Description
H&H Classic Auction @ National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
30th Oct, 2024 13:00
1959 Ducati 175 Sport
Twin silencer 'Sport' model
Estimate
£2, 000 - £2, 500
Registration No: PAS 879
Frame No: DM175 06266
MOT: Exempt
Typically Italian sporty styling and perfomance
Beautifully sculpted red and gold petrol tank
Rare in the UK, supplied with a current V5C
Ducati was established in 1926 by Antonnio Ducati and his sons, initially producing electrical components. After WW2 they moved into motorcycles with the Cucciola, essentially a pushbike with a clip-on engine and by the 1960s had become associated with performance bikes, selling a range of sporty 125cc to 350cc singles. These Fabil Taglioni designed OHC engines were quite advanced in the days of the more common pushrod engines offered by most manufacturers providing far better performance. The 175 Sport proved a popular mount for competition use in Italy and its stand out feature is probably the beautifully sculptured fuel tank, designed to allow the rider to hug the bike while gripping the clip-ons, with brackets on the tank to fasten a chin pad for racers who really wanted to get their head down. The launch of the Taglioni designed 750cc bevel drive engine in the 1971 proved to be an immediate success, helped considerably by Paul Smarts win in the 1972 Imola 200 race, starting a tradition of race-winning V twins that have gone on to dominate World Superbike racing over the years.
This beautiful looking 175 Sport was restored a number of years ago by a renowned clock engineer who applied the same attention to detail to the job as needed on timepieces, once completed it was then kept on display in his front room. A rare model in the UK when its cost new would have been double the price of a similar sized British bike, the standard of workmanship needs to be seen to be appreciated. It will come supplied with a V5C.
