The end of an era

In the early 1950s Moto Guzzi was a well consolidated company covering a vast area of 24,000 m² and employing a workforce of more than 1500. But by the end of the decade, Italy’s motorcycle industry was starting to feel the pinch. Italy's booming economy was encouraging more and more Italian workers to buy small cars rather than bikes. Car ownership was no longer an unachievable dream for the masses, with a Fiat 500 costing only 400,000 lire.

In 1957 the three leading Italian constructors – Moto Guzzi, Gilera and Mondial – unanimously decided to withdraw from motorcycle racing. On 26 September 1957, Moto Guzzi brought to a close a glorious chapter, marked by such achievements as 14 world championship titles and 11 tourist trophies.

The Moto Guzzi crisis became official in 1964. The company's founders were no longer around to provide inspiration. Emanuele Vittorio Parodi had died during the war, and his son Giorgio had also died suddenly in 1955. Carlo Guzzi was old and sick and had retired to private life. He later died in 1964 at the age of 75. Enrico Parodi, Giorgio’s brother, who had already held various management posts within the company, took over the reins.

In February 1967, Moto Guzzi sold out to SEIMM (Società Esercito Industrie Moto Meccaniche), itself controlled by IMI.

In an attempt to tackle the crisis and satisfy changes in demand, Seimm introduced a strategy based on low-price machines to woo the bottom end of the market. The objective was achieved largely by cutting production costs. The result was the birth of the Dingo and Trotter, utility machines in the emerging moped category.