The Three Historical Brands at MISE

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Talking about Ancillotti motorcycles and MTB bikes means discussing the Italian history of Enduro, Cross, and Trial two-wheelers.

Recently, Ancillotti has received additional recognition for its long history. Three of its brands have been included in the Special Register of Historical Brands of National Interest created by MISE. Furthermore, the three Ancillotti brands were the first bicycles and motorcycles to be registered in this list.

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The Three Ancillotti Brands Registered with MISE

 

Ancillotti, Ancillotti Motorcycles, and Ancillotti Scarab: these are the three brands listed in the Special Register of Historical Brands of National Interest established in 2019 by the Ministry of Economic Development.

The purpose of the register? To reward and highlight historical brands of national interest, i.e., those registered under the same name for at least 50 years.

Only brands on the MISE list can use the “Historical Brands of National Interest” logo depicting Italy and can join the Italian Association of Historical Brands, known as Amsi, founded in 2021 by 8 major brands, including Benetton.

The Ancillotti brands are listed in the register with numbers 29, 126, and 128.

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Ancillotti: The Origins of the Brand

 

In 1907, Ernesto Ancillotti opened a mechanical workshop in the Tuscan capital, unknowingly laying the foundations for what would later become the well-known Ancillotti motorcycle and bike company.

Thirty-one years later, his son Gualtiero, following in his father's footsteps, opened his own workshop in the Florentine district of San Frediano, dedicated not to repairs, but to customizations: Ancillotti Elaborazioni Specialità Moto.

The workshop produced numerous interesting customizations, some of which were very successful. Notable among these are the customizations of the WLA Harley Davidson; by modifying the suspensions, Ancillotti made them much more comfortable to ride.

Also noteworthy are two customizations of the Lambretta Innocenti that achieved track records. The first, the Lambretta Ancillotti Special 200 cc, set the standing start speed record in its class at the Monza circuit in 1965, while the second, the Lambretta Ancillotti Super Sprint 250 cc, achieved two still-unbroken records at the English Elvington circuit the following year: the standing kilometer record and the flying quarter mile record.

 

From Customizations to Mass Production

 

The major change came after the success of the Beta Cross Special customizations, known as Scarab. The first Scarab models emerged in 1968 and were so well received that Gualtiero decided to open an industrial plant for manufacturing Ancillotti-branded motorcycles.

In the new facility in Sambuca Val di Pesa, Ancillotti Enduro, Cross, and Off-Road motorcycles were produced. Among these, in the 1960s and 1970s, the most successful models remained the Scarab.

In the 1990s, Ancillotti also began producing Enduro and Downhill MTB bikes.

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Production Continues

 

After the year 2000, new models were introduced.

Regarding motorcycles, notable is the four examples of the Ancillotti 125 G.A. Cross, produced in collaboration with Friba Racing in 2009.

Among the latest MTB models is the Scarab EVO 29 HD, which won a world championship in 2021.