The Ducati Cucciolo was a 4-stroke clip-on engine for motorized
bicycles conceived during and shortly after World War II by a Turin
lawyer, Aldo Farinelli, and developed with a self-taught engineer,
Aldo Leoni.
During the war, Aldo Farinelli began working with the small Turinese
firm SIATA (Società Italiana per Applicazioni Tecniche
Auto-Aviatorie) with the idea of developing a small engine that
could be mounted on a bicycle. Farinelli's and Leone's first
prototype was running on the streets of Turin in Autumn of 1944. The
yapping sound of the engine's short stubby exhaust inspired the name
Cucciolo ("little puppy") for the motor. Weighing a little over 17
pounds (7.7 kg) and giving 180 miles per US gallon (77 km/l) when
installed in a bicycle.
On July 26, barely one month after the official liberation of the
country, SIATA announced their intention to sell Cucciolo engines to
the public. It was the first new automotive design to appear in
postwar Europe. Some businessmen bought the little engines in
quantity and installed them in frames, thus offering for sale the
first complete units.
Soon demand outstripped the limited production capabilities, so
SIATA found a manufacturing partner in Borgo Panigale, near Bologna.
Ducati was a well-known name in electronics and appliances, and in
the post-war torn Italy, it was seeking new opportunities to employ
its workers and facilities, so a licensing agreement with Siata was
reached. Production rose from 15 units in 1946 to over 25,000 in the
following years, when Ducati reached an exclusive agreement for the
production.
Any corrections or more information on these motorcycles will be kindly appreciated.