Radio Ga-Ga

Before the Second World war Ducati were world leaders in electronics, as this beautiful pearwood radio proves. Being Italian, Ducati radios had to be as stylish as they were effective, and some of their stuff was (of course) world beating.

Sadly this made Ducati a target for allied bombers, and when peace returned to Bologna there wasn't much of a factory left. The allies also prohibited the manufacture of high-tech stuff (including aeroplanes, which is why Agusta and Aermacchi turned to motorcycle manufacture) so although Ducati continued to make everything from razors to cameras under the Ducati Electronica banner, they also created Ducati Mecchanica to build engines. They got to be rather good at it...