Fabio Taglioni was born in Lugo on September the 10th 1920 and died in Bologna on July the 18th 2001. He was an engineer and designer for the motorcycle maker Ducati in Bologna.
Fabio Taglioni was born in Lugo, where his dad had a small workshop; here the young boy learnt the basis of mechanics and also met, for the first time, Enzo Ferrari and Tazio Nuvolari.
Taglioni was wounded during the war and only came back in 1949; he then started to collaborate with the motorcycle maker Ceccato. In 1950 he was hired by Mondial and worked there until 1954.
That same year, Giuseppe Montano, managing director of the newly born Ducati Meccanica, decided to create a team dedicated to developing motorcycles specifically designed for competitions, whose technologies could then be applied to the whole production of Ducati motorcycles. Taglioni was chosen for this role. Back then Ducati was not strong in the field of motorcycles and it was necessary to excel in important competitions for the wide public. In six months, and without a salary, Taglioni created the first competition motorcycle by Ducati, the “Gran Sport Marianna”, which excelled during the Motogiro of Italy and during the Milan – Taranto competitions in 1955, 1956 and 1957. In those same years Taglioni also designed the first desmodromic engine for motorcycles, which led Ducati to excel in competitions on the street as well as on race circuits.
Ducati’s current technology is still rooted in Taglioni’s design. From frames to desmodromic systems, including double cylindrical engines and distribution systems, all Ducati’s technology is rooted into the genius of Fabio Taglioni. Even after his death, the innovative spirit of “Dottor T” is still alive and is also part of the most advanced model ever create by Ducati: “Desmosedici”.
