Malaguti
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Malaguti, SpA | |
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| Type | Family owned corporation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1930 |
| Founder | Antonio Malaguti |
| Headquarters | San Lazzaro di Savena, Italy |
| Key people | Antonio Malaguti II (CEO) |
| Industry | Motorcycle manufacturer |
| Products | motorcycles, scooters |
| Employees | 237 (2003) |
| Website | Malaguti.com |
Malaguti is a family-owned Italian scooter and motorcycle company based in San Lazzaro di Savena, founded by Antonino Malaguti in 1930.
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[edit] Overview
Starting from a simple bicycle shop in 1930, the company has grown 75 years to spread to two factories just out of Bologna, Italy. The first one, at San Lazzaro di Savena, occupies 25,000 square meters and houses the administrative functions of the company, as well as parts warehouseing, sale offices, and production engineering and prototypes workshop. The second facility at Castel San Pietro Terme houses four assembly lines, a pre-assembling division and a plastic injection workshop division. The total size of the two factories is over 60,000 sq/m, a figure that, together with 270 people and a turnover of 108 million euro in 2003, means Malaguti is among the largest companies in its region.[1]
[edit] Malaguti in America (early years)
Until the end of War World II Malaguti had to stop production while Italy was invaded and later on when its owners were hiding in the mountains from the retreating Germans. Unlike its Bologna neighbor, Ducati, the Malaguti factory was not bombed by the Allies for it was not a significant threat. In the late 1950s the company decided to expand business and began to private label other products and assemble new vehicles. Similar to Ducati, Malaguti diversified into washing machines, exercise equipment and other manufactured goods that carried the Malaguti name. The company also sold many items to the Sachs company in Germany and have maintained a relationship with Sachs well into 2006 when Sachs declared bankruptcy.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Malaguti would benefit from another war -- the Vietnam war where over 70% of its first scooter was exported. The first 50cc Malaguti scooter was called the Saigon 50cc. [2]
Malaguti was originally imported into the United States during the 1970s OPEC oil embargo. At one point the small factory in Bologna had up to three daily flights sending mopeds to its five different importers who were paying more in air shipping than what the mopeds cost to make. This was the first major boom for Malaguti since the end of the Vietnam war. Malaguti's sales skyrocketed as it sent thousands of mopeds to California and other states to help Americans survive during the months of the OPEC oil embargo. Not since its first moped had Malaguti had such a hit with a new product. An assembled moped would be sold in America the following week. The demand was high and orders continued to be placed well into months after the OPEC crisis ended, but this sales boom did not last and Malaguti's sales went down. At the time many moped manufacturers in Italy and Europe went bust due to overexpansion and credit given to multiple importers riding the moped sales wave in America, but Malaguti survived and dreamed of returning to the United States someday.
After the gas crisis demand for the Malaguti dirtbikes and mopeds died off and they had some minor dirtbike sales during the 1980s. In the early 80s there were over 82 moped / scooter manufacturers in Italy and most of these had made their fortunes in the early 70s thanks to the needs for new mopeds in Italy. By the late 1990s only a handful of companies remained who had converted to scooters to take advantage of the scooter boom. The main scooter makers were Beta, Benelli, Italjet, Aprilia, Malaguti, and Piaggio. Malaguti at this time and for much of the late 1990s was ranked as third based on sales and production for Italian owned factories for small displacement scooters. It's much bigger rivals were Aprilia and Piaggio both which were engaged in some type of motorcycle production. Despite all these changed Malaguti who had been in business longer than its rivals kept the company 100% family owned during these turbulent times. Often the company reached out for promotional and marketing opportunities to its sister company Ducati Motor Spa.
[edit] Malaguti returns to America
In early 1999 there was a boom in Italian scooter sales due primarily to government incentives; scooter sales reached an all time high. Joel Martin, a marketing student and former college music promoter, noticed this and began the operation of bringing one of the oldest scooter brands back to America. Malaguti watched as Piaggio Group (owners of Vespa) and Aprilia were entering the US market and decided as the third largest company in Italy that they could not afford to not expand. Working with the Malaguti family for two years Martin finalized his proposal by late 2000 to be the official Malaguti importer. Martin's family had been involved in the scooter industry as retailers and importers with a small shop in Miami.
