Minarelli "Carlotta" 175

The leading Italian racing manufacturers got together in 1957 and signed a pact agreeing to withdraw from speed racing. They also withdrew from record racing, which had been the province principally of Moto Guzzi and Gilera.
From that time on, the only manufacturer that went in for record racing seriously was Minarelli, a company that manufactured two-stroke engines.

Minarelli went into record driving in 1966. That year Piero Cava rode a Minarelli 75 at Monza to set five world acceleration and endurance records.
Not satisfied with easy achievements, the Minarelli people were back at Monza the following year with the young champion Otello Buscherini and two new vehicles, a 50 and a 175. Their engines, which had been
derived from production models, were mounted on very special chassis that had been enclosed in streamlined fairing to reduce air resistance.

Two tries, two records. Buscherini rode the 50 to set a standing-start record for the quarter-mile, toppling the record that Rudolph Kunz had set in 1965 with a Kreidler Grand Prix with double rotating-disk distribution and twelve-ratio gears. Buscherini set the same record in the 175 class, breaking the record that had been set in 1966 by a Triumph.
In 1966 Minarelli had gone to Britain for the famous week of records that was held every year at Elvington. The driver and designer-mechanic Arteno Venturi had little trouble in setting four world record

Two were for pure speed, the flying kilometer and the flying mile, both done at a speed of over 113 m.p.h.
Minarelli established a biennial tradition for records. The company set more records at the Milan Motorcycle Exposition, and in 1971 Minarelli was back at Elvington with Cava and Venturi. This time seven new records were set—two in the 100 class and five in the 175 class. The larger vehicle beat four of its own records in setting these five.
In 1973 and 1975 Minarelli did not go to Elvington but did record runs at Monza. The 1973 trials yielded two records for the Bolognan company in the 100 class. There were four more in 1975, two with the 75 and two with the 175.

Motorcycle: Minarelli "Carlotta" 175 Manufacturer: Motori Minarelli, Bologna Type: World record
Year: 1971
Engine: Minarelli single-cylinder, two-stroke, with cross-port distribution. Displacement 173.6 cc. (60.7 mm. x 60 mm.)
Cooling: Air
Transmission: Five-speed block
Power: 30 h.p. at 9,500 r.p.m.
Maximum speed: About 120 m.p.h. (world record for the flying kilometer)
Chassis: Double cradle, continuous, tubular, rear rigid. Front, telescopic suspension
Brakes: Front and rear, central drum

Motorcycle: Minarelli 75 Record Racer Manufacturer: Motori Minarelli, Bologna Type: World record Year: 1975
Engine: Minarelli single-cylinder, two-stroke, with cross-port distribution. Displacement 74.7 cc. (46.5 mm. x 44 mm.)
Cooling: Air
Transmission: Six-speed block
Power: 18 h.p. at 12,000 r.p.m.
Maximum speed: Reported only for record attempts, standing-start
Chassis: Double cradle, continuous, tubular, rear rigid. Front, telescopic suspension
Brakes: Front and rear, central drum