Moto Guzzi belong to Mandello

[antonio carroccio]

I just have received an Email from moto-guzzi.it. The people over there are a little bit mad about some insane article on the Deutsche MotoGuzzi site.

Somebody in Deutschland has wrote Moto Guzzi maybe does some goods if they move from Mandello and goes somewhere else. Never mind where, as they still stay in Italy.

 

Well, moto-guzzi.it is really upset! They’ve wrote “how could such third rank journalist wrote an article like that?” Moreover those people have paid us the Christmas dinner.

For the Guzzisti belong Moto Guzzi to Mandello and vice versa.

 

Well, I don’t know what you guys think about it, but Moto Guzzi belong to Mandello del Lario. It will be no shame for me, if Moto Guzzi has some detachment somewhere in Italy, but the main factory HAS TO STAY in Mandello del Lario.

[Admin Jaap]

I think too that the name Moto Guzzi belongs to Mandello del Lario and vice versa. But I think that in the (very) old factory it's just not possible anymore to produce modern motorcycles according to modern quality standards.

 

The ideal situation would be a new factory in or not far from Mandello and the offices and Museum at the old site.

 

But the fact that Piaggio didn't show much interest in Guzzi at all (if one bids enough, it's theirs), makes me believe that they will sell the old location for big bucks to some real estate company. Worst case scenario: Piaggio gives Guzzi two years to raise sales, and then decides to terminate the whole bunch and sell the brandname.

 

This is all speculation from my part and I can't be held responsible if /when any of this turns out to be true...

 

[Steve G.]

Surely Moto Guzzi with Piaggio's help could improve things at Mandello if needed. Considering they have been there since the beginning, they could use this as a positive marketing spin, just like our lads down in Milwaukee. Ahh, there's that word again, marketing! Come to think of it, I have seen adverts extolling the history of Mandello.

Lets think about the one advantage moving the factory would be. It has to be a higher tech assembly line. But this would mean Guzzi production would increase to levels never seen before. The one big question then. Would they sell all the extra Guzzi's they would make? I don't think so. Would the cost of building a new plant ever be recouped with small production? I wouldn't think so.

Ciao, Steve G.

[TX REDNECK (R.I.P.)]

Would the cost of building a new plant ever be recouped with small production? I wouldn't think so.

                                                                         

 

 

99% of Piaggio's manufacturing base is in India . I 've heard that Royal Enfield is interested in buying Guzzi .

[helicopterjim R.I.P.]

99% of Piaggio's manufacturing base is in India .  I 've heard that Royal Enfield is interested in buying Guzzi .

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And are dead set on reviving the V8 racer for MotoGP too!

[callison]

But the fact that Piaggio didn't show much interest in Guzzi at all (if one bids enough, it's theirs), makes me believe that they will sell the old location for big bucks  to some real estate company. 

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That might be difficult. I think Ivan Beggio still owns the land underneath the buildings.

[Guest robbrugg]

Moto Guzzi (whoever owns it) needs to create public awareness - how many BIKERS are aware of us? Run some ads, get on TV, appear at shows, you know - NO BRAINER STUFF.

 

Moto Guzzi (wherever they build them) needs to create ONE bike to compete with the Japanese bikes - price and performance wise. Create a draw, with lower level bikes available as well. Guzzi is known for (fill in the blank boys).

 

Better names for the bikes

Better metal

Better performance

Better paint

 

...BLAH!!!

[al_roethlisberger]

Didn't Aprilia just sink a ton of money into modernizing the line(s) at the plant?

 

..... often cited as one of the "bad investments" Aprilia made prior to the insolvency?

 

 

I also have heard before that large portions of the old factory currently go unused, and the whole complex is about 5km across. If so, one could theoretically continue to modernize one section without impacting the line.

 

If all that's true, it seems less likely that Piaggio would simply cut and run. Further, Piaggio probably recognizes the value of Guzzi's roots as much as anyone, being an Italian company itself. That's no gaurantee of course, but I think it bodes well.

 

We'll see I guess. Time will tell

 

al

[helicopterjim R.I.P.]

