Itom

Itom was born from the ashes of Benotto, and began production with a model called SIRIO, using OMB engines. Soon after the young engineer Giuseppe Spotto arrived from Sicily. He had been an airplane pilot in the Second World War, and together with Silvano Bonetto, he began to design new engines to be applied to motorcycles first mounted on the fork then behind the saddle and finally the famous TOURIST to be placed between the pedals.^[1] In 1953 the Esperia model was launched with a monocoque structure,^[2] followed in 1954 by the ASTOR^[2] and ASTOR Sport models with 2 and 3 hand-operated gears, and in 1957 the ASTOR Sport Competizione.^[2] Finally 1959 saw the launch of the 65 cc TABOR model with 4 gears, first manually operated and then with a pedal preselector positioned under the engine.^[2]

At the end of the 1950s, ITOM became IMSA (Industria Meccanica Sant'Ambrogio) having moved in 1957/58 to the factory of the former Maglificio Fratelli Bosio in Sant'Ambrogio di Torino in the Susa Valley, strengthening the production of motorcycles. In 1960 the ITOM Junior model was released, and in 1965 what became the most famous ITOM model was launched: the ASTOR Sport with 4-speed pedal gearbox, in this period with the well-known Yellow / White or Red / White livery. In 1969 the SIRIO Cross was launched, and in 1970 a new version of the ASTOR.^[2] In 1973 in-house production of engines stopped, and the ITOM models were equipped with Franco Morini engines. In the same year, a Cross Competition model with a Zündapp engine was presented at the Milan Motor Show.^[2]

 

ITOM also built air compressors.^[1] These operated on an innovative system, being not piston but rotary, which was very innovative for the time. ITOM also built a three-wheeler motortricycle based on the structure of ordinary production motorcycles.

In 1965, about 130 people worked in ITOM.^[3] On the evening of 26 August 1965, a sudden fire broke out in the attic and destroyed the roof of the factory, causing extensive damage both to equipment and to products already completed.

In 1975 production ended at the Sant'Ambrogio di Torino plant.^[2]

In 2010 the road leading to the former factory in Sant'Ambrogio di Torino was named after the enterprise, with the name of "Via Itom".

Production was initially limited to auxiliary engines to be applied to bicycles,^[2] then to mopeds entirely of their own production,^[4] including the engine; this latter fact distinguishes it from the majority of contemporary national producers who used engines produced by the specialized houses of Minarelli and Franco Morini.

ITOM production remained limited to mopeds, with the exceptions only, in the sector of larger models registered as motorcycles, of the Tabor, a 65 cm³ model derived from the various 50 cm³ models, and two models of off-road motorcycles, presented at the Milan EICMA international cycle and motorcycle exhibition in 1973: a motocross model called 'Gringo' with a 5-speed Zündapp 125 power unit and an 'Enduro' model powered by a Minarelli 125 engine with 5-speed gearbox. The Itom 125 did not have much luck and only a few units were sold. The 50 cm³ production ranged from single-speed models to two-speed, three-speed and even four-speed sports models, the latter being produced in both Sport / Competition and MotoCross / Regularity versions.

 

From 1950 to 1969 ITOM participated in national and international motorsport competitions.

The most famous model of ITOM remains the Astor, a model that in its highest performing versions was widely used in competitions, both by many private riders and by various trainers and also by ITOM itself, with participation at national level (gaining the title of Campione Italiano della Montagna 1966 by Sergio Bongiovanni, official driver of the House, who in 1964 and 1965 had placed second in the championship, and who was subsequently replaced by Domenico De Giorgi). There was also sporadic participation in the Class 50 World Championship by private teams (famously in England that of the Tooleys dealership) and others in Holland, France, Belgium and Germany. Several riders who later became World Champions began their racing activities on the Itom Astor: Mike Hailwood, Bill Ivy, Dave Simmonds and Jean-Pierre Beltoise the Formula 1 driver.^[6]

Also worthy of mention is the English rider Beryl Swain, who participated in the Tourist Trophy 1962, the first woman to participate (and to place herself) in the tough world of the Isle of Man competitions.^[7][8][9]

On 21 May 1961 at the Clermont-Ferrand circuit, as part of the 1961 French motorcycle Grand Prix (third round of the 1961 world championship), a national race took place reserved for the 50cc class, won by Jean-Claude Serre on an Itom. In 1961 the Belgian driver Pierrot Vervroegen finished in 3rd place in the F.I.M. of the 50cc Class on an Itom, with other Itoms in that 8-race championship finishing in 8th, 10th, 19th, 20th, 22nd and 24th places.^[10]

As for most historic brands of motorcycles, scooters and not only for ITOM motorcycles, events bringing together enthusiasts of the marque are held in different parts of Europe. On 29 September 2019 the first edition of the "ITOM at Home"^[11] event was held in Sant'Ambrogio di Torino at the original production plant, which attracted hundreds of enthusiasts who exhibited dozens of restored ITOM models, in the presence of the Italian champion Sergio Bongiovanni and the rider who holds the world speed record on a 50cc motorcycle, Piercarlo Borri.^[12]

• ITOM Motorcycles, www.motoitom.it
• 50cc Roadracing story, www.elsberg-tuning.dk

 

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