1976 Harley-Davidson 175SST Motorcycle

Description

The Aermacchi Company of Varese, Italy was founded by Giulio Macchi in 1912 and became one of the most famous names in aviation in the lead-up to World War Two. Prevented from building aircraft following the cessation of hostilities in 1945, Aermacchi was forced to diversify into road vehicles and began building motorcycles in 1950 under the director of the talented designer Lino Tonti. Initially concentrating on scooters, it was Aermacchi's innovative four-stroke 175cc Chimera of 1955 that really put the company on the map. From the late 1950s onwards Aermacchi enjoyed great success on the track with their purpose-built 250cc road-racing machines, later badged as Aermacchi Harley-Davidsons after the Milwaukee Company took a fifty per cent stake. By 1972, Harley-Davidson assumed full control of the company and rebadged all future models AMF Harley-Davidsons. By the mid-1970s, when the bike offered here was built, the range consisted of three two-stroke singles, the 125, 175 and 250, each sold in either off-road SX or sportster SS configuration. Built between 1975 and 1977, just 1,571 SS 175s are thought to have been made. But sales in all markets declined to the point where the company was placed in receivership in May 1978 and Cagiva acquired the old factory and rights to the name.