85 Years Young – 1939 Moto Guzzi Egretta

In Italy, Standard, Vintage by Abhi4 Comments

4-10 Update: This Guzzi is back up for sale

When it comes to classic Guzzis, the Airone (produced for nearly two decades!) is usually the first bike that comes to mind. Airone translates to Heron, but that bike actually owes its existence the very rare Egret, the Moto Guzzi Egretta.

Moto Guzzi Egretta - Headlight

Produced for just two years, the Egretta was a stopgap bike that bridged two generations of Guzzis. Only 784 were ever built between ’39 and ’40, and the Egretta was the top of the line bike at the time, reflected by the smattering of chrome and generally better finish quality than the lower “Ardetta”. The bike featured a 250cc single cylinder engine, 3-speed transmission (with hand controls), fishtail exhaust, coil ignition, and no rear suspension. Simply put, it’s one of the rarest pre-war Guzzis ever made.

Moto Guzzi Egretta - Left Side

This specific Moto Guzzi Egretta somehow has the original license plate and looks stunning with 85 year old paint. There’s a couple of paint cover-ups here and there, but the bike is remarkably original.

Moto Guzzi Egretta - Right Rear

Find this Moto Guzzi Egretta for sale in Palos Verdes, California with a BIN of $18,500
Moto Guzzi Egretta - Tank

Comparable values on a bike like this are tough. One of my favorite sources for Guzzis, Guzzino.com, recently sold a non-numbers matching example for $12,500. In fact, it might even be the same bike…