Gilera Motorcycles

Gilera was founded in 1909 in Arcore, Italy, by Giuseppe Gilera and built a strong reputation through racing success across the mid-20th century, with founder's brother Luigi competing in the International Six Days Trial in the early 1930s. By the late 1960s the company had fallen into financial difficulty, and Piaggio acquired control of Gilera in 1969. The historic Arcore factory closed in 1993, and motorcycles carrying the Gilera name have since been built by Piaggio at its Pontedera plant, now exclusively scooters. The brand returned to racing prominence in the early 2000s, when Manuel Poggiali won a Grand Prix world championship aboard a Gilera. One of Europe's oldest motorcycle names, Gilera today survives as a Piaggio-owned scooter brand rather than the independent racing manufacturer it once was.