1964 Gilera Giubileo 150
Frame no. *104*611*
As with many Italian brands, two wheels and four, racing gave Gilera its identity. Based in Arcore in northern Italy, Gilera first sprang to prominence in the late 1930s when its supercharged four-cylinders trounced BMW in Grand Prix racing and then snatched the world speed record away from the Germans. Throughout the early 1950s it was the racers that again grabbed the headlines, the marque's fantastic multis taking five manufacturer's titles and six individual GP championships in the hands of riders such as Geoff Duke, Libero Liberati and Umberto Masetti.
Although racing generated valuable publicity, it was sales of road bikes that paid the bills. The majority of machines sold were lightweights based on the overhead-valve 125 single that had appeared in prototype form in 1948. Developed and enlarged first to 150 and then 175cc, these simple ohv singles, built in both Turismo and Sport versions, proved top sellers throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s, although their high price outside Italy made them a relatively rare sight.
Still unmistakably Italian in shape and style, this 1964 Gilera Giubileo (in celebration of the compay's jubilee) 150 is a true 'survivor' bike, ready to be embraced for its authenticity, or restored back to its former glory.
Saleroom notices
- The frame number is *104*617*.
