There are passions that span an entire lifetime. For Bruno Baccari, Moto Parilla was never just a motorcycle brand: it was an ideal of mechanical beauty, technical elegance, and pure competition. From that youthful devotion emerged one of the most comprehensive single-brand collections dedicated to Parilla, now a benchmark for enthusiasts and scholars alike.
The history of the brand
Moto Parilla was born from the dream of Giovanni Parrilla, a visionary engineer raised in motor-driven Mantua. In 1946, that dream took shape in an elegant, fast, and technologically advanced 250 cc single-cylinder. The name “Parrilla,” of Basque origin, was simplified to “Parilla,” while a greyhound — symbol of speed and elegance — appeared on the fuel tank. Sporting success came swiftly and accompanied a production run that, between 1946 and 1964, surpassed 130 models, standing out for technical innovation and stylistic refinement.
From the prestigious 250 twin-cam to the popular 98 cc two-stroke, Parilla became a highly coveted brand, capable of combining performance and beauty in a distinctive way. Like many postwar motorcycle manufacturers, it was eventually overwhelmed by the rise of the small family car, yet its legend has remained intact.
Info
The collection is open to visitors by free appointment.
Contacts:
+39 348 234 1452
The collection
In the early 1970s, searching through abandoned workshops and scrap metal, Bruno recovered original parts and built his first racing Parilla, even incorporating an engine derived from a motocross bike. It was a motorcycle made for fun, but that experience made him realize something bigger: reviving a Parilla wasn’t enough — he needed to reconstruct it with full respect for its technical and historical identity. This marked the beginning of a rigorous pursuit that would eventually grow the collection to around fifty motorcycles, all either meticulously restored to their original state or carefully preserved with philological accuracy.
A unique aspect of the collection is the presence of motorcycles provided by Achille Parrilla, Giovanni’s son and a profound expert on the family’s history. Achille, together with his son Daniele, has made themselves available for the maintenance of the bikes, enabling not only their preservation but also, when present, the direct sharing of Parilla’s tradition.
The sport models and mass production
At the heart of the collection are the motorcycles that wrote the competitive history of the brand:
• 250 single-cam and twin-cam
• 175 MSDS
• Regularity and motocross models
• The famous competition “Bassotto”
Bikes built to win, capable of expressing mechanical refinement and a racing spirit.
Alongside the racing versions, the collection also showcases the industrial and stylistic soul of the brand:
• The Slughi, with modern lines and integrated bodywork
• The Levriere, an elegant take on light mobility
• The ubiquitous 125 and 150, mainstays of Italian streets
• The refined 350 Veltro twin-cylinder, an ambitious grand tourer
Together, these models offer a complete picture of a brand able to excel both in competition and in mass production.
In addition to the motorcycles, the Parilla Collection preserves an extraordinary documentary heritage: original technical materials, advertising signs, vintage sports photographs, newspaper clippings, magazines, memorabilia, and other objects. Not just motorcycles, but a living memory of an era.
Visit the collection
The Parilla Collection is located at Via Provinciale Faentina, 21 – 47015 Modigliana (FC), Italy.
Bruno Baccari: the man behind the passion
Born in Modigliana in 1940, Bruno grew up in his father Adelmo’s workshop, who was a Parilla sub-dealer. Amid the smell of gasoline and the roar of engines, the name on the fuel tank soon ceased to be just a brand: it became a horizon, a dream to chase. Over the years, that passion evolved into responsibility. Bruno didn’t limit himself to collecting motorcycles — he decided to preserve their memory.
He founded the International Historical Parilla Motorcycle Registry, promoted Parilla Day, and built connections among enthusiasts in Italy and abroad. His is not merely a private collection, but a cultural project rooted in preservation, study, and sharing.
The bond between Bruno and Moto Parilla became so deep that it is inseparable: to tell the story of one is inevitably to tell the story of the other.
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The legacy in Modigliana
Bruno also left a lasting mark on his hometown. He was among the founders of Moto Club Modigliana, the Pro Loco, the local band, and the Circolo Cittadino, collaborating for many years with Agesci and actively participating in community life.
When he passed away in 2021, Modigliana honored him with a special Parilla Day and by reconstructing the town’s entrance roundabout, enhanced with a metal sculpture that evokes the “iron” of motorcycles and symbolizes a communal embrace. At the center of the roundabout stands the inscription: “Thank you, Bruno, we carry on.” Not just a memory, but a promise.
