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Cascina Costa Beauties
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MV Agusta Racing Classics
Ray Thursby
10/01/2005
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David Gooley
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By Ray Thursby » It was Count Domenico Agusta’s obsessive policy to keep the
secrets of his racing machines well hidden; many bikes suffered the
ignominy of
destruction, while others were interred beneath his
airstrip’s runway. Some
escaped the fate that befell their brethren,
however, and three prime examples
of MV Agusta’s output now enjoy an
honorable retirement in the Southern
California collection of former
racer Jeff Elghanayan. Treated to sensitive
restorations under the
aegis of Todd Millar (see “Sleeping Beauties,” Summer
2005, page 103),
they are exercised on racetracks as often as their owner’s
schedule
allows.
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1974 500cc "four"
(Click image to
enlarge) |
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In certain critical respects, the story of Count Agusta and
his motorcycles parallels that of Enzo Ferrari and his cars. Both were
sons of a
land where a passion for motorsports is as pervasive as the
Italian
sunshine, and both devoted their energies to racing success.
They built
road-going machines as much to finance their on-track
activities as for profit.
Each was an authoritarian figure who achieved
success in his respective racing
arena with persistence, thoughtful
design, and preparation—not with radical
ideas and innovation.
And there were other similarities. They quickly
established
reputations in post–World War II Italy, and ran companies that
operated
in financial uncertainty with the ebb and flow of demand. It is a
near-certainty that neither name would exist today had not
better-financed
companies stepped in to offer security. But the
preeminent attribute uniting
Agusta’s motorcycles and Ferrari’s
automobiles is their collectibility.
Surviving examples—particularly
those with a competition pedigree—are prized by
enthusiasts and occupy
pride of place in the world’s most important
collections.
In
1945, Count Agusta founded MV Agusta within what remained of
his late
father’s aircraft factory near Milan in Cascina Costa. War and economic
ruin had left the Agusta family’s enterprise in shambles, and Agusta
decided
that salvation lay in providing inexpensive transport for the
people of his
now-defeated nation. Even before the war’s end, Agusta
had realized that
economic limitations and the restricted availability
of raw materials would
place automobiles beyond the reach of most
Italians. He accordingly began
development on a 98cc engine capable of
propelling scooters and small
motorcycles. By the fall of 1945, he
showed the first production-ready MV Agusta
to the
public.
Agusta initially called the small motorcycle the Vespa—Italian
for wasp—but another company had registered that name, so it went on
sale simply
as the MV Agusta 98. The model range expanded as rapidly as
the postwar supply
of materials and finances allowed; within a few
years, scooters, small
motorcycles, and compact three-wheel commercial
vehicles emerged from the
Cascina Costa factory in ever-increasing
numbers.
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