Moto Guzzi was formed by Carlo Guzzi, Giovanni Ravelli, and Giorgio Parodi after WW I. Carlo Guzzi's first engine design, a horizontal single, defined Moto Guzzi's road-going motorcycles for the company's first 45 years. In the 1950s, Moto Guzzi experienced tremendous success in Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
Moto Guzzi has experienced low points as well as high points. In February 1967, a state controlled receiver took ownership of Moto Guzzi. It was while in receivership that Guzzi developed the 90-degree V twin engine that came to define Moto Guzzi. De Tomaso Industries Inc. purchased Moto Guzzi in 1973. In 2000 Aprilia S.p.A acquired Moto Guzzi. In 2004, Piaggio & C. S.p.A acquired Aprilia. With the financial backing of a large corporation like Piaggio, Moto Guzzi was once again on firm financial footing, and sales have been on the rise.
For the first time ever, The Complete Book of Moto Guzzi: Every Model Since 1921 collects all of these iconic motorcycle in encyclopedia form, written by widely respected Moto Guzzi expert Ian Falloon.
Ian Falloon was born in New Zealand in 1952 and studied engineering and music at Victoria University, Wellington. After a career as a symphony orchestra oboist was brought to an end by a motorcycle accident, he began writing articles about motorcycles for magazines. His first book, The Ducati Story, has run to several editions and has been published in three languages. The success of The Ducati Story led to a series of Ducati books and histories of Honda, Kawasaki, BMW, and Moto Guzzi motorcycles. He has now written many books about motorcycles, mostly historical but also restoration guides. With an interest and passion spanning decades he now concentrates on collecting and restoring older Italian motorcycles, particularly Ducati, MV Agusta, Laverda, and Moto Guzzi. Ian Falloon lives in Australia, and is ably supported in his projects by his wife, Miriam, and sons, Ben and Tim.