Ducati 860-E Concept the Retro Look

In 1974 motorcycle manufacturer Ducati appointed the car stylist Giorgetto Giugiaro and his company Italdesign to draw a new model. What resulted was the Ducati 860 GT, which, thanks to its angular drawn tank and the similarly designed engine case, showed a completely new style for a Ducati.

Fans of the earlier "round case" Ducati 750 twins, which featured rounded engine cases and cafe racer style, were taken aback by Giugiaro's squared-off styling, which was more popular in the automotive industry. The new look of the 860 twins was widely overlooked by the public, and sales plummeted, prompting the company to restyle the 860 GT.

Two years later, the model, renamed 860 GTS, featured a less angular fuel tank than the GT, a seat without the duck-tail, smaller handlebars, and a reduced final drive ratio. And that's where things started to stray further away from the original square-off styling, ending the production of the model altogether in 1979.

Returning to the initial design, the Ducati 860-E Concept reimagined by Italdesign five decades later still keeps some of the iconic lines of the original one, like the tank hull continuing under the saddle.

The ride's retro feel is still there, along with its lines and color scheme. What's new is the electric twist the Italian design company gave it. The air-cooled 90-degree V-twin engine is replaced by a large battery module and an electric motor. And you clearly cannot miss the new LED front light, which shines brighter than ever on this 860-E.

As cool as this concept might sound, Italdesign says that it's just a "mere exercise in style" which celebrates the Italian work of art from the '70s. As one might guess, there's no production planned in the foreseeable future.