Fabio Taglioni played an important role in the histories of Ceccato, Mondial and Ducati. He worked with Ducati from 1954 to 1989 during which time he designed over 1000 engines, many of which use the Desmo system which he introduced in 1956.
Taglioni was an aircraft engineer during World War II, following which he completed his education at the University of Bologna where he earned a degree in industrial engineering.
He took a position with Pietro Ceccato in Vicenza as a design consultant in 1950. His first piece for Ceccato was a 75cc OHC engine which proved enormously successful, gaining laurels at grueling Motogiro d'Italia. This gained the attention of Mondial, who head-hunted him in 1952.
From there Taglioni moved to Ducati in 1954, where his fame spread across the world. English-speaking motorcyclists added his name to their Italian vocabulary of pasta, prima donna and paparazzi.
Phil Aynsley's entertaining account of A Party with Fabio Taglioni
Wordsmith Mark Daniels devotes a few paragraphs to Taglioni in his article on Ceccato at Icenicam. >>>>>>>>>> Ceccato and Taglioni In 1950, Pietro Ceccato hired Fabio Taglioni as design consultant at his motorcycle factory in Montecchio Maggiore near Vicenza in Northern Italy. Taglioni was an airplane and motorcycle mechanic during World War II and had recently graduated with an industrial engineering degree from the University of Bologna. Taglioni's first engine for Ceccato was a 75cc overhead camshaft single designed with assistance from students he instructed at Bologna's polytechnic institute. The bike's tremendous success at the Motogiro d'Italia, a long-distance rally through Italy and the industry's primary proving grounds, attracted the attention of rival Mondial, which hired Taglioni away in 1952. Mondial, in turn, lost Taglioni to Ducati in 1954, where the legendary engineer made history with a series of highly innovative and successful race bikes. >>>>>>>>>>
