DUCATI 450 R/T 1971 - Lot 184

Lot n° 184
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Estimation :
10000 - 15000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 12 000EUR
DUCATI 450 R/T 1971 - Lot 184
DUCATI 450 R/T 1971 Chassis no. 462 428 Engine no. 455108 French registration Valid CT dated 15/04/26 -Probably the only Ducati 450 R/T sold new in France -First hand until 2021 -First owner's registration present / Red bar present / Manual present High-quality restoration (Complete file available) -Fewer than 430 built Our story begins when a well-informed enthusiast learns that a friend's father is parting with a so-called Ducati de Cross to Châtellerault. On arrival at his destination, he came face to face with nothing less than a legendary Ducati Desmo 450 R/T. But wait, there's more. The identification plate is written in French and indicates a year of production in 1971 and the model R/T and not T/S (the European version), which should be impossible, as the 450 R/T was promised exclusively to the American market. He then realized that Monsieur Maire, its first owner, was a "very good" friend of the Ducati importer in France. Having heard of the release of the 450 R/T, he would have gone out of his way to be the only European to have a 450 R/T delivered new in France! To our knowledge, this has never happened before. We have in our possession the original registration document, the red bar and a copy of the customs certificate issued by Ducati France. This R/T version is obviously not to be confused with the European market version known as T/S, which is a toned-down version of the original. Following its purchase in 2021, the current owner will have the bike fully restored by Gilbert Bouvet aka Doc Desmo, mechanical expert for Ducati monos. The restoration will require over 100 hours of work. The bike will be completely disassembled and checked, with original parts retained as far as possible. We sometimes see 450 R/Ts in France and England, but these bikes were delivered new in the USA and exported to Europe. We therefore offer you the unique opportunity to acquire probably the only 450 R/T delivered new in France. Note that the R/Ts could benefit from optional "road" equipment, including a rev counter. This will be supplied to the purchaser, along with all remaining spare parts. After American riders Doug Douglas and Jim McClurg won the first Baja 500 in 1969 on a modified Ducati Desmo 350, American importer Berliner Motor Corporation ordered a 450 off-road motorcycle from Ducati to compete with the BSA B44 Victor, which was enjoying great success in the USA. Ducati hired Walter Reggioli, Italian motocross champion in 1966, to develop the new machine. The Ducati 450 R/T is a 436 cm³, single-cylinder, bevel-geared, desmodromic, single overhead camshaft engine, with a total production run of around 460 units.
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