Rare Air: Moto Parilla 175 MSDS F3

By Vicki Smith
Published on April 10, 2018
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by Vicki Smith
Alberto Sisso’s Moto Parilla 175 MSDS F3.

If there is only one thing to know about Italian motorcycles, it might be this fun fact: From 1900 until the present day, there have been hundreds of Italian motorcycle manufacturers. In fact, there is an entire micro region known as the Motor Valley that has been home to many of the most famous car and motorcycle companies, including Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati, and more than 40 motorcycle manufacturers including Ducati.

Balsamic vinegar, Parmesan cheese and high-performance machines all thrive in the same small part of Italy. And to give you an idea just how long the list is, my friends and I used to play a game to name Italian motorcycle manufacturers, the more obscure the better — “name one that starts with B — Benelli, Bianchi, Bimota.” This game could go for hours and many, many beers. The moderator of all this was my friend Jim Dillard, an actual rocket scientist and the guy everyone called if they were restoring anything old, weird and Italian. He owned something like 600 small Italian vintage machines, and unfortunately for the rest of us, could tell if we were making up names out of thin air.

But even with all those motorcycle factories popping up and disappearing like whack-a-moles, a handful were truly special. Some companies like Ducati and MV Agusta managed to stay in production over the years, while others like Mondial and Moto Parilla did not. If you are a hardcore vintage Italian motorcycle enthusiast, you probably already know how rare, special and respected the Parilla marque was. But even the most knowledgeable Parilla fans have rarely had the opportunity to see, much less own, a Parilla 175 MSDS F3. This is a motorcycle that appeals to a sophisticated palate. That’s why Italian vintage motorcycle collector Alberto Sisso was intrigued when the opportunity to buy one arose.

The history of this Parilla was hard to trace because its story was interrupted at some point. Its frame was stripped and stored away for years, until its path miraculously intersected with a person armed with the specific skills to bring it to life again. Alberto was quite aware that this Parilla was as close as he might ever get to owning any version of this hand-built racer, so he jumped at the chance, made the deal and eagerly waited for it to arrive from Italy. All that was left to do was call other collectors to share his good fortune, and have every one of them respond in the same way: “Are you kidding? He SOLD that?”

A little history

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