As the Japanese manufacturers established new mass production standards and the British continued to slide into oblivion, the Italians continued to produce motorcycles that emphasized function over form. Racing was endemic to the Italian culture, and the finest Italian motorcycles of this era evolved from a racing heritage.

Stuart Parr’s collection centers on some of the most significant classic Italian motorcycles of the 1970s. These bikes mark the end of the day before the accountants and bureaucrats changed motorcycling forever. The complicated engines were an important visual component, the exhausts emitted a bellow that broke a decibel meter, carburetors breathed through open bell mouths, lighting was minimal, and turn signals considered an aesthetic abomination. Until the DOT mandated a left-side gearshift at the end of 1974, British and Italian motorcycles traditionally shifted on the right.

The bikes on display here represent this era. These were hand-built by artisans, and extremely labor-intensive to build. As a result they were produced in very small numbers by modern standards. Paint and chrome finish was secondary to function and as production runs were so small generally no two were alike. The beauty in these motorcycles is in the myriad of details, wonderful aluminum castings and bespoke design.