1956 MONDIAL 125 BIALBERO GP (Ex Works) - COYS 02/12/14

"CROSSING THE BLOCK"

In Association with

  Today we have selected the first motorcycle in our Crossing the Block freature.

1956 MONDIAL 125 BIALBERO GP (Ex Works)

 

Estimate: £100,000 - £120,000
Registration Number: Not Road Registered
Chassis Number: 02

Few marques have achieved so fine a competition record in so short a time as Mondial. Founded in Bologna in 1929, Mondial concentrated on the manufacture of commercial vehicles at first, only turning to motorcycle making in 1948. Flying in the face of accepted wisdom, engineer Alfonso Drusiani believed that it was possible for a four-stroke to compete against the two-strokes fielded by MV Agusta and Moto Morini, then dominating the ultra-lightweight class.

After a successful debut season in 1948 which saw works rider Nello Pagani win the Italian Grand Prix, the little Mondial was further improved for 1949 and Pagani duly brought Mondial its first World Championship. Mondial's dominance of the 125 class remained just as overwhelming for the next two years, Bruno Ruffo taking the title in 1950 and Carlo Ubbiali in 1951, before Cecil Sandford struck back for MV Agusta in 1952. 

The 175cc class was an important one in continental Europe and the 125 was duly bored-out from 53mm to 66mm to achieve the required extra capacity. Revving to 9,000rpm, it produced 20bhp plus. Riding one of the new 175cc Mondial singles in 1954, rising star Tarquinio Provini won the arduous eight-day 1,989-mile Giro d'Italia to start his debut season as a works rider in fine style. But even Provini's prodigious talent could not make up for a lack of machine development, and the mid-1950s would prove to be relatively lean years for Mondial.

Then, in 1957, Drusiani drew up an entirely new 246cc bialbero (twin-cam) single and revamped the existing 125. The result was a magnificent return to former glory, Provini ending the season as 125cc World Champion while newly recruited Cecil Sandford took the 250 crown. Sadly, what should have been the dawning of a new golden age for the Bologna marque was not to be: Mondial, along with Moto Guzzi and Gilera, withdrew from Grand Prix racing at the season's end, and although the firm built a number of mainly two-stroke racers in the 1960s, it never achieved the same heights. 

A stunning creation with this 'slipstream' fairing and body work this Mondial 125cc Bialbero GP was used during the World Championship of 1956 and 1957, ridden by T. Provini and R. Sartori.

It was restored by Mondial and was purchased by the vendor at a bankruptcy sale. It is said to be in good running order and comes with official paperwork from the Mondial factory

For further information or to arrange a viewing, please contact our sales department.

 

Auction:

Tue 2nd December 2014 at 3:00pm

Viewing:

Monday 1st December from 12.00 noon to 8.00pm
On the day of the sale from 10.00am to start of sale

Location:

The Royal Horticultural Society, Lindley Hall, Vincent Square, Westminster, London, SW1P 2PE