Ceccato was an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1938 by a former pharmacist, Pietro Ceccato, who was passionate about both engines and innovative management ideas, such as making process changes using input invited from employees.[1][2] For the motorcycle Giro d'Italia and other races, Ceccato built the first of Fabio Taglioni's engines to be realized, a 75 cc OHC single designed with the help of Taglioni's Technical Institute students.[3][4] The company was active in motorcycles until the 1960s.[5] It however successfully continued producing compressors and grew over the years. Today Ceccato is an important player on the global compressed air market.

Ceccato
Company typePrivate
IndustryManufacturing
Founded1938; 86 years ago (1938), Montecchio Maggiore, Vicenza
FounderPietro Ceccato
Headquarters,
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Pietro Ceccato, Fabio Taglioni
ProductsMotorcycles, bicycles, compressors, gas cylinders, service station equipment
Number of employees
600

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Notes edit

  1. ^ Giulio, Decio; Carugati, Decio G. R.; Sadleir, Richard (2001), Ducati: Design and Emotion, MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company, p. 37, ISBN 978-0-7603-1199-8, Marco Mussetti picks up the story: [...] They were jealous of Taglioni, who had designed and built a fine 75cc racing bike with the help of his pupils at a Technical Institute and then ceded the design to the Ceccato company.' Taglioni turned over his 75cc bike to the most determined entrepreneur of the day. 'Pietro Ceccato,' notes Marta Boneschi in 'Poveri ma belli,' "began his career as a pharmacist but was then swept away by his passion for engines. He was one of those people who don't stop at a new plant, new products and new markets. He wanted to go further and pioneer new methods of management. In 1953 his engineering works at Alte Montecchio on the outskirts of Vicenca manufactured bicycles, motorbikes, compressors, gas cylinders and plant for service stations. He had about 600 employees, who managed to save 14 million man-hours in one year by contributing ideas for saving time, money and labor. Ever since the firm launched the slogan 'Use your head to produce' everyone would lend a hand, testifies the foreman Gentilin. 'No one had ever asked me to say what I thought about my job. Then one day, they did ask, so I suggested a new way o painting the bikes.' An interesting demonstration of the way entrepreneurial enthusiasm can help boost the firm's output.
  2. ^ Tragatsch, Erwin (1964), "Ceccato", The world's motorcycles, 1894-1963: a record of 70 years of motorcycle production, Temple Press, p. 33, I 1950 to date. 1. S.p.a. Ceccato, Montecchio Maggiore, Vicenza. 2. Ceccato & Co., S.p.a., Alte Ceccato, Vicenza. Famous for their excellent lightweight machines, Ceccato concentrates on the production of 48-, 75-, 98-, 125- and 150-c.c. two-strokes and o.h.v. singles. Some years ago the range included also 75-, 98-, and 125-c.c. o.h.c. versions.
  3. ^ "Fabio Taglioni", Men who made history, Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A., 2009, archived from the original on 2008-02-21, retrieved 2009-05-15, Wounded during the war, he returned home in 1949 and immediately started working with the Ceccato motorcycle company. In 1950 he was taken on by Mondial, where he worked until 1954.
  4. ^ "THEORY AND HISTORY OF THE DUCATI DESMODROMIC ENGINE Forth Part QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS", The Ducati Desmodronic Engine, Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A., 2009, TAGLIONI I worked for two other companies before I joined Ducati. I designed a 75 twin camshaft, which was then adjusted for the Giro d'Italia (a twin camshaft was a bit too heavy). So it was turned into a single camshaft and was used in the Giro d'Italia on several occasions, in the Milan – Taranto and lots of other races, under the Ceccato brand. That engine acted as my business card when I was introduced to Count Borselli, on his request. He was looking for a young engineer, with a certain level of experience. I told him that I didn't have much experience but I showed him the finished engine and said that was what I could do. He said to me: "I'm not interested in the engine but I'm interested in you because I work with 125s and up. I can help you to sell it if that's what you want to do but I'm not interested in it". And in fact he did help me sell it to Ceccato. He let me go to Ceccato for the tuning and then I worked at Mondial for two years, until 1954, when I joined Ducati. At Mondial I tuned engines for the Giro d'Italia, 125s and 175s, and then I started work on what was then known as the "Bilancerino", the 125 with exposed springs and a head similar to the one on the Ceccato. Then I produced the twin camshaft, which was the same as the Ceccato twin camshaft, on a Mondial, and then because of staffing problems I left Mondial and went to Ducati, where I still am today.
  5. ^ Greg Williams (May–June 2010). "Circa-1954 Ceccato 72cc Twin-Cam racer". Motorcycle Classics. Archived from the original on May 14, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-25.

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