REDISCOVERING A STORY OF MEN AND ENGINES

We came across the figure of Marama during earlier historical research on motorcycling in our area. This book began from his story.

We found his name appearing often in the news and on start lists of Dirt Track races held on Trieste’s course in the 1930s. We still didn’t know that “Marama Toyo” was a pseudonym. He was from what today is the Croatian city of Rijeka, which at the time was called Fiume and was part of the Kingdom of Italy. Rumour had it that he was an Egyptian citizen.

We found that it was he who introduced Speedway to Italy, starting off from his own city where the “First race in Italy on cinders” was held in 1931. We also discovered that – together with the craftsman Plinio Galbusera from Brescia – he was one of the designers of what was, until then, the most astonishing prototype of motorcycle engine ever seen.

Two engines, to be precise: a 250cc 4-cylinder 2-stroke “V” with a compressor; and a 500cc 8-cylinder from the joining of two 250cc units. The two motorcycles were presented at the 1938 Milan Motor Show, but subsequently disappeared with the advent of the Second World War. There is an additional mystery, linked to that of Marama’s true identity. In this book, we have tried to solve mysteries and dispel legends that have been passed on in the oral tradition surrounding this topic.