VISIT SPAZIO MORBIDELLI: THE MUSEUM THAT CAPTURES THE LEGACY OF A MOTORSPORT LEGEND AND A PIONEERING FORCE IN KARTING

Mattia Livraghi

17 November 2024 • 23 min. read

Near Pesaro, Italy, lies a truly unique place, one that tells an extraordinary story—a story of David versus Goliath in the world of motorsport. It’s the story of a remarkable mechanical genius: Giancarlo Morbidelli. This magical location, filled with one-of-a-kind pieces, ingenious motorcycles, Formula 2 engines, F1 gearboxes, and, of course, karts, was brought to life for us by an exclusive guide, Gianni Morbidelli, Giancarlo’s son and the visionary behind Spazio Morbidelli. In these slides, we share what we saw and heard on our visit. Follow along!

Imagine an entrepreneur who carves out a special space within his company to pursue his real passion: engines. Picture the typical “fun corner,” easily accessible right after work. But now, imagine that this passion evolves into something much bigger—the actual construction of racing motorcycles. Not just model kits or vintage cars, but real, high-performance racing bikes. Already, we’re stepping into the “unusual.” But let’s take it a step further: imagine these motorcycles, designed and handcrafted by a small group of friends in this “fun corner,” actually competing in the Motorcycle World Championship, and even beating giants like Yamaha and Kawasaki. This sounds like a stretch, right? Yet, there’s no need to imagine it, because it all really happened. This is the story of Italian entrepreneur Giancarlo Morbidelli (1934–2020) and his Morbidelli Grand Prix bikes, which, between 1969 and 1981, claimed four riders’ and three constructors’ world titles—not to mention numerous Italian championships. But Morbidelli’s passion for engines and speed didn’t stop at motorcycles. A true engineering genius, he tackled other challenges as well: designing an F2 engine, creating one of the first semi-automatic sequential gearboxes for F1, and inventing solutions that are still widely used in modern karting. To celebrate this legacy, his son Gianni gathered and displayed his father’s most iconic creations in an exclusive, unforgettable place that’s a must-visit: Spazio Morbidelli. And then, Gianni went further, opening the doors of this magical space to TKART. Now it’s our turn to tell you all about it.

The exterior of the building that houses Spazio Morbidelli, located in Pesaro (Italy). The exhibition created by Gianni brings together over 30 pieces including his father's creations, memorabilia and vehicles that also tell of a small piece of his career in motorsport.

The entrance to Spazio Morbidelli, the building, which was renovated by Gianni in 2023, is the same that in the past was the headquarters of "Morbidelli macchine per legno" (Morbidelli Woodworking Machinery), the company founded by Giancarlo.

The parking space reserved for Gianni Morbidelli's car, personalised with the number 10, which he used in many of his races (including some in Formula 1).

Some glimpses of the interior of Spazio Morbidelli as it looks today.

Giancarlo Morbidelli passed away in 2020, at 85 years of age. In addition to collecting successes in motorsport, Giancarlo was also the architect of the prosperity of his company. Before being sold in 1985 to the Italian multinational SCM, "Morbidelli macchine per legno", in fact, came to have over 350 employees, with a distribution of its machinery in about 60 countries around the world.

The flyer of "Morbidelli - stories of men and fast motorcycles" (2014, Italy, 83 min.), the documentary that traces the story of Giancarlo Morbidelli and his group of collaborators/friends, who like David against Goliath, manage with few means, but enormous genius, to beat the great motorcycle manufacturers.

Gianni Morbidelli, our guide on this visit. Like his father, Gianni also wrote important pages of Italian motorsport, but as a driver. In detail, the 1968-born driver expressed excellent potential in karting before making his single-seater debut in 1987 and becoming both Italian and European Formula 3 champion in 1989. Between 1990 and 1997, Gianni had several experiences in Formula 1 as a driver and test driver, working for Scuderia Italia, Minardi, Ferrari, Footwork, Sauber and Jordan. The 1991 Australian Grand Prix driving a Ferrari and immediately capable of winning points valid for the world championship stand out in his career, as well as the podium achieved in the 1995 Australian Grand Prix for Footwork. After his experience in F1, Gianni dedicated himself to racing in covered-wheel cars and achieved several successes, including the victory of the Italian Superstars championship several times.