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Giovanni Parrilla built his first motorcycle in 1946, dropping his surname's second 'r' to call the machine a 'Parilla'. Signor Parrilla owned a shop on the outskirts of Milan specialising in the repair of diesel injector pumps and he also held an agency for Bosch sparking plugs. The first Parilla motorcycle - a 250cc overhead-camshaft single-cylinder racer - was the work of Ing. Giuseppe Salmaggi, who already had the Gilera Saturno to his credit. Giovanni Parrilla was a big Norton fan so the 250 racer's engine employed a bevel-driven overhead-camshaft just like the British manufacturer's Manx. There the similarity ended however, for the Parilla was a thoroughly modern design boasting unitary construction of the engine/transmission and geared primary drive. The new power unit went into a welded loop-type chassis featuring a single down-tube, girder front fork and plunger rear suspension. (Later versions had a telescopic fork and swinging-arm suspension). Ridden on its debut by Nino Grieco on 1st October 1946, the Parilla could claim to be Italy's first new racing motorcycle since the War's end. Production of road and race (corsa) models began in 1947.

The second generation of Parilla motorcycles - known as the 'high-cam' (camme rialzata) - debuted at the Milan Show in 1952 in the form of the Fox roadster. This was a 175cc single, built in Turismo and Competizione versions, which featured a chain-driven camshaft mounted on the side of the cylinder head, the valves being operated via short pushrods.

Alongside its exotic overhead-camshaft models, Parilla offered a range of bread-and-butter two-strokes for the commuter market, which were produced up to the end of the 1950s when the company began concentrating its efforts on new four-stroke models. The first of the latter was introduced in 1958: a 125cc single, it was available in several variants. With 12bhp on tap and weighing 194lb, the Parilla 125 had a claimed top speed of around 75mph.

This Parilla 125 is presented in restored condition and currently displays a total of 3 miles on the odometer, which may well be the distance covered since the rebuild (the engine turns over). Offered with a selection of engine spares.


Following a period of inactivity, this motorcycle will require recommissioning and/or restoration to a greater or lesser extent before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's completeness, history, authenticity, originality and mechanical condition prior to bidding.
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