Malaguti USA was started January 2001 and became the exclusive North American Distributor for Malaguti, SpA. The company enjoyed great success early on having been featured in E! Entertainment, Playboy, and the US Motorcycle press. Its cooperation with Ducati North America and the Ducati replicas allowed the company to quickly expand its brand presence. In early 2001 the high demand for European scooters, the high value of the dollar, and the increasing European dealer base in America made Malaguti an instant hit. However, the attack of September 11, 2001 almost shut the company down as stores across the country began to soon close or loose their sales for the months following the crisis. Most US importers were suddenly unable to import scooters or watched as its dealer base sat with inventory for months as the scooters suddenly stopped selling. Malaguti USA was able to survive, but the increasing pressures from new inexpensive Chinese products in 2002, the sliding value of the US dollar in 2003, and the higher costs of production in Italy made it impossible to continue importing the product past 2005. This trend was seen in all three of the major Italian brands and their importers in America during this first scooter boom. Companies like Aprilia expanded and lost millions in building its distribution empire across the world, including the U.S. It was common knowledge within the industry that Malaguti, Aprilia, and even Vespa were losing money on each scooter sold in the US during this time period. Malaguti continued to push into the American market onto late 2004 early 2005, but with Mr. Martin's poor leadership and lack of management forced the company to decide the brand could no longer afford to compete with the Chinese scooter boom undergoing in America. Once again the market had shifted and Malaguti had to leave the USA.
Martin continues to promote Malaguti with his new company, Martin Racing Performance. Martin has been quoted in the US press as saying he hopes Malaguti returns to the US and finds the proper investment for expansion as well as keeping such a great name alive.
[edit] Malaguti in Italy
In late 2004 a change in licensing laws and an easing of government subsidies created the worst bust in the history of Italian scooter sales. The crisis got worse in 2005 as more and more Italian moped and scooter companies began to close their doors. Malaguti was hit on all fronts as its European importers began to feel the weight of the influx of inexpensive Chinese imports. Once again the Italian moped scooter market was in a state of flux and would have to adapt and change as its smaller displacement units gave way to inexpensive imports. This fall in sales and the overexpansion into America by the big three Italian scooter makers also added to Aprilias problems leading them to file for bankruptcy protection. Malaguti unable to sustain its US importer or lower its prices had to bow out of the market. The competitive nature of the European market was further troubled by the rising influence of the Asian tigers. New brands from Asia were taking market share once held by the European brands. Talks between Malaguti and Ducati's owners Texas Pacific Group for a possible merger between the two Bologna firms were unsuccessful. Malaguti was also unable to find an Asian partner to expand its production or sales in Asia.
Piaggio decided to focus on survival by acquisition and began the first round of European mergers to decide the fate of European made scooters. Beta and Benelli stopped manufacturing scooters, Italjet closed its doors and its designs purchased by Kinetic of India, Aprilia was purchased in bankruptcy by Piaggio. The fate of Malaguti is unknown as of 2006 the company has not expanded into Asia for production like Piaggio or Aprilia. Both Piaggio and Malaguti have found their fates tied as Malaguti is now a Piaggio engine buyer and uses their engines for their new scooters. As the Italian market has changed more and more riders are using the 250 - 600cc range of product. The 50cc range is mostly for teens in Italy due to driver license laws and companies such as Malaguti are focusing on the higher end client who wants a bigger scooter. Currently Malaguti is now classified as Italy's second largest scooter manufacturer and it is still family owned and operated something of a rarity in the powersports business world and in Italy for this sector. The company is now run by the grandson of the founder, Antonino Malaguti II, now that Learco Malaguti has retired.
