The passion for this famous Italian engine, MV Agusta, has already arisen in my young years, I grew up on a short distance of the Dutch TT circuit of Assen. (Drenthe, Holland)

As a small boy I was taken along by my father to the Dutch TT, this made such an impression which has never released me, and this caused already on youthful age the virus “Öl im Blut” (German frase for "oil in the blood") . The sound of the roarring four-stroke, and the smell of Castrol has been the reason for my addiction. But thinking of racing ourselves in those days was a dream out of reach, we looked at the riders as if they where gods, but they were at the same time complete accessible for everyone. But things change, now it's only possible in my memory.

Nowerdays, if I go to the Dutch TT,  I only go for the GP class, the four-stroke. The tension of the program is also gone. Back in the old days it was different, from the 50cc up to the sidecar was a treat, really gave you goosepumps....

My work as a designer and illustrator, forced me to leave Drenthe, to work at Wehkamp Postorder for a few years. After that i started to work with a creative team (Createam) from Enschede (Holland) where I came into contact with the motorcycle world again. We had, as it happens, Honda the Netherlands/Riemersma racing as a customer. For this we made among other things like the advertisements for the booklet "ENGINE" and Rinze large, (teammanager of the Riemersma racingteam) contacted me with the racing world. We made several interviews with Theo Bult and in one of those days my passion was back; cars and motorcycles.

I left Createam and started my own studio in Enschede and later I moved to Boekelo (a small town near Enschede), and worked in the first place mainly for the publishers Elsevier, Bruna, Ten Brink, Wolters Noordhoff and Oberon.

The last one mentioned published the booklet "Sjors and Jimmy", and I still can remeber my first illustrations of Porsche, Datsun, Morgan, Gilbern and Alfa Romeo Zagato in the middle pages . I also made monthly illustrations for "Kijk" (a dutch technical magazine), mainly technical illustrations like Nasa spacecrafts, cars etc. This way I gattered a wide network of costumers, as well in Holland as abroad like Audi, Porsche, Puma sport, Sikkens Carpaintings, Heineken and Grolsch. (just to mention a few)

Meanwhile I also bought my first MV Agusta, a 350 CC Ipotesi, completely restored and with a full body, a perfect machine. But that was just a start, a Kawa samoerai 250 cc from 1967, an Yamaha 125 cc 2 cil water-cooled, and also several Yamaha.s TZ 250,350 came along and took place in my garage. Afterwards I bought my first 4 cil. MV Agusta/Magni, with this one and the Yamahas it was possible to join the "HARC/EENHOORN" federation to join normal and demo races on the dutch TT cicuit Zandvoort.  I have done this for several years, sometimes with succes but I always took my creative experience in the lead, this was more important for me. I always thought to myself; Henk, take care of your machine hands, it 's just a hobby. That's the way I always have done it, a hobby, a nice day and meeting lots of people.

Meanwhile I bought more MV Agusta's and restored or modding them using Arturo Magni components to build a racer. But still, MV Agusta and Ciacomo Agostini attracted me the most. I made a painting of 2 by 1 meter for the 70 year anniversary of the Dutch TT where it was signed by Giacomo Agostini who was also present. He signed several paintings, also Arturo Magni signed a painting which I specially made for him.

At the moment i'm working at a new serie of paintings, called Bella Macchinas, in cooperation with MV Agusta and Ago. Soon more about this. 

Henk Stadman