Who Owns Moto Guzzi And Where Are The Motorcycles Made?

In 1921, Carlo Guzzi and his friend Giorgio Parodi, with the support of Giorgio's father, Emanuele Vittorio Parodi, set out to create motorcycles that were reliable, innovative, and unmistakably Italian. They chose the now-iconic eagle logo as a tribute to their late friend and fellow military pilot Giovanni Ravelli, who was meant to join them as a founding partner but died in a crash days after World War I ended.

Today, Moto Guzzi continues to operate in Italy as part of the Piaggio Group, which acquired the brand in 2004. Since then, Piaggio has invested in technology and design without losing sight of what riders expect from Moto Guzzi: that signature air-cooled transverse V‑twin engine. First introduced in the 1960s, it remains central to models like the V7 Stone and V85 TT. 

Much of Moto Guzzi's staying power is in its history of innovation. In the 1930s and 1940s, the brand dominated Grand Prix racing, winning multiple world championships. In 1950, it built the world's first motorcycle-specific wind tunnel, decades before aerodynamics testing became standard industry practice. That pioneering spirit led to the launch of the transverse 90-degree V‑twin in 1967, an engine layout that helped Moto Guzzi produce one of the fastest motorcycles from the 1970s and which still defines the brand today.

All Moto Guzzi motorcycles are built in Mandello del Lario, the small lakeside town on the shores of Lake Como that has been the brand's home since 1921. Every bike has been assembled in the same factory for more than 100 years. That continuity is rare in manufacturing, but it's part of what defines Moto Guzzi's identity.

The same facility houses the Moto Guzzi museum, where you'll find every single bike the company has ever produced on display, as well as the iconic 1950 wind tunnel, serving as both a manufacturing hub and a cultural landmark. By keeping production tied to Mandello del Lario, Moto Guzzi has been able to weave itself into the town's fabric in meaningful ways, including by employing many inhabitants of Mandello del Lario over the decades. 

You can see the strong sense of community in action during Giornate Mondiali Guzzi (Moto Guzzi World Days), when thousands of riders converge on the streets of Mandello del Lario, the museum opens its archives for guided tours, and the town is filled with the sound of classic and modern Guzzis. So, if you're a true Moto Guzzi enthusiast interested in immersing yourself in the brand's history and culture, Mandello del Lario should be right up there alongside all those other destinations every rider should have on their bucket list.