Moto Guzzi 250 dohc works racer & Kavanagh 1954 TT Isle of Man

Description

A superb and rare photo, made from what we believe is the original negative, of the great
Ken Kavanagh
seen in action with his
250cc Moto Guzzi Bialbero d.o.h.c. factory GP racer
during the
1954
Isle of Man 250cc Lightweight TT
which was ridden on
June 18, 1954
. Unfortunately he retired during the race.
Ken Kavanagh is seen riding the magnificent and extreme lightly build
Moto Guzzi Bialbero d.o.h.c. single
. With their superb streamlining these wonderful machines won the 350cc world championship 5 times between 1953 and 1957. The Guzzi dohc Grand Prix bikes were like its sohc predecessors designed by the famous ing. Giulio Cesare Carcano though Enrico Cantoni and Umberto Todero also played a vital role. They delivered a healthy power output of 38 hp at 8,000 rpm. Topspeed was
150 mph
! They were very special motorcycles, designed by somebody that is considered a genius.
This great photograph of the Isle of Man TT was taken during the 250cc race of 1954. The race was won by Werner Haas on a NSU with an average race speed of
90.88 mph
(
124.92 km/h
).
Thomas Kenrick Kavanagh, better known as
Ken Kavanagh
, was born in 1923. He is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and racecar driver from Australia. He became the first Australian to win a motorcycle Grand Prix race when he won the 1952 350cc Ulster Grand Prix. In 1956, he won the Junior TT at the Isle of Man TT races. Kavanagh entered two Formula One Grands Prix in 1958 with his own Maserati
250F
, firstly in Monaco where he failed to qualify, and lastly in the Belgian Grand Prix where he missed out on the race having blown his engine in practice, after having qualified 20th of 28 entrants.
Moto Guzzi
, also known as Guzzi, is the oldest European manufacturer in continuous motorcycle production. Established in
1921 in
Mandello del Lario
,
Italy
, Moto Guzzi has led
Italy
's motorcycling manufacture, enjoyed prominence in worldwide motorcycle racing, and led the industry in ground-breaking innovation – for the greater part of its history. The company's history has been shaped by the importance of racing, engineering innovation and a constant adaptation to the changes in the motorcycle industry since its inception 1921. Moto Guzzi was conceived by two aircraft pilots and their mechanic serving in the Corpo Aeronautico Militare (the Italian Air Corp,
CAM
) during World War I: Carlo Guzzi, Giovanni Ravelli and Giorgio Parodi. By happenstance assigned to the same Miraglia Squadron based outside
Venice
, the three became close, despite starkly different socio-economic backgrounds. The trio envisioned creating a motorcycle company after the war. Guzzi would engineer the motor bikes, Parodi (son of wealthy Genovese ship-owners) would finance the venture, and Ravelli (already a famous pilot and motocycle racer) would promote the bikes with his racing prowess. Guzzi and Parodi (along with Parodi's brother) formed Moto Guzzi in 1921.
This is a very nice and very rare
non period
photo that reflects a wonderful era of Moto Guzzi ‘s rich motorcycle history in a wonderful way. This is your rare chance to own this photo, therefore it is printed in a nice large format of ca. 8" x 12" (ca. 20 x
30 cm
). It makes it perfectly suitable for framing!
Shipping costs will only be $ 7.00 regardless of how many photos you buy.   For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!
(Note: A. Herl, Inc. does not appear on photo, for ebay purposes only)
No copyright expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our archives that we have gathered from various sources.
All items always sent well protected in PVC clear files
and board backed envelopes.
We have photographs that came from professional collections and/or were bought from the original photographer or press studio! They are all of professional and excellent quality.
After many decades of professionally collecting photographs and posters we are clearing out our archives. They make the perfect gift and are perfectly suited for framing. They will look gorgeous unframed and will be a true asset nicely framed with a border. They are a gorgeous and great asset in every home, workshop, workplace, restaurant, bar or club!
First come - first served. And you can always contact us for your requests. Please ask any questions before the auction ends.