1949 Moto Guzzi Airone 250cc. Registration number MSL 414. F...

Hammer

£2,500

1949 Moto Guzzi Airone 250cc. Registration number MSL 414. Frame number 16443. Engine number M83426.
Moto Guzzi was founded by three friends who met while serving together in the Corpo Aeronautico Militare (the Italian Air Corps) during the first World War. Two of the three men were pilots – Carlo Guzzi and Giovanni Ravelli – and the third – Giorgio Parodi – served as an aero-mechanic. The trio were stationed just outside of Venice and in their down time discussed their love for motorcycles, before eventual-ly kicking around the idea of starting a marque of their own after the war.
Each of the three had something substantial to bring to the table: Guzzi could engi-neer the bikes, Ravelli was a fairly well-known professional racer who could pro-mote the company and its machines, and Parodi came from a wealthy family of ship-owners and had a father who was able to bankroll the company with an initial loan of 2,000 Lira in 1919. Parodi’s brother Angelo would also join the three Italians in starting the business…or rather two Italians, as sadly shortly after the war Ravelli would perish in a plane crash. Supposedly, the airplane and motorcycle pilot’s un-timely death was commemorated via the wings in the marque’s logo.
Carlo Guzzi’s very first prototype motorcycle of 1919 was unconventional in so far as its 500cc single-cylinder engine was installed horizontally and built in unit with the gearbox, and although the company would eventually turn to other engine layouts, the ‘flat single’ had established itself as a Guzzi hallmark by the end of the 1930s. Guzzi recommenced production post-war with range of updated pre-war designs, which in the case of the 250cc Airone (Heron) meant it gained a telescopic front fork, larger diameter brakes and an aluminium-alloy cylinder barrel and ’head. The Airone offered a 70mph top speed and the ability to cruise at 60-plus all day, and remained a top seller well into the 1950’s.
MSL is an older restoration and the tinware is potentially original, little is known of its past history. Registered with DVLA in February 2000 and sold to David Cohen of Manchester in the August our vendor bought it in January 2002. An MOT certificate from then shows a recorded mileage of 521 miles with the speedo currently reading 997. A fun looking machine, it would make a welcome addition to a classic collection or ideal for someone wanting to start an old motorcycle assortment.
Sold with V5, previous MOT certificate and V11’s.