FB Mondial · 1949–1957
FB Mondial racers and world titles: history and buying advice
With small, fast four-strokes Mondial became world champion straight away.
History
FB stands for Fratelli Boselli: the Boselli brothers started a workshop in Milan in 1929. After the war, in 1948, the make restarted as FB Mondial, now with the aim of building racing motorcycles. The engines were designed by Alfonso Drusiani and Lino Tonti.
Success came quickly. Mondial won the 125 cc world title from 1949 to 1951, with Nello Pagani, Bruno Ruffo and Carlo Ubbiali. In 1957 two more titles were added: the 125 cc with Tarquinio Provini and the 250 cc with Cecil Sandford.
After 1957 Mondial, like Gilera and Moto Guzzi, withdrew from Grand Prix racing because the costs had become too high. That same year Soichiro Honda asked whether he could buy a Mondial racer. Count Boselli gave him one as a gift. Honda used that bike as a model, and a 125 cc Mondial still stands at the front of the Honda museum in Motegi.
Key data
| Founded | 1929 (workshop), 1948 (FB Mondial) |
|---|---|
| Designers | Alfonso Drusiani, Lino Tonti |
| World titles 125 cc | 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1957 |
| World title 250 cc | 1957 (Cecil Sandford) |
| Riders | Pagani, Ruffo, Ubbiali, Provini, Sandford |
What to check when buying
- Genuine works racers are extremely rare. Ask about the origin and have a specialist look at it.
- Many ‘racers’ are converted road bikes. Compare engine and frame numbers with the club registers.
- Parts often have to be remade; expect high costs.
- Ask which parts are original and which are new.
SourcesWikipedia: FB Mondial (English)MCNews: F.B. Mondial 200 (English)Cybermotorcycle: Mondial (English)