">
2014 Shannons Sydney Autumn Classic Auction
Lot
AT

c1956 Ducati Turismo 125cc Motorcycle

$8,000

Sold

Specifications

Engine Single-cylinder, 125cc
Gearbox 4-Speed manual
Colour Red

Description

This lot is no longer available

Perhaps the most famous name of all the Italian motorcycle constructors is that of Ducati, originally a company founded in Bologna in 1926 to produce industrial components, in particular parts for radio equipment. Although commercially successful, the Second World War reduced Ducati's factories to rubble and so the company branched out into manufacturing small engines, including the famous Cucciolo - a simple four-stroke 50cc motor that could be attached to a bicycle frame. Soon Ducati was building not just the frames for the Cucciolo, but adding front and rear suspension to create a proper motorcycle. However it was the 175cc Cruiser of 1952, a technically advanced scooter with an electric starter and automatic transmission, that really put Ducati on the map. Miles ahead of the basic scooters available from Lambretta and Vespa at the time, the Cruiser was joined by smaller, cheaper 98cc and 125cc versions. Alongside the scooter, Ducati's range of small capacity motorcycles increased throughout the 1950s, with the first 125 announced in 1956. Listed in two versions, the cheaper Turismo and more upmarket Turismo Veloce (with a double-downtube frame, revised suspension and a full-width front brake), the 125 became a popular seller both in Europe and the US. The headlamp on the 125 TV was incorporated into a nacelle atop the front fork and red was the only colour available. A more sporting variant, the Aurea, was introduced in 1958 with a different headlamp, two-tone seat design and a revamped engine. These 125s remained on sale into the early 1960s and played a pivotal role in establishing Ducati in the crucial American market.