Grand prix racing

Count Vincenzo and Domenico Agusta had a passion for mechanical workings and for motorcycle racing. They were determined to have the best Grand Prix motorcycle racing team in the world and spared no expense on their passion. They achieved this goal by hiring some of the best riders of the time, namely Carlo Ubbiali, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Phil Read, and others, and having the best engineers, most notably Arturo Magni. The three and four cylinder race bikes were known for their excellent road handling. The fire-engine red racing machines became a hallmark of Grand Prix racing in the 1960s and early 1970s, winning 17 consecutive 500 cc World Championships, and 63 World Championships overall.

Return to Racing

In May 2007, the company confirmed its return to racing in the 2008 World Superbike series. The team will be run by Carl Fogarty's English based Team Foggy Racing.^[1]

Resurrected by Cagiva

The MV Agusta name was resurrected in 1997. It was purchased by Cagiva, who manufactured the new MV motorcycles. The new range were four-cylinder 750 cc sports machines (the F4 range), which include a series of limited production run models, such as the all black paint work SPR model ("Special Production Racing") which was featured in the movie "I Robot" and in 2004, they introduced their first 1000 cc bike. 2004 marked the end of production for the 750 sports machines, with a limited production of 300 SR ("Special Racing") model in the traditional red and silver livery.

MV Agusta also made a limited number of F4 750 cc and F4 1000 cc "Ayrton Senna" editions in memory of the late Formula One Champion of the same name (who was an avid Ducati and MV Agusta collector). 300 models of each were made in the early 2000's. By many accounts one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made, the "Senna" edition is also highly prized.

They also produce a range of 750 and 910 "naked" bikes called the Brutale. Production is somewhat limited, as it is the policy of the company to produce an elite machine similar to Ferrari in motor cars. They do not compete directly with Japanese manufacturers, whose motorcycles typically sell for considerably less than the cost of an MV. Rather they compete with other Italian models such as Ducati sports bikes the 996, 998, 999, and the naked Monster. In recent publications, the MV has been highly praised as one of the best handling motorcycles ever created. Claimed horsepower of the new 1000F4 is 166, although dyno tests suggest it is more in the range of 151-158, in stock performance mode, a condition generally resolved by simple after market adjustments. For 2005, MV introduced the Tamburini 1000, which is named after its creator, Massimo Tamburini, who previously worked for Moto Guzzi, and most recently Ducati. Cycle World and Australian Motorcycle News magazine named it the best sportbike in the world. Tamburini designed the Ducati 916 sports bike (predecessor of the 748 and 996 series) which marked the return of Ducati as a successful motorcycle manufacturer over the last decade. The MV Agusta F4 refined the innovative design of the 916.

Purchase and sale by Proton

Heavily indebted, the manufacturer was bought by Malaysian carmaker Proton in December 2004 for 70 million euro. In December 2005 however, Proton decided to cut its ties with Agusta and sold it to a Genoa-based financing company related to Carige for a token euro. In 2006 that financing company, GEVI SpA, with 65% of the share capital, had refinanced MV, and by so doing allowed MV to continue, and brought MV ownership back to Italy.

Recent Models

Brutale

• Brutale 910
• Brutale 910 R
• Brutale S

F4

• F4 750 S
• F4 1000 S
• F4 1000 R
• F4 R 312

Limitated Models 

• Brutale Oro
• Brutale America
• Brutale Gladio
• F4 750 Oro
• F4 750 SPR
• F4 Tamburini
• F4 1000 SENNA
• F4 1000 Ago
• F4 Mamba
• F4 Corse
• F4 Veltro 1
• F4 CC

Old Models

• 125 (1974), 125S (1975), 150RSS (1971), 175 Tourismo Lusso, 350GT (1971), 350S (1970), 350S (1974), 350 SC Rambler (1970)
• 500SS (1976), 600GT (1965), 750GT (1971), 750GT (1974), 750S (1971), 750SS (1972), 750S (1974), 750S America (1975)
• 800S Super Daytona America (1976), 800S Super America (1977), 832 Monza (1977), 850 Magni (1978), 861S Magni (1979), 850SS America (1977), 900 Arturo Magni Cento Valli
• 1000S Corona (1978), 1000 Ago (1980), 1100 Grand Prix (1979)

Wold Champions

MV Agusta has won 38 Worldchamp titels and 37 Constructor's titles, for almost 20 years MV Agusta dominated the Grand Prix.

Giacomo Agostini (13)

• World champion in the 350 cm³-Class with MV Agusta: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973
• World champion in the 500 cm³-Class with MV Agusta: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972

Carlo Ubbiali (8)

• World champion in the 125 cm³-Class with MV Agusta: 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960
• World champion in the 250 cm³-Class with MV Agusta: 1956, 1959, 1960

John Surtees (7)

• World champion in the 350 cm³-Class with MV Agusta: 1958, 1959, 1960
• World champion in the 500 cm³-Class with MV Agusta: 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960

Mike Hailwood (4)

• World champion in the 500 cm³-Class with MV Agusta: 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965

Gary Hocking (2)

• World champion in the 350 cm³-Class with MV Agusta: 1961
• World champion in the 500 cm³-Class with MV Agusta: 1961

Phil Read (2)

• World champion in the 500 cm³-Class with MV Agusta: 1973, 1974

Tarquinio Provini (1)

• World champion in the 250 cm³-Class with MV Agusta: 1958

Cecil Sandford (1)

• World champion in the 125 cm³-Class with MV Agusta: 1952