Bruno Cavalieri Ducati

The second eldest brother, Bruno Cavalieri Ducati was born in Bologna on 5 November 1904. 

He was barely 22 years of age when he became a founding partner of the "Società Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati", together with his brother Adriano and father Antonio, on 4 July 1926. The company was initially located on Via Collegio di Spagna 9, in Bologna city center.

Antonio Cavalieri Ducati died on 27 June 1927, at 72, and his passing meant that Bruno, who was set to graduate in Engineering at the Università di Bologna, had to abandon his studies and focus on the development of the newly formed company. Bruno wanted to pursue father Antonio’s activity in the field of industrial engineering, however his unfinished university experience was more than sufficient to see him design and develop the new buildings and extensions, starting with the family villa on Viale Guidotti 51, which was transformed into a proper factory.

Bruno Ducati is also credited with the planning of the Borgo Panigale factory, the first brick of which was laid on 1 June 1935. Together with brothers Adriano and Marcello (who joined the firm upon turning eighteen in 1930), he designed the factory that spanned an area of 120,000 m². Initial development took place between 1935 and 1939 before the site was extended between 1940 and 1944. In addition to the main factory, Bruno was also responsible for the building of two twin factories in Bazzano and Crespellano, no different to the initial 1935 version.

Like Adriano, Bruno’s life also took a radical turn immediately after the war. With control of Ducati having passed to the state, he and his brothers turned their hands to various automotive projects, creating a vehicle known as DU4, before presenting Idroflex, a company producing motor vehicles and microcars, in 1949. But the Idroflex adventure was short lived, and production was suspended in 1956.

Bruno Ducati founded a real estate company in Milan that is now managed by son Sebastiano. Bruno, the last surviving Ducati brother, died at the age of 96 on 18 May 2001.