Description
An exclusive, hand-built, full-blooded Italian racer. For the general public, Magni is relatively unknown—even among motorcyclists—which is fairly logical given its limited production numbers. On the other hand, it’s also strange, considering the impressive record of the man behind it, founder Arturo Magni. Magni was appointed by Count Domenico Agusta as “Direttoro Sportivo” of the celebrated MV Agusta Reparto Corse, the marque’s racing division. And under his guidance, major—whole big—successes were achieved and records were broken. To name just a few:1. 75 world titles (the record still stands)2. 17 years of uninterrupted world champion (the record still stands too)3. 270 Grand Prix wins in one era (1950–1976 / the classic GP500 era, still unbroken)4. 35 Isle of Man wins (this one has been broken in the meantime)John Surtees is still the only racer to have managed to become champion in both the very highest level of car racing (F1) and motorcycle racing (GP). On two wheels, he did it with an MV—built with Magni’s know-how. The line-up of riders who worked under Magni is also impressive, with legends like Agostini, Ubbiali and Hailwood. Their well-known quotes capture Magni’s leadership perfectly, and much of their success can be traced simply to Arturo’s expertise:“Magni’s bikes were the closest thing to perfection I ever rode.”“Arturo could feel a problem in the bike before I could describe it.”“I won because Magni never accepted ‘good enough’.”With Count Agusta’s passing, MV Agusta’s racing department was also wound up—partly, out of necessity. That led Magni to decide to develop and build his own engines, using all the knowledge and experience he’d gained in racing. The result was uncompromising, fast lightweight motorcycles that simply couldn’t have been closer to the legendary racers. After all, he made the decision without being held back by meetings in boardrooms at large headquarters. Built in a space that you’d sooner call an atelier than a factory, with a small team of specialists. The parallelogram technique he patented is one of those racing innovations that was applied one-to-one. In brief, it ensures the rear swingarm no longer wants to “lift” under acceleration, making for a much faster corner exit. It’s now been adopted in various forms by the big manufacturers, but it was conceived by Magni decades earlier. The engine blocks were often kept largely original right up to this model, the Sfida 1100. This was the first production engine under Magni that was genuinely thoroughly revised and adapted. As a result, it’s also the first production engine from the brand in which Arturo’s touch has been applied inside the engine as well. And they’re genuinely seriously rare. Exact production figures aren’t known, but the most commonly heard estimate is that around 30 were made worldwide. And one of them is, therefore, for sale right now in the beautiful town of Heerde. In the colour Filo Rosso (red thread), referring to the racing lineage that runs like a red thread through the brand and through Magni’s life. From the first owner, a collector and absolute enthusiast. Only 6, 094 km on the clock, and at the request of this first owner, brought to the Netherlands by Theo Lamers (Moto Guzzi). Curious about this slice of Italian heritage with 100% race DNA?You’re warmly welcome in our showroom in Heerde. Do let us know in advance when you’re coming, due to availability and whether the cars are on hand.
