Mondial (motorcycle manufacturer)
Encyclopedia
FB-Mondial
was a motorcycle
manufacturer from Milan
, Italy
between 1948 and 1979, known for its Grand Prix motorcycle racing
successes during the 1950s. Prior to World War II
, it manufactured delivery tricycles. The firm produced some of the most advanced and successful Grand Prix
road racers
of the time, winning 5 World Championships.
The "F.B." in the name stood for "Fratelli Boselli", after the owners, the Counts Boselli, a noble family from the Milan area. During a time when MV Agusta
and Ducati produced economy lightweight 2-stroke motorcycles, mopeds and scooters, Mondial produced high-quality sporting motorcycles. The Mondial factory in Milan was much smaller than the large Moto Guzzi
, Gilera
or Benelli
concerns,
and was more of a "boutique" manufacturer, specializing in high-performance, small-displacement motorcycles. Much of the production of each motorcycle was done by hand, which kept output low, with production numbers typically ranging between 1,000 and 2,000 units per year.
In 1949, when MV Agusta decided to produce a 4-stroke motorcycle, they purchased a Mondial 4-stroke motorcycle to use as an example. After the 1957 Grand Prix season
, the major Italian motorcycle manufacturers including Gilera, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta and Mondial announced that they would pull out of Grand Prix competition citing increasing costs and diminishing sales (MV Agusta later reconsidered and continued racing). Mondial had prepared a bike with desmodromic valve actuation (before Ducati) but did not produce it.
The last all-Mondial motorcycle left the factory in 1960. After this, Mondial purchased engines from proprietary makers. In this hybrid form, motorcycles with Mondial frames and ancillary parts, but non-Mondial engines, were produced by the factory for the next 19 years.
approached Mondial owner Count Boselli for purchase of a Mondial racebike, with which the firm had just won the 125 cc and 250 cc world titles. Count Boselli gave Mr. Honda a racing Mondial; Honda used this bike as a standard to which he aspired, in order to compete on a world-scale.
An original Mondial 125 cc racebike is the first bike on display when entering Honda
’s Motegi Collection Hall.
In 2000 Ziletti asked Honda to supply engines for the new Mondial (the Piega 1000
) from their race-winning RC51
superbikes. A deal was made because Mondial had supplied Soichiro Honda with that 1957 racebike. This was the first time Honda has ever allowed a firm to use its engines for their production vehicles.
Corp.’s worldwide graphic arts division, leaving Roberto Ziletti insufficient time to resolve Mondial’s problems. He had spent more than 11 million Euros on the company, and after failing to farm Mondial out to a Swiss company, the Arcore
factory was placed in the hands of the Monza
bankruptcy court in July 2004, with around 35 Mondial Piega 1000
s in various states of completion. To place this in perspective, Lastra Group had a turnover exceeding 500 million Euros in 2004.
In interviews in March 2005 a south Georgia
motorcycle dealership, stated that the courts had arranged to sell Mondial to their American firm, Superbike Racing, on February 28, 2005, and that they would continue the marque. However, the Monza
courts sold Mondial Moto SPA to another buyer on July 27, 2005: Biemme, another motorcycle firm located in Meda (near Milan) and owned by Piero Caronni (the same man who bought from Rimini
bankruptcy court the remains and the production right from Bimota
for the then defunct Bimota V Due), renamed itself as GRUPPO MONDIAL S.R.L. and continues offering the Piega 1000
s to the market.
was a motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
manufacturer from Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
between 1948 and 1979, known for its Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
successes during the 1950s. Prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it manufactured delivery tricycles. The firm produced some of the most advanced and successful Grand Prix
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
road racers
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
of the time, winning 5 World Championships.
The "F.B." in the name stood for "Fratelli Boselli", after the owners, the Counts Boselli, a noble family from the Milan area. During a time when MV Agusta
MV Agusta
MV Agusta is a motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1945 near Milan in Cascina Costa, Italy. The company began as an offshoot of the Agusta aviation company formed by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923. The Count died in 1927, leaving the company in the hands of his wife and sons, Domenico, Vincenzo,...
and Ducati produced economy lightweight 2-stroke motorcycles, mopeds and scooters, Mondial produced high-quality sporting motorcycles. The Mondial factory in Milan was much smaller than the large Moto Guzzi
Moto Guzzi
Moto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It is one of seven brands owned by Piaggio.Established in 1921 in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the company is noted for its central historic role in Italy's motorcycling manufacture, its prominence worldwide in motorcycle racing, and a series of...
, Gilera
Gilera
Gilera is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded in Arcore in 1909 by Giuseppe Gilera. In 1969 the company was purchased by Piaggio, which now holds six marques and is the world's fourth largest motorcycle manufacturer.-History:...
or Benelli
Benelli (motorcycles)
Benelli is an Italian Motorcycle manufacturer owned by Chinese company Qianjiang Group. It once manufactured shotguns, although this part of the business is now a separate company.-Early history:...
concerns,
and was more of a "boutique" manufacturer, specializing in high-performance, small-displacement motorcycles. Much of the production of each motorcycle was done by hand, which kept output low, with production numbers typically ranging between 1,000 and 2,000 units per year.
