy the widest range of enthusiasts.

The Moto Guzzi V7 II is also a motorbike that has been completely redesigned in terms of technology, engines, ergonomics, reliability, construction quality, finishes and riding pleasure. 6 speeds, ABS braking and traction control are just some of the new features of the model.

The new generation V7 comes in 3 versions with distinct personalities.

Eclectic and sober, the V7 II Stone is inspired by the typical tones of the 1970s, contrasting with the new frame, which is more carefully welded and has been painted with a glossy finish that enhances its ingenious architecture.

The V7 II Special is the closest to the spirit of its ancestor, starting with its line inspired by the famous V750 S3 of 1975.

Produced in a limited and numbered edition, the equipment and features of the V7 II Racer are identical to those of the previous version. There is also the single seat (but the 2-seater seat is available as an option, as well as the footrests for the passenger) covered in alcantara and leatherette in the same colour as the leather strap personalised with the Moto Guzzi logo on the back of the fuel tank.

The year 2015 gives birth to two spectacular motorbikes developed on the basis of the powerful 1400 cc two-cylinder engine, the Eldorado and the Audace.

Modern and luxurious, the Eldorado is the heir to the unforgettable 850 which was a great success in the USA more than 40 years ago. It is a sumptuous and avant-garde motorbike that looks resolutely towards the future. Chrome inserts and handcrafted finishes are combined with LED lighting and are composed in classic lines that place the Moto Guzzi in a new dimension, where refinement speaks Italian.

The Moto Guzzi Audace is a motorbike with a strong and rebellious personality. It has been designed to enhance the spectacular performance of the powerful 1400 cc V-twin made in Mandello, the largest ever produced in Europe.

Only the absolute pleasure of riding has guided the development of a model where the best technology is at the service of performance, and which presents itself with a strong personality aesthetic, a carbon look that perfectly interprets the dark soul of Moto Guzzi.

Also in 2015, the great Moto Guzzi Garage initiative, dedicated to customisation, a true act of love for one's motorbike, will be launched. Moto Guzzi has developed for enthusiasts a complete line of accessories that can be freely declined or in 4 kits inspired by the history of the eagle brand. These are special pieces developed by Moto Guzzi, creating 4 different styles and as many different riding modes: Dark Rider, Scrambler, Legend and Dapper. To these 4 styles, in 2016 Lady Guzzi (dedicated to the female public), Alce and Clubber will be added, evoking the mythical Café Racer of the 60s.

2016 begins with the commercial launch of the Moto Guzzi Stornello, a light off-road version of the V7 II range. More than 50 years after its birth, this is the return of one of the most famous Guzzi motorbikes, synonymous with quality construction and inimitable style. The new Stornello stands out for its many precious details and the choice of colours that enhance its charm and elegance. Produced in a limited and numbered edition, the V7 II Stornello is the latest interpretation of Moto Guzzi's exclusive ability to produce real special motorbikes in series.

In March 2016, to coincide with Moto Guzzi's 95th anniversary, the V9 arrives: a new medium-displacement custom that comes in two versions with distinct personalities.

The most classic is the V9 Roamer, while the V9 Bobber is the darker, sportier soul of Moto Guzzi, distinguished by its sober look in total black and big tyres on 16 inch wheels. The two new Guzzi motorbikes stand out for their exceptional build quality and meticulous finishes. The contained dimensions suggest great manoeuvrability and excellent control, even at a standstill, thanks also to its total weight of less than 200 kg. A completely redesigned 850 cm3, 90° V-twin transverse V engine is associated with such a healthy, light and fun motorbike, designed to maximise elasticity and torque and guarantee character, ease of management and performance from the lowest revs. The standard equipment is very rich and includes ABS, adjustable and disengageable traction control, immobilizer and a USB socket.

In 2016, the MGX-21 Flying Fortress makes its debut, one of the most spectacular Guzzi motorbikes ever. In fact, the MGX-21 is the most non-conformist, rich and technological of the 1400 cc grand cruisers built in Mandello del Lario, a unique bagger in the world for its design, technological content, quality of construction and attention to detail, dedicated to lovers of exclusive motorbikes, to those looking for emotion, before embarking on the journey, observing the majesty of this prestigious Italian motorbike. Powered by the 1,400 cm3 big block, and characterised by the large 21 inch front wheel, it boasts a very low and slender side view. The red paint of the aluminium cylinder head covers underlines the strength that can be expressed by the powertrain as well as the aesthetics. Low at the rear and high at the front, thanks to the maxi bubble with a clean and exclusive design, the MGX-21 looks like a large, technological and luxurious motorbike able to swallow up the miles smoothly, thanks also to advanced electronic systems for driving assistance such as automatic cruise control, traction control and ABS.

In 2017, to celebrate the fifty years since the birth of the first V7 model, Moto Guzzi introduces V7 III, the third generation of the globally renowned and most beloved Moto Guzzi, completely revamped but leaving the originality and authenticity so typical of this iconic motorcycle unaltered.

Since 1967, the year the first units were sold in Italy, the V7 became a pillar of the product range and the representative of the Italian motorcycle par excellence, standing out for its content and design, highly popular with a truly transversal and varied public.

The challenge of introducing a new version of such a famous motorcycle with such a rich heritage and so much success is one of the most difficult, considering the fact that the V7, the brand's best-seller since 2009, constitutes the Moto Guzzi entry-level bike, dedicated to both women and men, in addition to young people who want to proudly own one of the most iconic Mandello del Lario production motorcycles.

V7 III is available in the three versions, Stone, Special and Racer that, compared with the past, now take on stronger connotations and greater characterization. Consistent with the other Moto Guzzi models in the range, the V7 III also has a dark version that stands out for its total black graphics. It is the Stone and a more classic one dominated by chroming, more in line with the design of the forerunner, which is the Special. The Racer, on the other hand, represents the successful sports heritage of Moto Guzzi, a winner of 15 world titles and 11 Tourist Trophies when the decision was made to retire from racing (in 1957). The V7 range has now been expanded: Moto Guzzi pays homage to fifty years of the V7 model by introducing a fourth version, called the Anniversario, a numbered and limited edition, characterized by brand new and exclusive details.

2018: the V85 TT is coming.