[edit] History
Two wheels have always been marking name and destiny of the Malagutis, The bicycle first, manufactured (by 15 workers in the first factory), sponsored (Loretto Petrucci a winner of the famous race Milano-Sanremo counted among the champions of the team patronized by Antonino Malaguti), and personally practised by Antonino Malaguti, who founded in 1930 the company named after him. It was the time of heroic cycling: when passing through Bologna great champions such as Magni, Coppi, Bartali never failed to pay a visit to the Malaguti factory, which was in those years a machine workshop seated in the first Bologna suburbs, just to say hello to Antonino, a great friend, not only of the two historical rivals, but also of many other two wheeler celebrities, such as Learco Guerra, nicknamed "human locomotive" (In his honour Antonino Malaguti decided to call his firstborn Learco).
In a little more than half a century two wheelers have discovered engine power, thus winning the favor of millions of fans: scooters, mopeds or in teen-agers' slang , "the fifties" have become a symbol of being fast, sporty, dynamic, having fun and freedom. In the latest 50 years powered two wheelers have found in Malaguti a name, a brand of reference, leading their development. Malaguti was little more than a crafts workshop, when in the '50s the first frames of a vehicle with roller transmission, the mythic "Mosquito", were born, while the first attempt of manufacturing a moped with a German engine with chain transmission were going to be made. In the '60s the company grew and concentrated its production on 50cc mopeds. The next 30 years saw the Malaguti brand more and more impressive on the Italian market and abroad, from Fifty, the mythic "Tubone" of the '70s, where the big tube served both as frame and fuel tank, up to the very modern models of the '90s, such as F10 and Phantom, Firefox, Centro, Crosser, Yesterday, Ciak, F18 Warrior, Grizzly and Madison, with which Malaguti has entered the third millennium.
[edit] Malaguti Today
The Malaguti Moto now extends over 4 factories, just outside Bologna, Italy, for a total surface of 60,000 square meters built, placed between the main street Via Emilia and the A14 Bologna-Ancona motorway.
Four hundred people directly employed and a 1999 turnover of 300 billions Lira (155 millions Euro) place Malaguti among the best companies in its region, Emilia Romagna, for performances, turnover and production run. The biggest development of the company started in 1992 from launching the F10, a scooter of the new generation, followed and confirmed by the other models, Centro, Phantom F12, Crosser, Firefox F15, and Yesterday, which, altogether, set up a record as to sold out quantities.
Today's Malaguti ranges fully meet the market requirements, as it has been confirmed by the expansion of this motorcycle factory, which succeeded in doubling its turnover in the last 3 years time.
A scrupulous attention to every phrase of constructions, and a continuous quality control on the assembly lines ensure long life, reliability and safety to our vehicles, now more than ever appreciated and admired for their innovative design and road safety.
[edit] Malaguti in Moto GP 125
In the constantly evolving motorcycle market a front-line manufacturer like Malaguti (Europe’s third largest scooter manufacturer) cannot ignore the benefits in both technical advances and market awareness that result from taking part in competition.
In 2003 in co-operation with Engines Engineering, a leading European competition engine designer, Malaguti entered Moto GP 125 with a new styled designed bike. This new engine will also have a brand-new electronic system developed in co-operation with Ducati Energia, an advanced fuel supply system with an innovative air box tested in a wind tunnel and a dry clutch coupled with a 6-speed gear. The exhaust system is equipped with an electronic choking valve.
The Malaguti Moto GP 125 is scheduled as a three-year project, i.e. until the 2006 season.
[edit] Current Models
- F18 Warrior
The F18 Warrior 150cc model is particularly sought after, and is considered the top of the line scooter ever sold in America. Prices regularly soar past 50% above blue book prices on the resale market.
