Alessandro Anzani
Alessandro Ambrogio Anzani was born in Gorla, a suburb of Milan, on the 5th December 1877. He was a son of a sewing machine repairer and moved to France in 1900.
Alessandro was a lover of motorcycle racing and in 1903, participated in some motorcycle racing and even came in tenth in the World Cup which took place in Parco dei Principi. In 1905, racing for the Alcyon motorcycle company, became World Champion and quickly reached notoriety and fame. In September 1906, he established a record speed at Asnières-sur-Seine in a motorcycle called the Aero-Motocicletta, a motorcycle fitted with a front, plane like, propeller which allowed the engineer to achieve the 80 km/h.
Anzani in 1906, created his own factory building and built engines for Asnieres. In 1908 he built engines for aircraft for the aviation pioneers Caudron and Louis Blériot, who, in July 25 1909, completed the first flight of the English Channel by air motor and in October 1909, successfully complete a flight from Toury to Artenay 31 days.
In 1911 he created a subsidiary in England, the British Anzani Engine Company, which still exists. He died in Merville-Franceville in 1956.