Ducati News Today

Claudio Castiglioni, CAGIVA founder and the man who saved Ducati from annihilation in the mid 1980′s and was instrumental in reinventing the company with models such as the 851 has died aged 63.

Claudio Castiglioni was a motorcycling icon who, together with his brother Gianfranco, took their firm CAGIVA from manufacturing combination locks for briefcases to motorcycle manufacturing in the late 1970′s. In 1985 he purchased Ducati which was on the brink of collapse having produced just 1,794 motorcycles in 1984 and with a tired product range centered around the old bevel Mille powerplant and the newer but still 2-valve Pantah.

The Castiglioni’s encouraged engineer Massimo Bordi to build an entirely new, more modern engine and brought us the liquid cooled, 4-valve 851 the basis of all modern Ducati’s today. During the CAGIVA period in Ducati history, the company introduced the radical Paso and the mega hit Monster. There were also some misses such as the failed Indiana custom.

CAGIVA sold Ducati to the Texas Pacific Group (TPG) in 1996. More recently, Castiglioni was excited about once again owning the iconic MV Augusta for the third time after buying it back from Harley Davidson.

English designer, Adrian Morton who worked with Catiglioni on the new MV Augusta F3 lamented the loss of someone with so much passion for making beautiful motorcycles:-

“There are so many bikes that wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Claudio. His passion for making beautiful bikes is what shaped everything we did, and his presence is always felt here. It’s shocking to think we won’t see him any more….It was a nightmare trying to keep him happy with the F3, but that’s what made it the bike it is.”

link: MCN

Ducati New Today extend our condolences to his family and friends.

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