Black Douglas Motorcycles

The Black Douglas Motorcycle Company is an Italian manufacturer based in Milan, founded by entrepreneur Fabio Cardoni, despite carrying a name that evokes Scottish and British history rather than Italy - it is named after James Douglas, the 14th-century Scottish knight nicknamed "the Black Douglas," and echoes the historic British marque Douglas Motorcycles without being a continuation of that company. Its debut model, the Sterling, was designed in the UK by Birmingham-based custom builder Benny Thomas and launched at the Motor Bike Expo in Verona, blending 1920s pioneer-era styling with modern engineering built around a Honda-sourced single-cylinder engine offered in 125cc or 230cc form. Black Douglas positions itself as a small, design-led manufacturer of vintage-styled roadsters rather than a volume producer, selling through showrooms that expanded from the UK and Italy into other European markets.