Aermacchi is a household name among motorcyclists thanks to its heroic achievement of producing the most highly developed and successful overhead-valve racing single ever, the Ala d'Oro (Golden Wing), which arrived in 1960. As development progressed, the increased power achieved brought with it increasing unreliability, necessitating a re-design for 1966 when larger flywheels, modified piston and connecting rod, dry clutch and wider gears were among improvements introduced. Although the pushrod Aermacchi never won a World Championship race, it did achieve a number of 2nd places, Alan Barnett's in the 1970 Junior TT being one of the most memorable. Despite a lack of ultimate success in Grands Prix, the Aermacchi single was outstandingly successful at national level and today, having benefited from another three decades of development, remains a competitive force in historic motorcycle racing. This Aermacchi's '6A' frame number prefix identifies it as originally a 350 SS roadster, almost certainly exported new to the USA. For many years this motorcycle formed part of a private collection near Milan, Italy from which it was purchased by the current owner. The machine should require only light re-commissioning and the usual safety checks before further use. There are no documents with this Lot.
