1973 Ducati 750SS Corsa by NCR
Frame no. DM750SS 750834
Engine no. DM750.1-075226
The 750SS-based production racer offered here was built in the legendary Italian race-shop of NCR, a company long associated with Ducati, which had been instrumental in making Mike Hailwood's 1978 Isle of Man TT comeback possible. Mike's ride is the stuff of legend. Out of top-flight bike racing for seven years and away from the Island for eleven, he took on and beat the might of the Honda works team to win the Formula 1 TT at record speed.
Entered by Manchester-based Ducati dealership, Sports Motor Cycles Ltd, Hailwood's bike and that of his team-mate Roger Nicholls were part of a small batch of around 25 such machines built by NCR for TT Formula 1 and FIM Coupe d'Endurance racing. 'NCR' stood for the names of its founders, ex-factory race mechanics Giorgio Nepoti, Rino Caracchi and Luigi Rizzi, although after Rizzi's early departure the 'R' stood for Racing. NCR was founded in 1967 in the small town of Borgo Panigale on the outskirts of Ducati's hometown of Bologna. Situated a stone's throw from the Ducati factory, NCR functioned as the semi-official race team from the early 1970s, there being no direct works involvement at that time, although factory engineers and mechanics routinely assisted favoured privateers. The Nepoti/Caracchi philosophy was that everything could be improved, lightened or made more powerful, and like all truly great tuners they paid attention to the smallest detail in the knowledge that racing would inevitably expose any weaknesses. Their emblem, a speeding cartoon dog wearing a helmet, is known the world over.
According to the vendor, this pre-production 750SS is one of four identical machines modified by NCR for production racing. The other three were sent to the USA to promote the new 750SS there, racing in the American Championship. This particular machine is featured in 'The Book of the Ducati 750SS' by Ian Falloon (on pages 34/35).
The engine is fitted with direct drive transmission of the 'Imola 72' type, this being a reference to the bike ridden to victory by Paul Smart at the eponymous Italian circuit in 1972. It is still fitted with the original crankshaft, connecting rods and pistons. The frame number prefix 'DGM 11871' is that of the 750SS model that entered series production in 1974.
The Ducati was campaigned by various riders from July 1973 until the end of the season as a test and development bike, and continued competing in the Italian championship until 1976. It was then abandoned in a garage in Tuscany where it remained for the next 30-plus years, only being rediscovered in 2010 (photographs on file). In poor condition, the Ducati was comprehensively restored in Italy over the following years and exhibited at various events after completion, including the ASI Motos Show at Varano in May 2014. Described by the vendor as in generally excellent condition, it represents a rare opportunity to acquire one of NCR's fabulous 'tool room specials'.
