MV Agusta Museum – Cascina Costa, Italy

Out'n'About

October 10, 2025 Buzz Box, Out'n'About
The Museo Agusta is not spacious, but crammed with wonders.
  • Museo Agusta – Via Giovanni Agusta, 506, 21017 Samarate VA, Italy

From our Old Bike Archives – Issue 56 – first published in 2015.

Story and photos: Jim Scaysbrook

Don’t expect the MV Agusta Museum to loom up on the horizon like the latest IKEA mega-warehouse or Abu Dhabi’s Ferrari World. This is understatement estremo; just a small collection of ochre-hued buildings in the tiny village of Cascina Costa di Verghera in the town of Samarate, itself near Varese in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, the main one being of two levels with a small courtyard that houses three Agusta helicopters under a fabric structure. Entrance is via a small door and once inside a kindly old gentleman who speaks no English will politely relieve you of six euros. 

The modest exterior belies what’s inside!

Museo Agusta sits on the site of one of the former spare parts divisions of the company, occupying a total area of 700 square metres, with a further expansion of 400 metres planned for the future. The collection was instigated by the Older Workers Group – people with links to the original company that has passed through several hands in recent times. The motorcycle division is now partly owned by Mercedes-AMG, while the helicopter company is called Agusta Westland, part of the Finmeccanica company, one of the world’s largest producers of helicopters.

Informative displays.

Although motorcycles form the bulk of the display, there is also – as could be expected – a significant aviation section of prototype helicopters, drawings, engines, components, scale models and artefacts. The first Agusta aircraft, the AG1, made its maiden flight in 1907, and soon after Giovanni Agusta began a business overhauling and repairing aircraft at what is now Malpensa Airport, 50 kilometres north of Milan. After WW2, the company, now run by Giovanni’s son Domenico as Giovanni Agusta Aeronautical Construction, was initially banned from aircraft production under the terms of surrender and turned to motorcycles, which is what primarily concerns us here. 

Colourful line up of MV scooters, ranging from 1948 to the light blue 1952 Ovunque (“Everywhere”) on the right. All featured swinging arm rear suspension with 4-speed gearboxes.

The museum has a select but very representative assortment of not just the fabulous racing machinery that made MV Agusta a household name, but the bread and butter road models that provided at least some of the wherewithal to fund the racing effort. There are examples – in both prototype and production form – of the 98cc model that was the first MV available to the general public, as well as the ”Golf Cup” – the first trophy won by an MV rider (Vincenzo Nencioni) at La Spezia in 1946 on an MV 98. An extensive collection of trophies won by some of motorcycle racing’s most illustrious names is on display. 

Here then is an annotated pictorial of some of the machines currently housed at Cascina Costa.

The 1974 model 4-cylinder, six-speed 500 ridden by Gianfranco Bonera to victory in the Grand Prix des Nations at Imola and eventually to second place in the 500cc World Championship.
Rare 750 America from 1974, only 540 built.
1956 version of the 350cc 4 cylinder, developing 51.5 hp at 11,000 rpm. Its first win was scored by Carlo Bandirola in July 1953 and the last 11 years later by Mike Hailwood.
Left: Final version of the 350cc four-cylinder racer from 1973. By this stage MV was fighting an increasingly tough battle against the two-stokes. Right: Single cylinder DOHC Bialbero engine from 1956.
Left: Prototype 350cc DOHC twin cylinder racer from 1955 produced 46.5 horsepower at 12,000 rpm. Right: The 600cc 4C6, first seen in 1966, with gear-driven overhead camshafts and shaft drive. Only 137 were built up to 1971.
Left: Highly successful “Carter Lunga” limited production racer. A 125cc 4-speed two-stroke single, this model achieved considerable success in the ISDT and Italian Championships. It produced 11.5hp at 9,000 rpm. Right: 1965 Walter Villa-designed single cylinder, 7-speed racer with rotary disc valve induction via the crankcase, producing 19.7 hp at 12,000 rpm.
Overhead surveillance.
Left: The prototype 4 cylinder MV roadster from 1950. The 500cc, 4-speed, shaft drive design was displayed at the Milan Show where it caused a sensation, as did the projected price of 950,000 Lire (US $1500 at the time). Unfortunately it failed to progress to production but eventually appeared in 600cc form in 1966. Right: The boys’ racer 175 – CSS/SV Squalo (Shark), derived from the road-going CSS. The 175cc chain- driven OHC single had a 5-speed gearbox and produced 19.8 hp at 8,800 rpm. As well as numerous road racing victories it also scored gold medals at the ISDT.
The modest exterior belies what’s inside!
1947 Duecentrocinquanta (“Two fifty”), a single cylinder 250cc 4 stroke tourer.
The Vetturetta mini car from 1951, powered by a twin cylinder 350cc four stroke engine with electric starter.
1943 ‘Project’ of the single cylinder two stroke, two-speed 98cc ‘Vespa’ (Wasp), the first MV motorcycle.
1955 model 125cc Turismo Rapido with pushrod valve operation. The beginning of a very successful line produced from 1954 to 1958 with 40,000 units made.
Sport e Lusso 150 2-stroke from 1953.
Sectioned four cylinder 750S engine.
1963 version of the 150cc OHV Rapido Sport, wearing the fashionable (for the era) twin silencers.
Production version of the 98cc two stroke, now with plunger rear suspension.
By 1946 the Vespa had evolved into the much more modern looking (the transition from plum to red helped) Corsa 98 with a three- speed gearbox, which scored numerous victories in the immediate post-war years.
Sleek single cylinder DOHC 250 put out 31.6hp at 10,000 rpm and was ridden to victory in the 1955 Isle of Man Lightweight TT by Bill Lomas. In all, the Monocilindrica 250 won 12 Grands Prix and took Tarquino Provini to the 1958 250cc World Championship.
1949 prototype 4-speed 125 Lusso (“Luxury”) which went into production in 1949. 17,500 were produced between 1949 and 1953.
Final 1964 version of the single cylinder 125 which began life in 1950 as a single overhead camshaft 4-speeder and ended up as a DOHC 6-speeder developing 18.8 hp at 12,000 rpm. The model won seven World Championships and 34 Grands Prix.
The 1948 Lusso 98 – a “luxury touring” version of the Model 98.
The Earles fork version of the 500/4 was first seen in 1952 and was developed by Les Graham, who crashed fatally at the 1953 Isle of Man TT. Originally shaft-driven, it was soon converted to chain final drive.

And if you’d like to more information visit museoagusta.it

This article first appeared in Old Bike Australasia Issue 56.

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