ranton_rambler wrote:Yes, there seems to be some conflicting information out there on the internet.
Well, many of the bikes from this period aren't especially well documented. Numerous reasons for this, not least that things simply weren't done that way at the time. Also Ducati has been thru umpteen changes of ownership over the years, with many records being lost/destroyed/forgotten along the way. Ian Falloon discovered loads of production records, mainly concerning the Twins, that had simply been forgotten about, locked away in a dark and deserted part of the factory. There was also a big fire at the factory in the early '70s.
Plus there's the fact that most authors on Ducati work from a restricted knowledge base, often from what they remember from their time, of what happened in their country. So some of the nuances of production can be overlooked - viz. the differing views of Tom Bailey and Mick Walker.
But it all adds to the interest ...
ranton_rambler wrote:I'll need to get a dating letter which the DVLA will accept, so I have contacted Ducati in the first instance ...
Livio Lodi is the man to speak to. These days, he's the curator of the museum - but he started working on the line at Ducati in 1987!
http://www.moto.it/news/livio-lodi-colt ... ucati.htmlranton_rambler wrote:The guy I am buying it from imported it in 1995, having bought it in Milan.
Yup, that makes sense. Btw, since I sent my previous message, I've found this advert for a 1962 175TS, currently on sale in Italy. This dating would support the contention that the model was still being produced in 1962.
http://www.subito.it/moto-e-scooter/duc ... 454659.htm