News From Mandello & Guzzi Factory

[Karl Von]

I have been reading alot of stories about the demise of Guzzi. Everything from them tearing the factory down and building houses, moving production to the Aprilia factory, etc... I emailed a letter to Agostinis to find out what is going on. I though I would post the reply.

 

This is a email I received from a source who lives in Mandello and is connected with Guzzi, This is a replay to all the doom & gloom stories going around from the press and net rumours:

 

In this world of Guzzi there are too many people who seem to delight in doing damage to the image of the motorcycle brand they claim to love, too many people trying to achieve some brief flash of fame by revealing 'secrets' that they alone claim to have, etc, etc.

 

Fact 1. As you have seen for yourself there are plans to restructure the factory, museum etc. and for the installation of new assembly lines.

Fact 2. The Piaggio group has allocated millions for this project.

Fact 3. Spare parts (with the exception of production requirements) have not been housed at Mandello for well over 20 years.

Fact 4. Administration, client support etc has been amalgamated into the group. (a process commenced under Aprilia in any case). It is not logical to duplicate the same positions within the group for a factory producing less than 10,000 units a year.

Fact 5. With the exception of some token elaboration work (such as the automatic computer controlled machining of the heads) and the manufacture of some obsolete components for spare parts the only real operation at Mandello for many years has been final assembly.

Fact 6. The workers who have been working in the older, run down, sections of the factory with leaking roofs and faulty electrical wiring are real hero's.

Fact 7. In order to render the sections of the factory safe it has been necessary to shut down whole sections. Workers can not manufacture anything in the middle of winter without power and heat.

Fact 8. With the world wide economic recession even the Fiat group have sent everyone home for a couple of months. Combined with the need to shut down major parts of the factory and with the availability of Government support for the workers this was the only logical move to insure the survival of Moto Guzzi.

Fact 9. Final assembly will recommence (and the museum will re-open) in February.

 

Karl, please ram these facts down the throat of anyone who says otherwise. If the doom sayers out there are not stopped their predictions of doom will be self fulfilling. Who will buy a Moto Guzzi if everyone keeps saying that the factory has, or will be, closed?

 

Moto Guzzi is alive and well, or at least as well as can be under the economic circumstances. Millions are now being spent on a factory run down by successive managers over the last 25 years. Quality is now very good and the new 110 hp 4 valve engine is the best engine ever produced by Moto Guzzi. New models are being planned for production in the coming years.

 

All the best for the New Year

Peter and Alis

 

AGOSTINI s.r.l.

CONCESSIONARIA MOTO GUZZI

VIA STATALE, 60

23826 MANDELLO DEL LARIO (LC)

ITALIA

TEL.+39.0341.735448

FAX +39.0341.735727

Skype Agostini srl

[savagehenry]

....think I just did something wrong...sorry for the double up folks

[savagehenry]

Great News, KV Now if they do a Nero Corsa, with the new engine, THAT would be something to toast to!!! PROST!!! ...

[dlaing]

Fact 9. Final assembly will recommence (and the museum will re-open) in February.

 

Darn, there goes my dream of buying the Moto Guzzi brand and factory for $1

[coz1100]

Thank you Karl. With everything else that has gone wrong this year that was some much need good news.

 

Ciao

Z

[luhbo]

We had a test of the actual 1200Sport here in Germany recently. They said this type probably will be the last bike built by Moto Guzzi in Mandello.

 

Anyway, who cares? The V11 Sport is history so or so.

 

Hubert

[dlaing]

We had a test of the actual 1200Sport here in Germany recently. They said this type probably will be the last bike built by Moto Guzzi in Mandello.

 

Anyway, who cares? The V11 Sport is history so or so.

 

Hubert

I care!

Who is the "they" that we have to straighten out?

I trust Agostini's people over them.