They brought the First World War: Giorgio Parodi was a military pilot, and Carlo Guzzi - his mechanic. When peace came, they decided to start producing motorcycles. Guzzi took over the design of the machine, and Parodi - the organization of production (funded venture by his father, the owner of the steamship line). Experimental samples were carrying brand GP , but March 21, 1921 the newly formed company was registered under the name Societa Anonima Moto Guzzi.

Designed by Carlo Guzzi motorcycle completely departed from the established canons in those years - at least with respect to the power unit. The cylinder is horizontal, and

reducing the base Guzzi made motor korotkohodnaya (88x82 mm, 499 cm3). Conspicuous huge outdoor flywheel. Carlo applied widespread in those years with the system timing races laid one over the other valves in the cylinder head but not posted inlet valve (a legacy of the days when the node is activated by the vacuum), and the outlet. Transmission, gear led to rigidly docked three-stage gearbox. The power unit was enclosed in a tubular frame duplex with a rigid rear suspension, front fork was a parallelogram. The machine weighs 130 kg, and the engine capacity of 8.5 hp clocked it up to a speed of 85 km / h. Motorcycles made for a design scheme, the company Moto Guzzi produced until 1976!

At the insistence of Parodi was elected in the most effective way to advertise those years - participated in the competition. Already in 1921, Gino Finzi won the prestigious race "Targa Florio". By 1923, has been prepared by a special racing model "Corsa 2V» with the overhead 18-horsepower engine. And in the next season on the track came out «C4V» with engine with four-valve heads and cylinder overhead camshaft; he developed a power of 25 hp Mentasti Guido on this bike won the "Grand Prix of Europe." Soon after his debut and 250 cc version of the machine, first in a race, then in road performance.

Outstanding novelty Carlo Guzzi introduced in 1928 - a model «GT» with sprung rear wheel. The pendulum suspension, equipped with friction dampers, was a triangular (in side view) design; the traction spring held under the engine. Motor power (still with stacked valves) was adjusted to 12 hp; the same engine, and stood on the model of "Sport 14" with unsprung rear wheel. In 1929, the company has mastered the production of three-wheeled motor-trucks. This type of transport used great popularity, so that their production continued until 1980.

The drop in demand in the crisis 30s caused a revival design activity Moto Guzzi. In 1932, in addition to the 250 cc and 500 cc road machines, the company released the "P175" with a 174-cc engine capacity of 7 hp In 1933 she made her debut a new series of 500-cc machines with overhead valve engines, four-speed transmission with foot switch and sprung rear wheels - 19-strong «GTV» and a 23-strong «GTW». But the flagship of the company was to be presented in 1933, the model of "three cylinders» with horizontal three-cylinder overhead valve 495 cc engine producing 25 hp Alas, complex and expensive machine is not aroused the enthusiasm of buyers, and Moto Guzzi managed to make only 12 copies.

During the Second World War, the company produced an army motorcycle "Alche» (alce - elk), equipped with a 499 cc engine (with stacked valves) a power of 13.2 hp, and its version with the drive sidecar "Trialche» . Total Army received more than 8,000 of these machines. Fortunately, located away from major cities plant is not affected by the bombing and was able to quickly set up production motorcycles for civilian use. Along with the resumption of production of prewar models - the 250-cubic "Iron» (airone - Heron) and 500 bottoms «GTV»-companies presented in 1946 a light motorcycle "Guzzini» . Designed by a young engineer Antonio Mucicci, this machine had nothing to do with the traditional pattern - single-cylinder two-stroke engine (65 cm3, 2 hp) with a rotary slide valve at the inlet, a three-stage gearbox, spinal tubular frame, pendulum suspension one spring element at the bottom of the pendulum, the front fork parallelogram. No wonder that this simple in the production of the car became the sales leader in post-war Italy.

In the summer of 1955 on the road came out, perhaps the most difficult race bike of all time Moto Guzzi with eight V-engine. Two cylinder placed at an angle of 90 °, in each head housed two overhead camshafts. Fueled this unit eight carburetors, ignition coils provide eight and four breaker. Liquid-cooled engine was interlocked with the four-speed transmission (originally designed six-Carcano, but it was unnecessary) and was located in a duplex cross frame. Version 1956 has developed 67 hp at 12,500 rev / min, for the next season brought to power 75 hp motorcycle proved to be a very high-speed, but fragile: he could not win a single race, part of the World Championship standings. But the one-cylinder car in 1957 brought in the treasury team Moto Guzzi another league title in the class of 350 cm3. At the end of the same year, Moto Guzzi has entered into a secret agreement with Italian companies "Mondial" and "Gilera": the three giants, largely determine the face of racing in the 50s, at the same time leaves the big sports. This decision was not a whim: the emergence of the market for such vehicles as the "Fiat 600", hit hard by the motorcycle manufacturer. Save on motorsport, they were able to invest in the creation of new road models.

In April 1956, the company introduced the Moto Guzzi brand new bike "Lodola» - tilted forward at an angle of 45 ° single-cylinder four-stroke engine (174 cm3, 9 hp) with overhead camshaft driven chain; duplex frame, front telescopic fork and rear suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers pendulum. In 1959 the company introduced a version of a motorcycle with 235-Kubo-tion engine producing 11 hp Quite popular was shown in the same year the bike "Stornello» (stornello - Starling) - 123 cc 7-hp engine with a sucker rod drive top flaps and slightly tilted forward cylinder, light duplex frame, "telescope" front and rear floating axle. In 1967, this car thoroughly modernized: Power 123-cc engine was raised to 10 hp, there was a 153 cc version of "Stornello 160" power of 12.7 hp In 1971, the capacity of the two options was raised to 13 and 16 hp respectively, to replace the four-came five-speed gearbox.

In the early 70s the company became the owner of industrialist Alejandro de Tomaso , which already belonged to another famous Italian motorcycle company - Benelli . The first fruit of this integration was the appearance in 1973-74 whole range of motorcycles Benelli - 50-cubic single-cylinder two-stroke models to 350-cubic four-cylinder four-stroke - branded Moto Guzzi. However, there were a means for the development of motorcycles with V-shaped "two", which have already become a symbol of the company. In 1972, to replace the 750-cc "Spechial" and "Californian" car came with an upgraded powertrain - 844 cm3, 64.5 hp, five-speed gearbox. Since 1973, the heavy motorcycles appeared disc brakes with hydraulic drive.

Caused a small sensation in the autumn of 1975 the tourist car «V1000 Envelope» with an automatic transmission car type, 949-cc engine producing 71 hp, large windshield and roof racks wardrobe trunks. But a year later the company Moto Guzzi introduced a much more convincing trump card - a road-racing bike «V850 Le Mans» with a 844 cc engine capacity of 81 hp, cast wheels and gorgeous appearance, designed by renowned studio "Ital Design" . At the same time on a motorcycle company began implementing the integrated brake system (force from the brake pedal is transmitted on one of the front discs), characteristic for modern Moto Guzzi.

Bet on the sale of motorcycles middle class Benelli under the brand Moto Guzzi has failed, and De Tomaso decided to develop this class of machines in the tradition of the company - with a two-cylinder V-engine and driveline to the rear wheel. These models - «V35» (346 cm3, 33.5 hp) and «V50» (490 cm3, 45 hp) - brought before the public in 1976.