Gilera 500 4 Quattro Italian Racing motorcycle birthday card by John Hancox
In the years from 1950 until 1958, Gilera won six world titles in what many consider as the heyday of motorcycle racing with competition from the likes of MV Agusta, Moto Guzzi and Norton. Gilera were greatly aided by their phenomenal double-overhead cam four-cylinder engine with a superior performance at high revs when compared to its rivals. This supreme performance helped the team attract the best riders, including Geoff Duke, Umberto Masetti and Libero Liberati. Gilera would, however, pull out of the motor-racing scene in 1962, resulting in a period of sustained dominance for MV Agusta.
