The company emerged from a production facility for electronic components (Società Scientifica Radio) run by the three brothers Adriano, Bruno and Marcello Ducati near Bologna in 1926. After moving to the new
state-of-the-art factory designed by Bruno Ducati in 1935, the workforce grew steadily to around 10,000. After war and destruction, the construction of auxiliary bicycle engines began again in 1946, very light four-stroke
engines designed by Aldo Farineli, described as a technician, journalist and lawyer.
| Cucciolo ('puppy dog'): 48 cm3, 1 hp at 4800 rpm, 7,8 kg |
In the years that followed, bicycles with this engine were successfully used on circuits, long distances and in motocross. The number produced reached the 200,000 mark by 1950. The first sole Ducati product at the time is
powered by a further development of the 60cc3 Farinelli engine. The factory was placed under state supervision (IRI) immediately after the war, with Bruno Ducati as managing director until 1948. Unfortunately,
the scooter from 1952 with a much more powerful engine and automatic transmission was not a success.
The years 1953 and 1954 subsequently appear to be trend-setting for the company, which, with its new manager Giuseppe Montano, is now only responsible for motorcycle production and development (Ducati Meccanica
Spa) and no longer for electronics (Ducati Eletronica Spa). In addition, the engineer Fabio Taglioni comes with the vertical shaft
drive for the overhead camshaft(s) .
You can sense the passion of the two behind this elaborate technology. It is racing that they will very soon dedicate themselves to and that will make the company name known worldwide. The first product is successful
almost from the start, winning at Milan-Tarent, Imola and the Giro d'Italia. It has the beautiful nickname 'Marianna'. This refers to the Ducati Gran Sport 100 with initially 6.6 kW (9 hp).
The first Gran Prix victory was achieved in Sweden in 1956, albeit with a 125cc. This supposedly produces 16.5 kW (22.5 hp) at 14,000 rpm, among other things thanks to a modified positive valve control
called desmodromics. Although this technology originally came from Paul Daimler, the son of the famous inventor, and was first
used at Mercedes, from now on it will be almost inseparably linked to the name Ducati.
