1948 Gilera 500 4-Cilindri: The Fastest Grand Prix Bike of Its Time

1957 Gilera 500 4-Cilindri was a 165mph monster that vanished just as it conquered the world. ⚡ In 1957, Bob McIntyre rode this Italian four-cylinder missile to the first ever 100mph lap of the Isle of Man TT — rewriting motorcycle history and terrifying every British single along the way. With 70 horsepower screaming from just 500cc, the Gilera 500 4C wasn’t just a bike, it was a weapon.

But here’s the twist: at the very peak of its dominance, Gilera suddenly pulled the plug. No road version, no mass production, just a handful of racing machines left to legend. Why did one of the fastest bikes of the 1950s disappear? That’s the story we dive into today — from Italian engineering brilliance to boardroom politics.

If you love insane vintage racing history, hit that 👍, subscribe 🔔, and join us for more two-wheeled legends brought back to life.

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LINKS
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• Gilera 500 4-Cilindri — RM Sotheby’s: https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/ve17/...

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Image Sources
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This video contains historical and archival photographs from:
– Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain, CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA)
– Flickr (licensed for commercial use / no known copyright restrictions)
– Unsplash / museums / archives (CC0 or equivalent licenses)

All images are used under their respective free licenses.

👉 Full credits with authors & links are available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L...

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#ClassicCars, #VintageBikes, #MotorcycleHistory, #MotoGP, #IsleOfMan, #Gilera500, #Gilera4C, #1957Gilera, #GrandPrixBikes, #ItalianMotorcycle