Very sad news - loss of a great motorcycle designer

John Anthony

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That is sad news. I saw him on one of the motorcycle shows and he seemed like a pretty cool dude.

John
 
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STPaulK
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Okay, but Castiglione wasn't a designer. He was a businessman who "rescued" Ducati, but sold it in 1996.

Ciao,
I politely disagree. He might not have been the guy at the cad or drawing boards, but I can guarantee you he was throwing those guys sketches on napkins and he most certainly had the last say on the final design. He had the holistic view on what a motorcycle means to a rider, as well as how it appears as a work of art.
I think Adrian Morton said it best:

"British designer Adrian Morton, who worked closely with Castiglioni on the new F3 told MCN: "There are so many bikes that wouldn't exist if it weren't for Claudio. His passion for making beautiful bikes is what shaped everything we did, and his presence is always felt here. It's shocking to think we won't see him any more. He was heavily involved in all future product development right to the end in his characteristic 'insistent' manner. His passion for the bikes kept him going. It was a nightmare trying to keep him happy with the F3, but that's what made it the bike it is. In an era when most people who run businesses wouldn't care if it was motorcycles or washing machines their factories turned out, Claudio was the last of a breed. Hopefully the bikes we do in future reflect his insistence on special machines."
 

bdalameda

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I visited the Cagiva and Ducati factories in Varese in 1983 on business relating to engines - I was treated like royalty by Claudio and his team - truly wonderful people.

Dan
 

JZH

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I politely disagree. He might not have been the guy at the cad or drawing boards, but I can guarantee you he was throwing those guys sketches on napkins and he most certainly had the last say on the final design. He had the holistic view on what a motorcycle means to a rider, as well as how it appears as a work of art.
Are you sure you're not confusing him with Claudio Domenicali, Ducati Corse CEO? That Claudio is actually credited with the design of certain aspects of the bikes Ducati manufactured by Ducati during the Castiglione era (although the principal Ducati designers were Galluzzi, Terblanche and Tamburini). Castiglione may have been a visionary and product developer, but most people wouldn't consider him a motorbike designer in the normal sense. NY Times obit.

Ciao,
 
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