A luscious Latin
The story of the company founded by Pietro Laverda goes back to 1873, initially producing agricultural machinery for the neighbouring farming community. In October 1949, Pietro’s grandson Francisco founded Moto Laverda S.A.S. The first product of the new venture was a 75cc four-stroke single, the Motoleggera or Lightweight Motorcycle. Unlike the multitude of Italian makes that relied on proprietary engines, the Motoleggera used Laverda’s own design, developed by Francesco and Luciano Zen.
Right from the start, the company chose to demonstrate the effectiveness of its products in the field of competition, particularly endurance events like the Milano-Taranto and the Giro d’Italia. Success came instantly in these gruelling events – a clear demonstration of the quality of the product – and soon variations of the original ‘75’ began to appear
