Specifications: 48 cc OHV single cylinder, two speeds.

Mario Recchia started as a Ducati mechanic in 1946 and was a pivotal figure in the racing department for many years. Recchia was also a skilled rider, winning his first race on the Via Emilia in 1947 on a Cucciolo and becoming champion of Emilia Romagna province in 1951. According to the vendor, Recchia raced this bike on street circuits in 1950. He rode it to work in Bologna during the week and raced it on Sundays.

Recchia raced with Bruno Spaggiari, Franco Villa and Franco Farne and also built and tuned their engines. He competed in the 1955, 1956 and 1957 Motogiro D’Italias, but one of his best stories is his roadside repair in a Milan-Taranto race. His Cucciolo broke in Sienna; he dismantled it and discovered the bearings had seized. Lacking any oil, he used the banana he had bought for lunch and finished the event.

When Carlo Saltarelli began working at the Ducati factory in the early 1970s, he and Recchia became lifelong friends. Recchia was present when Saltarelli opened his museum to the public in 2000, and he gave Saltarelli his racing Cucciolo as a gift. Mario Recchia passed away soon thereafter in 2007.

This bike was restored approximately 30 years ago and is presented with a handsome patina. Owned by two pivotal motorcycling figures, this machine offers a rare opportunity to own a piece of Ducati history.