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Motori Minarelli is an Italian motorcycle engine manufacturer. It is part of the Fantic Motor group.

History

Motori Minarelli was founded in Bologna in 1951 as a motorcycle manufacturer. In 1954 it also began to build mopeds. Two years later Minarelli switched exclusively to 2-stroke engine manufacture and a new 2000 square metre factory was constructed for these purposes. It employed 20 technical staff and produced 70 engines a day. These were sold to companies in Italy, other parts of Europe and South America.

In 1967 the company changed its name to Motori Minarelli and opened a new plant in Calderara di Reno. By the 1970s engine production had reached 250,000 units a year. The company also entered motorcycle racing and won a number of titles.

In 1990 the company began a business relationship with Yamaha. Five years later it employed 350 people and engine production had reached 450,000 units a year. In 2002, following changes in the world motorcycle market, Motori Minarelli became a member of the Yamaha Group.

In 2020 Fantic Motor acquired 100% of the shares from Yamaha.

With Fantic ownership, motor production is also accompanied by the production of mopeds and scooters with the Issimo and Issimo City models. In June 2023, Yamaha Motor Europe commissioned Minarelli to produce 10,000 Yamaha Booster e-bikes, derived from the Fantic Issimo models.

Gallery

• Minarelli P6 50cc, 1975.

References

1. ^ "Company". Motori Minarelli. Motori Minarelli Spa. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
2. "Issimo City: in produzione lo scooter elettrico Fantic" (in Italian). 6 April 2023.
3. "Motori Minarelli, Yamaha ordina diecimila nuovi Booster elettrici" (in Italian).

• Moped manufacturers
• Motorcycle manufacturers of Italy
• Manufacturing companies based in Bologna
• Transport in Italy
• Yamaha Corporation
• Motorcycle engine manufacturers