Heavily-influenced by the American public’s then-growing preoccupation for Space Age design, mid-century models like Cadillac’s De Ville and Eldorado stand as some of the most iconic American car models of all time. And it was these finned, four-wheeled behemoths from the ’50s that inspired this bespoke Moto Guzzi from France-based custom motorcycle builders, Dirty Seven Garage.
Built around a 1981 Le Mans III, this build, entitled La Monica, sports a bespoke hand-worked steel tail section complete with replica jet-pod tail lights and chromed bezels off of a ’59 Caddy. Additional nods to the car include a set of Ratier replica silencers with custom tips and one-off side-covers comprised of horizontal slash-cut tubes that mimic the style of the taillight bezels. The traverse-mounted square-head has also been hit with custom aluminum valve covers, generator cover, and velocity stacks. And, while La Monica’s inspiration might come from cars of the 1950s and 1960s, it’s running gear has been brought firmly into the 21st century with a top-shelf Beringer triple-disc brake setup, an inverted front-end plucked from a Kawasaki Z1000, and a set of modern Bitubo shocks linked to a modified swing-arm. With La Monica complete, Dirty Seven has moved onto their next project and are seeking a new home for the Caddy-themed Guzzi, at a price of $38,680.
