Ducati Cucciolo
Encyclopedia
The Ducati Cucciolo was a 4-stroke clip-on engine
conceived during and shortly after World War II
by a Turin lawyer, Aldo Farinelli, and developed with a self-taught engineer, Aldo Leoni.
During the war, Aldo Farinelli began working with the small Turinese firm Siata
(Societa Italiana per Applicazioni Tecniche Auto-Aviatorie) with the idea of developing a small engine
that could be mounted on a bicycle. Farinelli’s and Leone’s first prototype was running on the streets of Turin
in Autumn of 1944. The yapping sound of the engine's short stubby exhaust inspired the name Cucciolo ("little puppy") for the motor. Weighing a little over 17 pounds (7.7 kg) and giving 180 miles per US gallon (76.5 km/L) when installed in a bicycle
.
On July 26, barely one month after the official liberation of the country, Siata announced their intention to sell Cucciolo engines to the public. It was the first new automotive design to appear in postwar Europe
. Some businessmen bought the little engines in quantity and installed them in frames, thus offering for sale the first complete units.
Soon demand outstripped the limited production capabilities, so Siata found a manufacting partner in Borgo Panigale, near Bologna. Ducati was a well-known name in electronics and appliances, and in the post-war torn Italy, it was seeking new opportunities to employ its workers and facilities, so a licensing agreement with Siata was reached. Production rose from 15 units in 1946 to over 25,000 in the following years, when Ducati reached an exclusive agreement for the production.
In 1952, with 200,000 Cucciolos already sold, Ducati finally offered its own complete moped
based on the successful little pull rod engine, the model "48" (produced until 1954) and model "55E" and "55R". The following models were becoming more and more real motorcycles, with pressed-steel frames. The engine capacity grew to 60cc (models "60" and "60 Sport") and finally to 65cc ("65 Sport", "65T", "65TL" and "65TS")
The Cucciolo engine was gradually replaced by the "98" model line which started in 1952 and its production ended when the 65 line was dropped in 1958.
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
conceived during and shortly after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by a Turin lawyer, Aldo Farinelli, and developed with a self-taught engineer, Aldo Leoni.
During the war, Aldo Farinelli began working with the small Turinese firm Siata
Siata
Siata , was an Italian tuning shop turned automaker founded in 1926 by amateur racecar driver Giorgio Ambrosini....
(Societa Italiana per Applicazioni Tecniche Auto-Aviatorie) with the idea of developing a small engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
that could be mounted on a bicycle. Farinelli’s and Leone’s first prototype was running on the streets of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
in Autumn of 1944. The yapping sound of the engine's short stubby exhaust inspired the name Cucciolo ("little puppy") for the motor. Weighing a little over 17 pounds (7.7 kg) and giving 180 miles per US gallon (76.5 km/L) when installed in a bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
.
On July 26, barely one month after the official liberation of the country, Siata announced their intention to sell Cucciolo engines to the public. It was the first new automotive design to appear in postwar Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Some businessmen bought the little engines in quantity and installed them in frames, thus offering for sale the first complete units.
Soon demand outstripped the limited production capabilities, so Siata found a manufacting partner in Borgo Panigale, near Bologna. Ducati was a well-known name in electronics and appliances, and in the post-war torn Italy, it was seeking new opportunities to employ its workers and facilities, so a licensing agreement with Siata was reached. Production rose from 15 units in 1946 to over 25,000 in the following years, when Ducati reached an exclusive agreement for the production.
In 1952, with 200,000 Cucciolos already sold, Ducati finally offered its own complete moped
Moped
Mopeds are a type of low-powered motorcycle designed to provide economical and relatively safe transport with minimal licensing requirements.Mopeds were once all equipped with bicycle-like pedals , but moped has been increasingly applied by governments to vehicles without pedals, based on their...
based on the successful little pull rod engine, the model "48" (produced until 1954) and model "55E" and "55R". The following models were becoming more and more real motorcycles, with pressed-steel frames. The engine capacity grew to 60cc (models "60" and "60 Sport") and finally to 65cc ("65 Sport", "65T", "65TL" and "65TS")
The Cucciolo engine was gradually replaced by the "98" model line which started in 1952 and its production ended when the 65 line was dropped in 1958.