FUCHS trademark and his founder Comm. Giovanni TAPPELLA
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Giovanni Tappella built bicycles in Milan since the 1914, after the end of the World War I, in 1919 it was founded the "Ditta Giovanni Tappella" based in Milan in Corso Genova n° 3, and began producing bicycles with the Fuchs brand (Fox in german language-the same fox is the "portrait" over a red triangle on withe field on the classic trademark ). After about 10 years the workshop has now become too small and to support production Tappella moves to via Giambellino n° 96 in Milan , while maintaining the historic shop in "Porta Genova" and opening a branch in the center of the city of Novara in via G.Ferrari 2. In 1931 the "Antica Fabbrica Italiana Selle Mercurio"(Bicycles saddles) was incorporated in the Factory and during 1932 Giovanni Tappela added the LEONIA trademark (Reg.M. n° 46145) to the FUCHS brand to produce "popular" range bicycles compared to high-end Fuchs adding furthermore the trademarks CICLI GIOVIA and CICLES FORTH.
At this time the fuchs workshop is 1500 square meters and open area of 2500 square meters with a daily production of 100 frames (including tandem & heavy cycles veichles). The production go on even during the W.W.II period with bicycles called "autarchic"same frames done also using wood. After war Fuchs is one of the first trademarks that reappear with a racing team, making a team based in Switzerland (Helvetia rad-Fuchs)including famous raiders as Pierre Brambilla and some rookies as Hugo Koblet .In the 50s began the production of motorcycles for which the Commendatore Tappella used his brand SCHNELLER FUCHS (Faster Fox!).the design of the related brand is the writing in italics in gold edged with inside the writing schneller, it will be placed as a distinctive sign on the tanks of the motorcycles. The production includes 50cc, 75cc and 125cc displacements including the Campagnola, Gazzella and Moscardino models and in 1954 at Milan international Expo the 175cc Competition. In the same year ,the 1954, an important turning point: at the Bar Zucca in Milan, in Piazza Duomo, during the presentation of the new cycling team sponsored by Nivea, G.Tappella agreed with Fiorenzo Magni to supply the "racing bikes" and thus the Nivea-FUCHS was born. the Fuchs in the following years will have an excellent commercial success among the amateur and pro cyclists and in 1963 they return to the Professional circuit with the Springoil-FUCHS thanks to an agreement between Tappella and Alceo Moretti. In the team with Captain Gastone Nencini there are other famous cyclists like and some rookies as Ugo Colombo and Franco Bitossi who will become one of the greatest Italian rider. The Springoil Fuchs will be in the the pro circuit for two years 63/64 and on1965 it become the team Filotex. At the end of the 60s, the Giovanni Tappella firm will change address, taking its seat in the neighboring via C.Dentato where years later it will end its glorious adventure.
Fuchs restarts 50 years later in respect of the past and with the same quality .(*)
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1954-1956 la "Nivea-Fuchs"
The racing team was born in 1954 thanks to the sponsorship agreement between the Zimmermann brothers, then owners of the Nivea brand and Fiorenzo Magni, who could thus have the necessary financial resources for the first seasoned after confirmed for the following two seasons.fiorenzo Magni therefore had a Sponsor but not a contract for the supply of racing bicycles. FiorenzoMagni himself met the"commendatore" Giovanni Tappella , with whom he agreed to the supply of the Fuchs racing bicycles for the whole team. In the three years in which the sporting group participated as a professional team he obtained striking results including the victory of the Tour of Italy in 1955.In one of the most "iconic" photo shot of the Eroica era we can see Fiorenzo Magni riding a Fuchs "climbing" the San Luca!.
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1963-1964 La "Springoil-Fuchs"
The racing team was founded in 1963 thanks to Alceo Moretti and the one who will become team captain: Gastone Nencini. The team was formed thanks to a sponsor the Springoil the owner Foghini made an agreement with the same Moretti for an annual contract, which was then renewed in 1964. Having chosen Captain Gastone Nencini, Moretti agreed to supply the bike with FUCHS-Milan, whose Director at the time, Parodi, built the same at his workshop under the supervision of Faliero Masi, who became the team's Sport Director the first year. Then the team was formed with Captain Gastone Nencini then 33 years old and other promising youngsters including Ugo Colombo and the rookie Franco Bitossi called "crazy heart", thanks to which the team obtained excellent results and great visibility.
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bibliografia sportiva : U.Santandrea "appunti di storia fuchs" , Magni il terzo uomo -ed. RaiEri di Auro Bulbarelli , Quella volta che..ed. GME di .G.Trapanese.
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