By the late 1960s, the Italian motorcycle builder Ducati had already capitalized on the growing worldwide obsession with off-road riding, and its associated competition forms, with the 250 and 350 Scrambler models. But in 1968 the American importer Berliner Motor Corporation requested a larger-displacement model in order to better compete with the BSA 441 Victor.

The resulting 450 Scrambler was Ducati’s first model to utilize its new 436-cubic-centimeter bevel-driven four-stroke single-overhead-camshaft single-cylinder engine. The company’s competition department advised on specifications for the frame, which was a strengthened version of the smaller-displacement Scrambler frame that utilized gussets along the top tube.

Officially entering production in 1969, the 450 Scrambler was built in a quantity of 11,000 examples through 1974, a testament to the model’s immense popularity. The rugged Ducati found great success in various competition series, including flat track, enduro, and motocross racing.

According to a copy of an original Italian libretto on file, this handsomely presented Ducati was acquired in 1972 by Gian Paolo Perali of Treviso, Italy. Although the motorcycle’s intermediary history is currently unknown, in 2016 the Scrambler 450 was offered at RM Sotheby’s Duemila Ruote sale, and it was acquired there by the consignor, a discerning collector of significant Italian speed machines. During his eight years of fastidious care, the Ducati has been consistently maintained and serviced, and it is consequently well-prepared for riding enjoyment.

For the collector intent on acquiring a major benchmark in the evolution of Italian on/off-road motorcycles, there could hardly be a more appropriate acquisition than this beautifully maintained race-ready 450 Scrambler.