While Mecum’s annual motorcycle auction in January is a highlight event for motorcyclists, Mecum hosts several other auctions throughout the year where moto enthusiasts can find unique, rare, and desirable motorcycles crossing the block alongside cars and other vehicles. The lineup for this year’s Monterey auction is especially exciting for motorcycle enthusiasts, highlighted by two ultra rare, history-altering Ducatis.
The two Ducatis are the main attractions and promise exciting bidding wars, but the Monterey auction will have plenty more to see and bid on. The event takes place at the Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey, California, Aug. 13-15. On the Mecum website, visitors can view photos and detailed descriptions of vehicles up for bid, register for bidder credentials, and find more information.
For now, let’s take a look at the auction-headlining Ducatis.
This super rare 1972 Ducati 750 Imola Racer (Lot R28) highlights Mecum’s Monterey auction, taking place Aug. 17-19 in Monterey, California.
This 1972 Ducati 750 is an exceptionally rare motorcycle, and it will be available for public sale for the first time ever at Monterey. One of only eight examples ever built, this is the motorcycle that changed Ducati history and launched the brand to its racing success. It and the 1974 750 Super Sport described in the next section have been authenticated with historic and photographic detail by Ducati authority and author Ian Falloon.
The story starts with Ducati’s then-new 750 GT L-Twin lineup. Ducati Chief Designer and Technical Director Fabio Taglioni was on a mission to race in the upcoming 200 Miglia Shell di Imola, so he headed to Daytona to assess the competition. Upon returning home, he got to work.
The result of his labor shocked the 70,000 fans who gathered to see the Imola race. Under Ducati riders Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari, the Ducati machines passed MV Agusta rider Giacomo Agostini and pulled away from the pack, finishing over 20 seconds ahead of the 3rd-place finisher and proving the merits of Ducati’s new winning formula.
The Ducati 750 Imola Racer is powered by Ducati’s 748cc L-Twin.
In building the Imola racer, Taglioni combined the 750 L-Twin with desmodromic valve actuation. Eliminating the alternator and flywheel reduced rotating mass. The bike used two spark plugs per cylinder and dual 400mm Dell’Orto carburetors and had a 5-speed gearbox, netting 85 hp at 8,800 rpm and a 170 mph top speed. Particular focus was put on making the bike lightweight, using a fiberglass fairing and fuel tank and weighing in at 390 lb dry.
Eight of these machines were built, and six were officially entered into the race. The example up for auction at Monterey is one of the two bikes prepared for race winner Paul Smart. It features a metalflake silver paint with a transparent vertical stripe on the fuel tank that acts as a see-through fuel gauge, and the bike includes unique details like an Italian army-issue water canteen used as an engine crankcase breather system.
This see-through stripe on the tank was purposefully unfinished to allow viewing the fuel level.
This bike and the 1974 750 Super Sport described below will cross the block on Saturday, Aug. 15.
This 1974 Ducati 750 Super Sport (Lot R27) will cross the block at Mecum’s Monterey Auction on Saturday, Aug. 19.
The story of this bike is directly linked to the story of the Imola racing victory of 1972. The win boosted sales of the 750 L-Twin lineup and generated desire for a factory production machine based on the Imola racer. That factory production version was the 750 Super Sport, equipped with race-spec desmodromic cylinder heads and camshafts, triple disc brakes, and fiberglass bodywork. Notably, a 1973 preproduction unit went on to win the 1977 Daytona 200 under the care of Cycle magazine journalists Phil Schilling and Cook Neilson.
The example to cross the block at Monterey was first purchased in 1975 at a one-man dealership in St. Louis, Illinois, and it is one of only 401 built during the initial production run led by Taglioni. The first and second owners retained its original condition until 2022, when it received a preservation and mechanical overhaul. This process allowed for photographic documentation of the machine, creating a record of its original parts.
These two rare Ducatis join a growing lineup of motorcycles and vehicles on the Monterey schedule for this year, sure to delight any moto enthusiast. On the Mecum website, viewers can find more details and photos about each vehicle, as well as information about how to register to bid, spectator ticket pricing, collections, and more.
