Ducati 750 Imola Desmo among notable offerings Gooding & Company’s Geared Online Motorcycles Auction

The Santa Monica-based auction house, Gooding & Company, kicked off its Geared Online | Motorcycles Auction on Wednesday, May 8 featuring an assortment of motorcycles from the foremost Italian, German, English, and Japanese marques.

Among them are several bikes with racing pedigree including a 1972 Ducati 750 Imola Desmo.

As one of only eight legendary 750 cc Imola Desmos built, and one of only seven known to exist today, the sale of this Ducati presents an incredibly rare opportunity to acquire one of the most historically significant motorbikes in the world.

For nearly a century, the Ducati name has been synonymous with cutting-edge technical innovation, world-class performance, and stunning design. And although it achieved competition success with its smaller displacement models, it was not until the early 1970s that Ducati decided to take on the dominant pairing of Giacomo Agostini and MV Agusta in motorcycle racing’s premier Formula 750 class.

Led by its legendary engineer Fabio Taglioni, the firm prepared eight all-new, highly advanced 750 cc racers for the 1972 Imola 200, known as the “Daytona of Europe”. Ducati proudly arrived at Imola with seven of the racers in a specially designed glass-sided transporter, causing widespread excitement and anticipation among the motorcycle world at large. Indeed, history was made, and in a tremendous upset, Ducati riders Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari took 1st and 2nd place, respectively, on the new bikes, ushering in a new era of international success for Ducati.

The Imola race bikes featured notable innovations, including the first use of desmodromic valve actuation on a v-twin engine, allowing extreme high rpm performance. The motorcycles also boasted strong sandcast engine cases, lightweight billet connecting rods and cranks, and an asymmetrical exhaust setup, among countless other features detailed in the accompanying report by marque expert Ian Falloon.

After its victory, Ducati sent some of the bikes around the world to promote the brand. The 1972 Ducati 750 Imola Desmo on offer here was sent to South Africa in 1973, where it was campaigned by Errol James at the South African TT at the Roy Hesketh Circuit. It was eventually retired to static storage at Vetsak, the official Ducati Importer in Johannesburg, where it was purchased by motorcycle enthusiast and political correspondent John D’Oliveira in 1976. In 1995, the D’Oliveira family shipped the motorcycle to the US, where it was purchased by its current owner, a lifelong car and motorcycle journalist for numerous top publications.

In addition to the 38 motorcycles on offer (most of which without reserve), the online auction features a variety of motorcycle-themed automobilia, including posters and artwork.

The entire catalog can be found HERE and lots begin closing Friday, May 17 at 9:00 AM PDT