The Gran Sport 125 Marianna was built to compete in long-distance races similar to the Mille Miglia car race.

It was in 1955 that the Gran Sport “Marianna”, the first Ducati race bike, triumphed in the Motogiro d’Italia, a competition famous at national level. In 1956, Maoggi and Gandossi scored two outright wins, in the 125 cc category and 100 cc category respectively.

The Gran Sport Marianna also dominated in another famous long-distance race, the Milan-Taranto, which saw participants battle it out while crossing the country from north to south.

The long saddle was designed to allow the rider to modify their riding position depending on the situation. Whether on a long straight or travelling uphill, the rider could alter their position to achieve maximum riding performance.

The Ducati Gran Sport “Marianna” was the first bike to be equipped with an engine with bevel gear timing. Launched in 1955, it immediately captured the imagination of fans around the world and is still very much part of collective motorcycling heritage today.

Its achievements were impressive, but on their own these were not enough to explain its fame. The Marianna also flaunted what might be considered the ideal aesthetic for a race bike. Though not specifically designed with its looks in mind, it represented the rare and very pure meeting of form and function.

And so it was that Ducati really began racing in 1955. Everything that had come before was considered nothing more than a prelude. The Marianna also symbolised the new Ducati philosophy – to build production motorcycles capable of winning races.