Arturo Magni

Arturo Magni
Born	Template:Birth date Usmate Velate, Lombardy, Italy
Died	2 December 2015(2015-12-02) (aged 90) Samarate, Lombardy, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Occupation(s)	engineer, entrepreneur racing team manager

Arturo Magni (born 24 September 1925 in Usmate Velate – died 2 December 2015 in Samarate) was an Italian engineer, entrepreneur, and racing team manager.

Early life

Born near Milan in the Lombardy region of Italy on 24 September 1925, Arturo Magni developed an early fascination with model aeroplanes, demonstrating notable technical ingenuity in their construction. He also crafted full-scale gliders, which he personally piloted, achieving victory at the 1938 Italian Gliding Championship. Following his education, Magni initially worked alongside his father before entering the aviation sector with the Italian manufacturer Bestetti.

Gilera

Arturo Magni's career in motorcycling commenced in 1947 when he became part of the team at Gilera. At that time, Gilera aimed to compete in the 500 cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Championship and enlisted Pietro Remor to develop a new four-cylinder Grand Prix engine. Recognizing Magni's abilities, Remor invited him to join the research and development division to contribute to the engine's construction. This engine was instrumental in Gilera securing six world championships in the 500 cc category with riders such as Umberto Masetti, Libero Liberati, and Geoff Duke.

MV Agusta

Count Domenico Agusta was committed to establishing MV Agusta as a premier motorcycle manufacturer. In 1950, he appointed Pietro Remor to design two Grand Prix motorcycles: a four-cylinder 500 cc and a DOHC 125 cc model. Remor brought Magni along from Gilera as chief mechanic to assist with this initiative. Magni soon advanced to become Direttore Sportivo (director of the racing department), operating under Count Agusta's supervision.

His engineering expertise played a crucial role in the development of the dominant MV Agusta models of the 1960s and 1970s, including the 350 cc "3C", the 500 cc "Three", and later the 500 Four-cylinder machines.

Magni maintained this leadership role until MV Agusta ceased its factory racing efforts in 1976. During his tenure, he managed renowned riders such as Giacomo Agostini, John Surtees, Carlo Ubbiali, Phil Read, Mike Hailwood, Cecil Sandford, and Tarquinio Provini. Under his guidance, the Varese-based team achieved an impressive total of 75 world championships—37 for manufacturers and 38 for riders.

Following MV Agusta’s withdrawal from competition, Magni remained with the company as curator of its museum.

Cagiva

In 1980, Magni led the racing workshop at Cagiva, overseeing the development of a new four-cylinder two-stroke racing engine. This powerplant was an evolution of the Yamaha TZ 500 engine and made its debut with Virginio Ferrari during the 1980 German motorcycle Grand Prix held at the Nürburgring.

Motorcycle manufacturer

Starting in 1977, Magni embarked on an entrepreneurial journey by establishing a company bearing his own name, collaborating with his two sons. The enterprise operated out of a compact yet fully equipped facility located in Samarate, approximately 20 miles from the MV factory. Initially, the firm specialized in producing custom components for the MV Agusta 750 S, including chain drive conversions, big-bore kits, and frame kits. By 1980, the business expanded into manufacturing complete motorcycles. The earliest models were powered by engines from the Honda CB900F (designated MH1 and MH2). Subsequently, versions equipped with BMW R100 engines (MB1 and MB2) and various Moto Guzzi powerplants were introduced. The 1989 Sfida 1000 model featured a Moto Guzzi engine housed within a design inspired by MV racing bikes from the 1960s. (The term Sfida translates to "challenge" in Italian.) In 1999, the lineup grew to include motorcycles utilizing four-cylinder engines derived from the Suzuki Bandit 1200.