Genuine 'telaio rosso' model
1971 Moto Guzzi 749cc V7 Sport
Registration no. not UK registered
Frame no. VK11149
Engine no. VK30076

• Genuine 'telaio rosso' model
• Partially restored in 1980
• Current ownership since 1998
• Registered in Italy

An engine design that originated in the early post-war years, Moto Guzzi's venerable 90-degree v-twin is still around today powering the company's latest generation of superbikes. Guzzi's transverse v-twin engine had been conceived to power a lightweight military three-wheeler intended for the Italian army, and only later was it reassessed for possible motorcycle use. The first motorcycle to make use of this remarkable engine, the 703cc V7, appeared at the International Milan Show in December 1965. The work of Ing. Giulio Carcano, the man who had masterminded Guzzi's spectacular V8-engined Grand Prix racer, the V7 was the biggest and fastest roadster ever to come out of the factory at Mandello del Lario. Its military origins had dictated that the Guzzi v-twin should be both simple and easily maintained; indeed, accessibility was outstanding, while the shaft-drive transmission, another military requirement, provided virtually maintenance-free running.

The Guzzi v-twin would undergo a seemingly never-ending series of enlargements, the first of which, to 757cc, occurred in 1969 on the Ambassador/Special. By this time Carcano had retired, leaving his successor, Lino Tonti, to create the first true sports version - the V7S (Sport) - in 1971. In creating the V7 Sport Tonti did away with the electrical generator mounted atop the crankcase, opting instead for an alternator carried on the crankshaft nose, thus enabling a much lower frame to be used. In marque expert Mick Walker's words, the result was 'an amazing transformation of a formerly staid, overweight package.' Together with its new frame, the V7S featured a 749cc engine to qualify for 750cc-class racing, a five-speed gearbox and large-diameter drum brakes, the front a double-sided, twin-leading-shoe unit. With 52bhp available at the rear wheel, the magnificent V7 Sport was good for 120mph.

This V7 Sport comes with Moto Guzzi Certificate of Origin confirming the year, frame number and the fact that it is a 'telaio rosso' (red frame) model. Partially restored in 1980, this V7 has been in the current ownership since 1998 and has always been kept in a heated garage. Described as in generally excellent condition, the machine is offered with Italian libretto and ASI papers.