In 1949, when MV Agusta decided to produce a 4-stroke motorcycle, they purchased a Mondial 4-stroke motorcycle to use as an example. After the 1957 Grand Prix season
1957 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1957 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 9th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of six Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc...
, the major Italian motorcycle manufacturers including Gilera, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta and Mondial announced that they would pull out of Grand Prix competition citing increasing costs and diminishing sales (MV Agusta later reconsidered and continued racing). Mondial had prepared a bike with desmodromic valve actuation (before Ducati) but did not produce it.
The last all-Mondial motorcycle left the factory in 1960. After this, Mondial purchased engines from proprietary makers. In this hybrid form, motorcycles with Mondial frames and ancillary parts, but non-Mondial engines, were produced by the factory for the next 19 years.
Honda
In 1957, Soichiro HondaSoichiro Honda
was a Japanese engineer and industrialist, and founder of Honda Motor Co., Ltd..Honda was born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan on November 17, 1906. He spent his early childhood helping his father, Gihei, a blacksmith, with his bicycle repair business. At the time his mother, Mika, was a weaver. At...
approached Mondial owner Count Boselli for purchase of a Mondial racebike, with which the firm had just won the 125 cc and 250 cc world titles. Count Boselli gave Mr. Honda a racing Mondial; Honda used this bike as a standard to which he aspired, in order to compete on a world-scale.
An original Mondial 125 cc racebike is the first bike on display when entering Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
’s Motegi Collection Hall.
Revival
The rights to Mondial were purchased by newspaper tycoon Roberto Ziletti in 1999. Ziletti was an avid motorcyclist in his youth, and his dream was to own a prestigious motorcycle company.In 2000 Ziletti asked Honda to supply engines for the new Mondial (the Piega 1000
Mondial Piega 1000
The Mondial Piega 1000 is an exotic, limited production Italian sport bike made by Mondial. The engine is from Honda, the same V-twin used on the VTR-1000 SP-1.-Specifications:...
) from their race-winning RC51
Honda RC51
The Honda RC51, also known as the RVT1000R or VTR1000 , is a V-twin motorcycle produced by Honda from 2000 to 2006.- Mechanicals and chassis :...
superbikes. A deal was made because Mondial had supplied Soichiro Honda with that 1957 racebike. This was the first time Honda has ever allowed a firm to use its engines for their production vehicles.
The end
In 1999 Roberto Ziletti attempted to revive the marque. Ziletti's father died, leaving him in charge of the Lastra Group. Mondial's difficulties occurred when Lastra acquired MitsubishiMitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
Corp.’s worldwide graphic arts division, leaving Roberto Ziletti insufficient time to resolve Mondial’s problems. He had spent more than 11 million Euros on the company, and after failing to farm Mondial out to a Swiss company, the Arcore
Arcore
Arcore is a comune in the Province of Monza and Brianza in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan.Arcore borders the following municipalities: Usmate Velate, Camparada, Lesmo, Biassono, Vimercate, Villasanta, Concorezzo.A notable resident is Silvio Berlusconi, Italian Prime...
factory was placed in the hands of the Monza
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
bankruptcy court in July 2004, with around 35 Mondial Piega 1000
Mondial Piega 1000
The Mondial Piega 1000 is an exotic, limited production Italian sport bike made by Mondial. The engine is from Honda, the same V-twin used on the VTR-1000 SP-1.-Specifications:...
s in various states of completion. To place this in perspective, Lastra Group had a turnover exceeding 500 million Euros in 2004.
In interviews in March 2005 a south Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
motorcycle dealership, stated that the courts had arranged to sell Mondial to their American firm, Superbike Racing, on February 28, 2005, and that they would continue the marque. However, the Monza
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
courts sold Mondial Moto SPA to another buyer on July 27, 2005: Biemme, another motorcycle firm located in Meda (near Milan) and owned by Piero Caronni (the same man who bought from Rimini
Rimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
bankruptcy court the remains and the production right from Bimota
Bimota
Bimota is a small, Italian manufacturer of custom and production motorcycles. It was founded in 1973 in Rimini, Italy by Bianchi, Morri and Tamburini. The company name is a portmanteau derived from the first two letters of each of the three founders' surnames, i.e...
for the then defunct Bimota V Due), renamed itself as GRUPPO MONDIAL S.R.L. and continues offering the Piega 1000
Mondial Piega 1000
The Mondial Piega 1000 is an exotic, limited production Italian sport bike made by Mondial. The engine is from Honda, the same V-twin used on the VTR-1000 SP-1.-Specifications:...
s to the market.
External links
- http://www.mondialmotors.it/eng/index.html