Born at the end of the 1920s in Milan by the family of the Boselli counts, Mondial motorcycles stood out for their handling combined with speed. In this episode we retrace the successes in 250 until the curtain with Hailwood
After having conquered the first three 125 world championships, in 1949 with Pagani, in 1950 with Ruffo, in 1951 with Ubbiali, and having been a great protagonist in the “tricolor” races and in the Gran Fondo, since 1955 the Mondial also enters the 250 class. At the beginning with a 175 increased by a few cubic centimeters, then from 1956 with a 216 cc engine and from 1957 with a full “duemmezzo”. These three Mondials, although different from each other not only for the volume of the engine, were worthy prosecutors of the 125cc sisters and worthy opponents, often winning, of the best 250 of the time of great manufacturers such as Guzzi, NSU, DKW, MV Agusta, Morini, Velocette, Adler and later, in 1959-’60-’61 albeit as a luxury “privat” of brands such as MZ, Jawa, Montesa, Benelli, Honda, Yamaha.
first the 750 twin cam
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The test for the jump into the 250, the Mondial had already done it successfully in 1954, with a 175 twin-shaft with sapling and bevel gear control, five-speed gearbox and battery and coil ignition: engine over 23 CV at 10,000 rpm from 165 km / h for the non-faired “sport” model (bike for minor championships and for the Gran Fondo races, which also went down in history for Remo Venturi’s triumph in the Milan-Taranto of ’54: 1289 km in one pull on roads open to traffic traveled by the Spoleto ace mostly in the rain in 13h18’07 “at an average of 96.901 km / h) and over 180 km / h for the” Grand Prix “model with full fairing winner with Provini del Italian senior championship 1956.
1955
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On 11 April 1955 the Mondial 176 had its debut in Imola, triumphing with Provini at the “II Coppa d’Oro Shell” and tearing up the 250 full displacement with the magnificent touch of the fastest lap (2’13 “9 at an average of 134.850 km / h) and breaking the record of the previous year (2’18 ”9, average 130.497 km / h) of Duilio Agostini on Guzzi. To tell the truth, even the other Italian manufacturers officially involved in the 250 had initially chosen the way of the 175 plus because they are less heavy (under the quintal, against 120 kg and more than motorcycles with “full” displacement) and more driveable even if with less power: under 25 HP compared to almost 30 of the 250. On that sunny 11 April 1955 the line-up of the 250 was “world-class”, with the three Italian manufacturers MV Agusta, Morini and Mondial present with the 175 increased alternatives to the two full of Guzzi and German motorcycles. For the first time, the more than 80 thousand present also saw the “bell” fairings of the MV 203cc of Ubbiali, Colombo, Franzosi, Taveri, Venturi and of the Mondial squadron headed by Provini and Ferri and the “bird’s beak” ones of the Guzzi by Sandford, Lorenzetti, Wheeler, Montanari, Mandolini, Ozino, Bavaria; of the NSU of Baltisberger, Camathias, Hallmeier; delle Morini di Mendogni and Campana. After 30 laps (150,510 km) of fire, in the end it is Provini who stands out, carried in triumph by the crowd who will then remain frozen in the following 350 race due to the fatal fall at the Rivazza curve of Ray Amm, the champion who passed to MV Agusta to counter Geoff Duke on Gilera. However, Count Boselli, in addition to improving the always competitive 125, pushed his team to develop the 176 double shaft while also trying new roads.
1957, the sandford 250 world championship
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1956 was the year of great debuts, above all that of the mighty Guzzi 500 8-cylinder (defined by the English press as “the bike of 2000”) which took to the track with Ken Kavanagh on 2 April in Imola. Boselli does not stand by, much less does he want to live on his laurels and raise new challenges. Said and done. Already at the beginning of 1956 the Mondial presented the new 250 twin cylinder, mounting on the same crankcase two cylinders of the 125 twin shaft: same “dimensions” (bore and stroke mm. 53x56x2 = 247 cc), same command with shaft and bevel gears on the side of the right cylinder. Everything else is new. Power supply to two carburettors with two separate tanks; battery ignition with two switches keyed to the right of the casing; 6-speed block gearbox. Original frame with double open cradle and integrated by the crankcase; front disc brake (!); 2.75×19 “front and 3×19” rear tires. Engine that immediately pushes hard: 35 HP above 11,000 rpm with the total weight of the bike at 150 kg. A handicap, that of weight, which went against the trend of the philosophy of Count Boselli: “Light and drivable bikes”. We work hard to make the new car go down in weight, but it runs slower than the “176” on the track. Thus, in the winter of the end of ’56, at the Mondial house it was once again turning back to the single-cylinder: no longer an oversized 175, but a brand new two-wheeler, powerful, light, streamlined. Ultra-flat vertical single-cylinder 4-stroke engine (75×56.4 mm = 249 cc); double overhead camshaft distribution controlled by a train of gears on the right of the cylinder; 5, 6, 7-speed gearboxes; frame, suspensions, fairing, wheels, brakes derived from 125. Ultra-light motorcycle which, despite its bell-shaped fairing, was under 100 kg in weight, distinguished by its reduced wheelbase and extraordinary driveability. The engine is also super, on the edge of 30 HP, at the limit of 11,000 rpm and capable of pushing the highly profiled racing car above 220 km / h! “I had never ridden such a light and stable bike. And also so powerful and fast, ”Provini later said after the first tests in Modena and Monza. It is with this “jewel” that the 29-year-old English Cecil Sandford (already 125 champion on MV in 1952) wins the “world championship” 250 in 1957 with Provini second (as well as newly world champion 125) and champion of Italy. In particular, the Piacenza ace leaves the mark of his class and the quality of the Mondial everywhere, burning records with the Milanese two-wheeler belonging to the 500 of the previous year, as in Spa (179.554 km / h) and Monza (179.531 km / h) .
