Italjet Moto SpA (Italjet) is an Italian manufacturer of motorcycles, headquartered in Castel Guelfo di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.[1] While the ideas and commercial agreements were made in 1959, the company was officially founded as Italemmezeta on 4 February 1960 in Bologna by Leopoldo Tartarini (1932–2015).[2]
History
The history of Italjet began in 1959 in Bologna's "Motor Valley" and is linked to the Tartarini family. The founder, Leopoldo Tartarini, was a motorcycle racer from the 1950s who won the Motogiro d'Italia and the Milano-Taranto multiple times. After a bad fall forced him to retire from racing, he proposed to Ducati, the company he raced for, that they organize a trip around the world — a feat that was considered nearly impossible at the time.
Leopoldo Tartarini began building motorcycles using MZ engines, which led to the name Italemmezeta. The first product was a 125cc bike powered by an East German two-stroke engine. This was followed in 1962 by a sporty moped named Italjet, with lines inspired by contemporary Ducatis. In 1964, the Mustang was born — another sporty moped with innovative features, which later evolved into the Mustang Veloce.