FB Mondial, or simply Mondial, is a brand in the pantheon of motorcycle Grand Prix. Now fallen into disuse, it stood out during the first years of the championship as well as in the early 1950s, particularly in the 125cc category.
Focus on the legendary Bolognese firm.
In 1929, the Boselli brothers, son of a rich and established Bolognese entrepreneur, decide to start their business. The demand for light locomotion machines is at its peak; it is for this reason that scooters are the first target of 'Fratelli Boselli' (FB).
The company was doing admirably but the Second World War put an end to the beautiful dream. Indeed, Bologna was heavily hit by enemy strikes, destroying the FB premises. Family finances were only slightly impacted. So, in 1946, the affair started again.
Under the leadership of the engineer Lino Tonti and D'Alfonso Drusiani, quite sophisticated 125cc motorcycles were created, under the name FB Mondial. The idea pleases the father, a successful bet. Quite naturally, the Bolognese turned to competition, which was booming at the time.
Very quickly, commercial success coupled with the performance of the machines ensured multiple victories. These are the fruit of a particular man. A real motorcycle scarecrow in Italy. Her name : Cirillo “Nello” Pagani.
A 125cc from 1955. Photo: El Caganer
The latter has been running since 1928 when he chose FB Global to defend the colors of the country, on the occasion of the first world championship in 1949. If the latter failed in 500cc on Gilera, he won the first 125cc title in history on the handlebars of a FB Global.
From then on, the family business turned even more towards competition. Five World Cups in the top 10, no less. The victories of Pagani but also of Leoni will be widely highlighted.
In 1950, same domination. This time, the first three places are reserved for Bolognese. It is Bruno Ruffo
who wins, in front of his teammates Gianni Leoni
et carlo ubbiali . The latter won the following year, still on a 125cc FB Mondial.
The brand became very popular in Italy, because it was directly associated with Grand Prix success. However, the emergence of another well-known Italian brand put an end to the Mondial reign in 1952. You guessed it: it was the inevitable MV Agusta. Cecil Sandford comes to the end of
carlo ubbiali and wins.
While Mondial displays its successes in its logo, a rare thing, MV crushes the championship. The philosophy of Bologna was very different. Only 1 to 000 units per year left the workshops, which were very renowned for the quality of production.
If the successes in the Italian championship accumulate, there is not much to eat in the world. We had to wait until 1957 and the 125cc-250cc double of Tarquinio Provini et
Cecil Sandford for a new triumph at the highest level.7
The old fairing racing motorcycles were particularly dangerous, especially in the event of a fire. Here a 125GP from 1956. Photo: Rikita
Double driver and double manufacturer. A real feat for the specialized store. Highlight :
Soichiro Honda in person approached the Bosellis to win a Mondial, then looking for a 'reference' motorcycle for the Grands Prix. Thus, it is indeed a Mondial 125cc which appears first during the visit to the Honda collection at Motegi. A well-deserved recognition.
The problem of small production is simple. If you stop winning, you instantly sink. In 1957, many Italian brands withdrew from the championship, Gilera, Moto Guzzi and Mondial in the lead. Without competition, the company's popularity plummeted. This led to the precipitous fall of a legendary brand.
In 1979, after more than twenty long years of survival,
Mondial shut down. As is often the case, investors eager to own a prestigious name tried again in 1999. Without further success, production stopped again in 2004.
Since 2014, Boselli descendants have been trying as best they can to reanimate the corpse, under the ogre's orders. Piaggio. Certainly, models in the name of Mondial are distributed, but the soul is no longer there. This mania for continually wanting to be resurrected is quite tiring. Today's world shows us that interests take precedence over honor, And that's a shame…
Cover photo: Larry Stevens
