1961 Ceccato 125 4T GTS
With Phil Aynsley
Ceccato was founded by Pietro Ceccato in 1934 after he won the Italian Championship on a Rudge. Pietro was a qualified doctor who was working as a pharmacist before turning his hand to making motorcycles.
The company he founded had first manufactured industrial items such as hydraulic lifts, air compressors and service station equipment.
After World War II, in response to a need for affordable transport for the masses, Ceccato started producing 38 cc two-stroke clip-on engines for bicycles and later small-capacity motorcycles – one of which you see here. The 1961 Ceccato 125 4T GTS.
Ten years before this machine Ceccato produced their first proper motorcycle, a 75 cc two-stroke. This sold alongside a 49 cc two-stroke moped. In the years that followed Ceccato also released 100, 125 and then a 175 cc machine. The machine featured in the images here is a 125 cc model from 1961.
Later models included a 175 cc 4-stroke production racer and a 200 cc horizontal parallel-twin.
The factory employed over 700 people by the mid ‘50s.
The company ceased motorcycle production in 1961 but has gone on to become the world’s largest producer of car and train washing equipment.
