Guzzi engine is derived from a Tractor

[sandy]

Is this true ?

[ferdi]

uuups, double

[ferdi]

Is this true ?

no,
at the end of the fifties the out-of-work gone racing department of guzzi developed a V-engine to be installed in a new little Fiat. Unfortunatly Fiat did not use this engine, but this design is/was the basis for the later coming (mid sixties) Police Guzzi in Italy and upcoming V2 Guzzis.
i heared that it was used as a static engine also, but never have seen one.
interesting is, that this one "Northrop Grumman RQ-5A" also used Guzzi motors at the beginning .

[Series4]

The basic layout of the 3x3 Autoveicolo da Montagna 'il mulo' (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30416042@N06/3491854825/) inspired the V7 engine but to say the V7 was derived from a tractor is wrong. Just smile politely and change the subject.

[stromcat]

I heard it was originally designed for a military vehicle,some sort of half track I believe.

[john zibell]

I believe this military vehicle started the V twin.

moto-guzzi-mechanical-mule-3x3-pdf.pdf

(432.94 KiB) Downloaded 115 times

[moto]

No, the Guzzi twin was not derived from a tractor engine, nor an engine designed for a Fiat. I say this based on the definitive account given in Greg Field's book, Guzzi Big Twins, MBI Publishing, 1998, now sadly out of print.

There was a 750cc engine for the 3x3 tractor called the Mechanical Mule, which Todero helped develop. There was also a 500cc engine that Carcano designed for the Fiat 500. Both were 90 degree V-twins, but neither was developed into the 700cc Guzzi motorcycle engine that Carcano and Todero later designed. Greg includes direct quotes from both Carcano and Todero explicitly denying the connections, and also gives important facts about features of the designs that are different from the Guzzi motorcycle engine.

It is a story that is just too good to be true, or to go away even in the face of direct evidence.

Greg Field's book is extremely impressive throughout, and based on a great deal of research and interviews with principal parties to Guzzi's history. I can't recommend it highly enough. I'm tempted to quote it at length, but that seems unfair to the author and publisher.

Moto

[ghezzi]

When people make those derogatory remarks about my beloved I just say, "No, it was actually a sullage pump"

[Cat City Rider]

I thought it was used as a mud pump, air compressor motor, small aircraft engine, etc. It is after all, a rather versatile little motor.

[moto]

I thought it was used as a mud pump, air compressor motor, small aircraft engine, etc. It is after all, a rather versatile little motor.

It was designed as a motorcycle engine, to compete for an Italian police motorcycle contract. Again, see Greg Field's book for the details.