For Sale: 1955 Moto Rumi Junior Corsa in Saint Louis, Missouri

Founded in Bergamo, Italy, in 1906 by Achille Rumi, Fonderie Officine Rumi began as a specialist manufacturer of cast components for machinery used in the Textile industry. Achille's son, Donnino, an artist at heart,took the reins of the company in the interwar years, and under his leadership became known for their high-quality bronze casting. This reputation helped earned them the patronage of the Italian Navy, and by WWII, were producingarmaments, miniature submarines and torpedoes, propellers, and periscopes for the war. In the face of postwar posterity, Donnino saw the success of scooter brands like Vespa and, with technical direction from Luigi Salmaggi,began designing scooters and motorcycles under the company's newname:Moto RUMI. Their new motorcycles were based on a lightweight aluminum chassis with a traditional tube backbone, but the downtubes were replaced by a 125cc two-stroke parallel-twin engine and four-speed transmission as a stressed member, with telescopic or Earles front forks, chain drive, and swing axle rear suspension. After just one year of development, the first production motorcycle was shown at the 1950 Bergamo Cycle and Motorcycle Exhibition and Milan Motorcycle Exhibition to much public acclaim. By 1953, Luigi Salmaggiwas appointed as RUMI's technical manager and given the task of replacing the company's first racing motorcycle, the Competition SS52 "Gobbetto", and designed the Donnino-styled Junior Corsa which was produced from 1955 to 1959.
This Junior Corsa is a"Bicarbuatore" (Twin Carburetor) from the beginning of the estimated 300 units produced and finished in Rosso Corsa with the horizontally mounted two-stroke engine and four-speed transmission are polished aluminum and sit under the fuel tank and seat. With the tops of the cylinders facing the front wheel, fuel is supplied by twin Dell'Orto carburetors, while the exhaust exits through short, black painted undermount trumpets. The plexiglass wind deflector presents well with minor, superficial scratching, while the front fairing, front telescoping forks, front and rear splash guards, rear trailing arm, twin Standard shocks and springs, and thekickstand, all show very minimal wear.The highlight of any Moto RUMI is the fuel tank, 18 liters in the case of the Junior, also finished in Rossa Corsa, features prominent gloss black accenting, outlined in gold with the "Land, Sea, and Air" logo finished in silverwith "RUMI" in red lettering. The seating surfaces are trimmed in black leather while the top and standard-for-the-Corsa chest pad are black suede to provide better grip while racing. Controls are minimal, as expected with a racing motorcycle, with front and rear brake handles operating the drums, the throttle on the right-side grip, anda CEV Model 8018lighting and engine-off combination switch on the left-side grip.
The Junior Corsa became a highlight of niche Italian motorcycle history in part due to the two-stroke engine's unique and raspy exhaust note and construction, but what created the mystique of Moto RUMI was the agility the motorcycles possessed. They were road course motorcycles that succeeded in technical maneuverability instead of raw power output. This is a prime example of a correct Junior Corsa and will be at home among its contemporaries in any discerning collection.


Offers welcome and Trades Considered