1959 Laverda 98cc Lusso Sport
Frame no. 583606
Engine no. 583606

Founded in 1873, Laverda started out making farm machinery, only turning to motorcycle manufacture in the immediate aftermath of WW2. Its first product, the 75cc four-stroke Motoleggera (lightweight motorcycle) helped meet the unprecedented upsurge in demand for basic motorised transport, and modified versions were soon winning their class in the long-distance road races popular at the time. Foremost of these was the famous Milan-Taranto, which Laverda first entered in 1950. That first venture ended in retirement for the factory's single entry but the following year all four machines entered finished the race. The following year Laverda's new 'MT' (Milan-Taranto) sports model crushed the opposition, filling the top five positions in the 75cc category while in 1953 there were 75cc-class wins in the Moto Giro d'Italia and Milan-Taranto again. In 1954 the new 98cc '100 MT' scored a debut win in the Giro and occupied six out of the first seven places in the Milan-Taranto's 100cc category. An older restoration last used in the 1960s on the Moto Giro d'Italia, this rare Laverda flyweight has been imported from a private collection in Palma, Italy. The machine should require only light re-commissioning and the usual safety checks before being ready for use, and would respond well to detailing. Whilst there are no documents with this machine, the NOVA declaration has been completed.