Claudio Castiglioni, President of MV Agusta, passed away this morning in Varese, Italy at the age of 64. In a statement from MV Agusta, the company says that Castiglioni succumed from an unnamed illness while attending a clinic in Varese. Over the course of his career, Castiglioni touched such esteemed brands as Ducati, Cagiva, Husqvarna, and of course MV Agusta. His most recent accomplishment was bringing MV back into Italian ownership, in an act of business acumen that saw Harley-Davidson actually pay Castiglioni €20 million to take back the recent refurbished company.
Unfortunately with his passing, Claudio Castiglioni will not get to see MV Agusta’s full revival come to fruition, as the Italian company is set to debut its MV Agusta F3 three-cylinder supersport later this year. Under Castiglioni’s guidance, MV Agusta gained a new business plan that sought to have the Italian company finally become profitable and sell its exquisite machines in larger volume.
Teaming up with legendary motorcycle designer Massimo Tamburini, Castiglioni helped bring some of the most iconic modern motorcycles to market like the Ducati 916 and MV Agusta F4. Claudio also brought us the Cagiva Elefant & Cagiva Mito, and his direction at Ducati also created the Monster line, one of the company’s most successful brands of motorcycle.
Influencing this industry for 15 years, Claudio Castiglioni’s departure will be felt by everyone involved in motorcycling, and the industry as a whole is lesser now without him. Claudio’s son Giovanni Castiglioni will continue his father’s tradition at MV Agusta, as he’s done for the past year already, while the rest of us try to figure out how to go on without one of the great masters in the trade.
Claudio Castiglioni’s funeral will take place Friday, August 19th at 14:00 in the Church of the Brunella in Varese, Italy. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends. Ride in peace Claudio.
Source: MV Aguta
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