The F18 Warrior uses a Kymco liquid-cooled engine, for extreme reliability and responsive power. The 13" wheels are the perfect compromise between the tiny 10" scooter wheels which provide good low-speed handling, and the large 16" motorcycle wheels which provide high speed stability. The F18's design is the best of both worlds, maneuverability around town, with the ability to cruise on the highway. The F-18 comes with a 150cc liquid cooled four-stroke engine, ready to take you to the absolute peak of performance, guaranteeing progressive output, and complete reliability. Features include a large under-the-seat storage box, optional rear rack, body extension passenger foot-rests, center stand, electric start, and a fully automatic transmission. The large under-seat storage easily swallows even a full-face helmet, the front storage hook grabs hold of a grocery bag, and optional topcase luggage can be added if more cargo carrying is needed.
- Ciak
The Ciak combines the classic scooter style with more modern mechanicals, making for an attractive, reliable, enjoyable ride.
- Yesterday
The Yesterday is a cute scooter evoking the timeless designs of the 1950's. 50cc models are easy to own, fun to ride, and cheap to maintain.
This was the best selling Malaguti scooter in the USA with over 2,000 units sold in its first two years in America. The retro look and its sleek design made it a hit with the American scooter fans.
The Yesterday has one of the highest retained values for any modern scooter in the US. Used models still sell in Denver, Miami, and NYC for the same retail value they were sold for in 2001. Used Yesterdays in custom colors continue to sell in 2006 for up to $2900.
- Firefox
The F15 Firefox is a popular Malaguti scooter, with cutting edge style, and classic scooter proportions. 50cc engine size means it is easy on the gas, and easy to ride. Leading the line of 50cc sport scooters with a standard digital dash, liquid cooled engine, and twin disk brakes. This award winning aerodynamic molding has even been featured in the CHICAGO ATHENAEUM MUSEUM as one of the best new motorcycle designs. Features include a large under-the-seat storage box, optional rear rack, folding aluminum passenger foot-pegs, center stand, electric start, and a fully automatic transmission. Ducati replicas of the F-12 and F-15 are hot collectors items. Unlike the European version for the US only limited number of units were imported and they featured limited numbers, certificates, and even gold plated numbers in the Ben Bostrom US edition. Yesterday-Today’s technology gracefully blended with the styling of yesteryear.
Ciak - both the 50 and 150cc version feature extra-large 16 inch wheels offering a smoother and safer ride
- Jet Line
F10 Jet-Line - outfitted with the high performance tried and true Minarelli Italian motor.
Outfitted with the high performance, easily upgraded, tried and true Minarelli Italian motor. This low seat height, entry-level model jumps with a slight twist of the throttle. Features include a large under-the-seat storage box, optional rear rack, body extension passenger foot-rests, center stand, electric start, and a fully automatic transmission.
- Phantom
F12 Phantom-Paioli shocks, Grimeca brakes, alloy wheels, Pirelli/Maxxis Tires—top components, top performance, top selling scooter.
The Malaguti Phantom F-12 brings performance and technology together in one of the sharpest scooter designs ever seen in the United States. Award winning design having been featured in the CHICAGO ATHENAEUM MUSEUM (Museum of Architecture and Design) as one of the best new motorcycle designs.
Its features include a Grimeca front disc brake that provides state of the art stopping power for the 50 cc engine that jumps at a twist of the throttle. It has a large under-the-seat storage box, optional rear rack, folding aluminum passenger foot-pegs, center stand, fuel gauge, electric start, and a fully automatic transmission. Only top name Italian race components are featured on this bike including Grimeca brakes, Paioli racing shocks, Ducati electronics, TSS Paint Coats, Malaguti molding, and Pirelli / Maxxis tires.
The Phantom F-12 is the pit bike of champions for reliable & stylish scooter transportation, including the Ducati Motorcycle Super Bike team and Grand Prix Americas.
F15 FireFox -leading the line of 50cc sport scooters with a standard digital dash. The multi-function display serves as a speedometer, tachometer, gas gauge, battery level indicator, engine temperature gauge and lap time counter.
F18 Warrior-all the sporty styling and performance found in the other F-Series models with the extra power of a 150cc engine.
Madison- Malaguti’s newest US release, the elegant yet aggressive Madison S200 and K400.