What about the money that the Italian government allocated to Moto Guzzi for preserving the factory as a heritage site. I don't know much about it but what little I understand is that it was to maintain the exterior in its original condition whilst allowing the interior to be brought to modern standards. Has this been accomplished?

[Skeeve]

Well, I don’t know what you guys think about it, but Moto Guzzi belong to Mandello del Lario. It will be no shame for me, if Moto Guzzi has some detachment somewhere in Italy, but the main factory HAS TO STAY in Mandello del Lario.

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Harley-Davidson faced the same problem: their corporate headquarters & identity are still in Milwaukee, WI while their production lines are in York, PA & iirc Sportster production has been moved to a new facility in Kansas? or Kansas City, MO?

 

Anyway, it would not make much sense for Moto Guzzi to move their production anywhere else since they presently aren't operating anywhere near capacity of their existing plant. If the desire is to build a new plant from the ground up in order to modernize, roboticize, or ostracize production, there is no reason for the corporate headquarters for design, prototyping, or anything else to move.

 

Moto Guzzi is a product of Mandello, and should never consider moving their corporate identity from there, whether or not they might have to consider moving production, in whole or part, in order to stay competitive. But unless their sales skyrocket, I doubt they could justify the costs of moving; the only reason Harley-Davidson moved production out of Milwaukee was because of the need to increase production which couldn't be met by their physical plant at that time.

[TX REDNECK (R.I.P.)]

Piaggio already has modern production facilities in India. There's no cost involved for them to move production .

They can keep the old place as a museum / styling design center & still have Moto Guzzi's corporate idenity there while getting rid of high labor cost & incompetence.

 

It's called globalization ! Have you ever noticed how a Stella scooter looks like a Vespa ? LML is a longtime India-based scooter company formerly licensed by Piaggio to build Vespas for the Indian/Asian market.

[Paul Minnaert]

Antonio,

 

I think there is some misintrepetation between germany and italy. I read the moto-guzzi.it site article also, what is told there, is that an italian yournalist read the german site and intrepetted the things he read there.

 

What seems to happen here is that the mandello lobby, that wants to hold the factory there is alive again.

 

The whole thing is fueled by the piaggio guy that vissited the factory, and told in the press that he was shocked about the factory, and that moving the production 20 km would be a good thing to make a profitable production.

 

Yes I like that guzzi's are build in a historic setting, but on the other hand, if the same people can build( and keep a job) guzzi's in a modern factory 20km from home, that's maybe the best we can get. Other scenario's are worse. The volume of production in mandello is so low that any other piaggio owned factory can do it.

 

I know that there once was the talk about moving to monza, then there was a huge protest from the workers. I would advise them to think twice now, they might end without a job if they want to stay in mandello.

[Guest goffredo]

I know that there once was the talk about moving to monza, then there was a huge protest from the workers. I would advise them to think twice now, they might end without a job if they want to stay in mandello.

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Hi Paul,

 

On the Topic, yesterday the former Event Manager of Moto Guzzi posted his very interesting - and well informed - views on the Anima Guzzista Forum. In Italian, unfortunately!

 

Basically he pinpointed how with production figures near 10000 units in 2003, the Moto Guzzi Plant in Mandello was close to break even. That means that with a realistic figure of 20000 bikes per year the factory could be self financing and actually profitable. It is pure nonsense (or call it: hidden interests e.g. building appartments in the area) to talk about moving the assembly lines when we are still well below these production figures.

 

He also noted how strong the Mandello added value is for the brand. No other brand in the world has kept its production lines behind the very same gate at the very same address since its foundation, 85 years ago. The point is that if the new management is clever they can EASILY take advantage of the Mandello site as a phenomenal asset of the company, not as a ball and chain!! I could not agree more.

Harleys are made in Manaus (that is in Amazonia, Brazil...) too but nobody even think about moving the historical headquarters.

 

Anyway my view is that there have been a little bit too much of hysteria in commenting the Piaggio managers' view on the factory and poor ethics in the way the Provincia di Lecco journalist read ( better: misread...) the german guzzisti pool.

 

Cheers,

 

G.