Parilla’s origins date to the immediate postwar period when founder Giovanni Parrilla dropped one “r” from his last name for the company moniker and began building innovative racing motorcycles. Introduced in the late 1950s, the Grand Sport model was the company’s top offering, featuring an exotic bevel-drive overhead cam engine.

The historic example offered here is believed to be one of as few as 50 ever imported to the US. It was sold new in 1962 by Pokes Cycle of Seattle to successful rider Doug DeBuque, who raced it locally, with photographs on file showing it competing against Formula 3 Ducatis and Aermacchis. After being owned by noted collectors David Strecker and Todd Fell, the Grand Sport was sold to renowned photographer Guy Webster, joining his world-famous California-based motorcycle collection. Its significance was further recognized when it was shown at the Guggenheim Museum’s legendary The Art of the Motorcycle exhibit in 1998. In the early 2000s, the Parilla was partially restored and the engine was rebuilt, but the top section of the tank was wisely left untouched, retaining its beautiful patina.

For connoisseurs of Italian craftsmanship and engineering, this Parilla 250 Grand Sport offers an opportunity to acquire one of the rarest and most desirable racing motorcycles of the 1950s. Never comprehensively restored and offered from a significant Italian motorcycle collection, the provenance and beautiful character of this example make it a particularly compelling offering.