The post 2026 Mecum Monterey Auction Preview: Ducati Dream appeared first on Rider Magazine.
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The two Ducatis are the main attractions and promise exciting bidding wars, but the Monterey auction will have plenty more to see and bid on. The event takes place at the Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey, California, Aug. 13-15. On the Mecum website, visitors can view photos and detailed descriptions of vehicles up for bid, register for bidder credentials, and find more information.
For now, let’s take a look at the auction-headlining Ducatis.
1972 Ducati 750 Imola Racer
This super rare 1972 Ducati 750 Imola Racer (Lot R28) highlights Mecum’s Monterey auction, taking place Aug. 17-19 in Monterey, California.
This 1972 Ducati 750 is an exceptionally rare motorcycle, and it will be available for public sale for the first time ever at Monterey. One of only eight examples ever built, this is the motorcycle that changed Ducati history and launched the brand to its racing success. It and the 1974 750 Super Sport described in the next section have been authenticated with historic and photographic detail by Ducati authority and author Ian Falloon.
The story starts with Ducati’s then-new 750 GT L-Twin lineup. Ducati Chief Designer and Technical Director Fabio Taglioni was on a mission to race in the upcoming 200 Miglia Shell di Imola, so he headed to Daytona to assess the competition. Upon returning home, he got to work.
The result of his labor shocked the 70,000 fans who gathered to see the Imola race. Under Ducati riders Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari, the Ducati machines passed MV Agusta rider Giacomo Agostini and pulled away from the pack, finishing over 20 seconds ahead of the 3rd-place finisher and proving the merits of Ducati’s new winning formula.
The Ducati 750 Imola Racer is powered by Ducati’s 748cc L-Twin.
In building the Imola racer, Taglioni combined the 750 L-Twin with desmodromic valve actuation. Eliminating the alternator and flywheel reduced rotating mass. The bike used two spark plugs per cylinder and dual 400mm Dell’Orto carburetors and had a 5-speed gearbox, netting 85 hp at 8,800 rpm and a 170 mph top speed. Particular focus was put on making the bike lightweight, using a fiberglass fairing and fuel tank and weighing in at 390 lb dry.
Eight of these machines were built, and six were officially entered into the race. The example up for auction at Monterey is one of the two bikes prepared for race winner Paul Smart. It features a metalflake silver paint with a transparent vertical stripe on the fuel tank that acts as a see-through fuel gauge, and the bike includes unique details like an Italian army-issue water canteen used as an engine crankcase breather system.
This see-through stripe on the tank was purposefully unfinished to allow viewing the fuel level.
This bike and the 1974 750 Super Sport described below will cross the block on Saturday, Aug. 15.
1974 Ducati 750 Super Sport
This 1974 Ducati 750 Super Sport (Lot R27) will cross the block at Mecum’s Monterey Auction on Saturday, Aug. 19.
The story of this bike is directly linked to the story of the Imola racing victory of 1972. The win boosted sales of the 750 L-Twin lineup and generated desire for a factory production machine based on the Imola racer. That factory production version was the 750 Super Sport, equipped with race-spec desmodromic cylinder heads and camshafts, triple disc brakes, and fiberglass bodywork. Notably, a 1973 preproduction unit went on to win the 1977 Daytona 200 under the care of Cycle magazine journalists Phil Schilling and Cook Neilson.
The example to cross the block at Monterey was first purchased in 1975 at a one-man dealership in St. Louis, Illinois, and it is one of only 401 built during the initial production run led by Taglioni. The first and second owners retained its original condition until 2022, when it received a preservation and mechanical overhaul. This process allowed for photographic documentation of the machine, creating a record of its original parts.
More to See at Mecum Monterey
These two rare Ducatis join a growing lineup of motorcycles and vehicles on the Monterey schedule for this year, sure to delight any moto enthusiast. On the Mecum website, viewers can find more details and photos about each vehicle, as well as information about how to register to bid, spectator ticket pricing, collections, and more.
The post 2026 Mecum Monterey Auction Preview: Ducati Dream appeared first on Rider Magazine.
Continue reading...