Museo Ducati

MUSEO DUCATI

AS ONE OF ITALY'S PREmier manufacturers of racing motorcycles, Ducati has taken many years to appreciate the importance of its history. While other companies have retained their traditions, the government-owned enterprise always lived from year to year without any regard for the past. It wasn't until Cagiva acquired Ducati in 1985 that any racing bikes were kept, and it took U.S. funds to implement construction of a new museum at the company's Borgo Panigale headquarters.

When curator Marco Mon temaggi was given the task of creating the museo, he inherit ed a collection with barely any pre-1985 representation. The fact that he was able to assem ble such a magnificent selec tion of significant racing Ducatis in little more than six months is amazing. Included among the 27 racebikes on dis play is possibly the most cele brated racing Ducati ever, Paul Smart's 1972 Imola 200 win ner, unrestored and proudly displayed in a room with Mike Hailwood's 1978 TT Formula 1-winning machine. All the conquering World Superbike 888s and 916s are there, as are the delectably beautiful TT 1 and TT2 Pantahs.

From the main display area, each motorcycle family is repre sented by a room with a selection of period photographs and original engine draw ings. Not all is perfect, however. Several of the engines and motorcycles are displayed with incorrect dates and captions, but these are small quibbles in an otherwise impressive achieve ment. Also, notably absent is the Trialbero 125 Grand Prix desmo. The design of the museum, situated above the factory's as sembly lines, is truly spectacu lar. Centerpiece of the main display area is an auditorium shaped like a helmet. If there was anything to quell the fears many enthusiasts had for Ducati after the American takeover, this-along with the proposed ad joining museum for production bikes-surely is it. The future of the company is in good hands.

Ian Falloon