that fabulous 1957
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Going back to 1957, the world championship season had started with the German GP at Hockenheim and the extraordinary double win in the small displacements of Carlo Ubbiali on MV Agusta and in the 350 and 500 of Libero Liberati on Gilera. But the Mondial was there: second in the 125 with Provini in front of Colombo (MV), Fugner (MZ), Taveri (MV), Degner (MZ) and on the podium in the 250 with Sandford behind the MV of Ubbiali and Colombo and in front of the Guzzi of Lorenzetti and Taveri and at the NSU of Hallmeier. Without a trivial technical problem with Provini’s bike, the 250 could have had a very different outcome. In fact, on June 3 there is the Mondial revenge at the English TT with Provini triumphant 125 ahead of the two MVs of Ubbiali and Taveri, with the other Mondials of Miller and Sandford 4th and 5th and with the latter first in the 250, in addition to the lap Provini’s record, then again forced to retire. Even due to an alleged incorrect registration procedure, the organizers did not want to start the Italian ace of the Mondial, which was then overcome thanks to the diplomatic skills of Count Boselli. Provini tells Boselli to be ready for the bang. On 29 June Tarquinio scored a double in front of the 250,000 in Assen, who dominated both the 125 and 250, here even ahead of Marca Sandford and Miller. The week after at Spa-Francorchamps Provini was repeated in the 125 (3rd Sandford) and unfortunately missed an encore in the two half, forced to the side of the track on the ramp of the “Red Waters” when he was traveling in front of everyone with one minute ahead! On 10 August at Ulster everyone on the track to applaud and cheer Provini who, after losing two minutes at the start, performed under pouring rain in a chase-show, finishing second in the sprint, just a stone’s throw from Taveri (MV). The 250 won by Sandford has no history. Closing of the season on September 1st in Monza, with Provini trapped with Sandford in a Gandossi crash on the first lap at Lesmo and then with Cadeo’s ace on the top step of the podium in 250 ahead of Venturi (MV), Lorenzetti (Guzzi ), Sandford and Miller (Mondial), Montanari (Guzzi), Heck (NSU), Wheeler (Guzzi), Beer (Adler) and a bunch of pilots on NSU. Debacle for the MV of Ubbiali, Taveri, Hartle and for the Morini of Mendogni and Campana. Mondial on the altars world champion 125 with Provini and 250 with Sandford, with the Italian second. Great Italy. The Gilera cars dominate in the 350 (with McIntyre), in the 500 (with Liberati) and in the sidecars (with Albino and Rossano Milani).
The farewell and the three years of Hailwood
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For the first time in 1957 five successes of Italian motorcycles with other Made in Italy brands as protagonists. The sky of world championship motorcycling is tinged with tricolor. Then, twenty-five days after the triumphal day in Monza, the shock of the news of the “pact of abstention” from racing signed by Gilera, Guzzi, Mondial, MV Agusta. There will be exceptions when reviewing bikes from the three great Italian manufacturers on the track in a different way. But it will never be the same again. The 250 Mondial of 1957, to be clear the one that had dominated that two-half world championship with Sandford and Provini, will not end up in a dusty attic but in the three-year period 1959-60-61 it will take to the track again, in national races and even in world races with the then rising star Mike Hailwood. In 1959, in the 250, the 19 year old Englishman will alternate driving “his” Mondial with the official MZ; in 1960 Mondial and Ducati; in 1961 Mondial and for the first time an official Honda, with which Mike won his first world title. Particularly in 1959 and 1960, on the Mondial 250 Hailwood made a clean sweep in the races of the English championship putting aside his NSU and Ducati considered inferior, especially due to poor stability and reliability. In 1961, and again with regard to the 250 class, Hailwood also raced in various races with the “mono” Benelli (the same factory bike of Silvio Grassetti with which Spaggiari, Duke, Dale also raced), testing on the eve of the GP Nations in Monza as well the Morini 250 (the same as Provini’s) saying a lot of good about those two Italian bikes, but not considered at the time by the young Englishman as “equal” to the Mondial. Another matter when Mike then gets on the 250 Honda, first the 4-cylinder, then the 6-cylinder not to mention the MV Agusta 350 and 500. In short, the Mondial 250 officially closes its competitive process with the first and second place in the world championship. 57 and gives the definitive farewell to racing after the beautiful three-year period 1959-60-61 with a driver of the valor of Mike Hailwood. Thus, like the smallest 125, the 250 Mondial also goes from the honors of the news to the golden books of history.
December 21 – 10:59 am
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