The Ducati Story is brought right up to date in this new edition of Ian Falloon's authoritative book, covering the complete history of the marque. Initially under government control, Ducati went through several decades of ups and downs, characterised by dubious managerial decisions. Held together by the great engineer Fabio Taglioni, the father of desmodromic valve gear, Ducati produced some of the finest motorcycles of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s: the Marianna, desmo 125 single, Mach 1, 750 and Pantah. Taglioni also instigated Ducati's return to racing, and victory in the 1972 Imola 200 was the turning point. Mike Hailwood rode the 900 Ducati to victory in the 1978 Isle of Man Formula One race and Tony Rutter took four World TT2 Championships.
Cagiva purchased Ducati in 1985, bringing a new engineer, Massimo Bordi, and new designs - most famously the Desmoquattro. In various guises, this model dominated the World Superbike Championship during the 1990s, particularly in the hands of Carl Fogarty. Landmark models included the 916 and Monster, and, with the sale of Ducati to the Texas Pacific Group in 1996, the company continued to grow. The racing programme expanded to MotoGP and new model families were introduced. With control taken by the Italian company InvestIndustrial in 2006, Ducati embarked on the next era of development, Casey Stoner winning the MotoGP World Championship in 2007. Now under the Audi umbrella Ducati continues to thrive.
This new edition includes a brand new chapter featuring all the models from 2012 up to 2018.
Ian Falloon is one of the world's foremost motorcycle historians, with numerous books including The Ducati 750 Bible, Ducati 900 Bible and The Moto Guzzi Story. He has forty years of experience with Ducati, and a collection of motorcycles that includes the 1973 Ducati 750 that he bought in 1976.
Industry Reviews
The fact that the original publication has now been continually updated , (the last time in 2010) so that now we have the sixth edition says it all - there is plenty to tell for a company that continues to make history. The author and the publisher Veloce have done their usual excellent job of totally revamping the book so it looks and feels totally new and very different to the previous editions produced by a different publisher. As with previous updates all the solid information remains the same only be tweaked if something new has come to light, pictures changed for better versions where necessary and, all in all, improving things to make it well worth upgrading id you have an earlier version. What else can you say other than this book is authoritative, well-written, well-presented. If you have not got a book detailing the history and the bikes from 1946 - 2018 then this book has to be top of your list ... a wise investment. - Ian Kerr. The fascinating history and high technical content of these Italian motorcycles. The chapter on demodromic valve control alone steals our hearts! Recommended! - Oldtimer Magazine/Dreamcar Magazine. Prolific Melbourne author Ian Falloon has further updated his comprehensive history of Ducati that has become one of the most authoritative books on the subject. More than twenty years have passed between the original book and this sixth edition, and the company's fortunes have waxed and waned in the ensuing decades. Since 2012, Ducati has been under the control of Audi AG, part of the global giant Volkswagen Group, and this latest edition devotes a new 62-page chapter to the ongoing story. The book is a high quality item with excellent photographs, many of which are the work of Phil Aynsley. - Old Bike Australasia.
