599 examples of the Ardetta were built by Moto Guzzi in 1939[1], all anthracite grey with white highlights, as documented by an article in Motociclismo no. 8 of February 23, 1939.
The machine was fitted with a fishtail muffler which, along with the headlight rim and the flywheel, were the only three chrome-plated components due to necessary cost-cutting at the height of the fascist era.
Another feature was the electrical system which was supplied by the Rabotti company in Turin, and included dedicated components such as the headlight, the dynamo and the spark ignition switch, instead of the magneto (the latter was an optional extra). The carburetor was a Cozette built in Italy.
The 250cc OHV engine was typical of the Guzzi singles of the time, with an alloy crankcase and cylinder and a cast iron head. The 3-speed gearbox was mated with a multi-disc clutch in an oil bath. The engine produced 9 h.p. at 4600 rpm delivering a top speed of around 100Km/h.
The frame was a double cradle enclosed in pressed sheet metal and tubes, the front fork was a parallelogram with adjustable central shock absorber. It had no rear suspension.
Sources; motodepocafacile.it, motoclub-tingavert.it
N.B. Several sources give 1939-1940 as dates of manufacture, but a post on motoclub-tingavert.it is quite specific about production taking place in 1939 only.
