Il giro del mondo di Tartarini e Monetti su Ducati 175

Product description

The complete documentation of an extraordinary and pioneering year-long journey (from September 1957 to September 1958), undertaken on the roads of every continent to promote the Ducati brand and build a dealer network in countries where the Bolognese manufacturer was not yet known. This incredible undertaking, born from an idea by Leopoldo Tartarini, a Bolognese motorcycle champion, was supported by Ducati, which provided its 175 cc motorcycle and assistance, transforming the trip into a unique promotional opportunity.

It was the first time a motorcycle manufacturer had conceived an advertising launch of this magnitude, despite limited resources and very few support points. For the trip, which cost approximately 50 million euros, including numerous air and sea journeys, no specific training was done, and the organization was rather sketchy, partly because in many cases detailed maps of the areas to be crossed did not exist. Distances were estimated on paper with a compass, and the two motorcycles were adapted with a few adjustments within Ducati itself by friendly mechanics.

The two riders chosen for the venture were a professional and an amateur friend, both of whom were very familiar with motorcycles. The former, Leopoldo Tartarini, was already an established motorcycle champion, left without a bike because road races like the Milan-Taranto and the Motogiro had been canceled for safety reasons. Ducati, which had designed the 175cc, the bike used for the World Tour, understood that this highly reliable machine needed to be used for something important, and so they jumped at the idea of ​​Tartarini, who was a Ducati rider with a multi-year contract. The second protagonist of the venture was Giorgio Monetti, a young globetrotting university student and friend of Tartarini, who, while waiting for a job, decided to attempt the adventure.

A unique collection of surprises and ways of life, filled with a wealth of photos, documents, newspaper clippings from every continent and country, letters sent to families, and travel notes.