Ducati Monster History Photogallery

At the 1992 Cologne show, Â the Ducati M900 was shown for the first time. Nicknamed 'Il Mostro' or 'Monster' this was the beginning of a run that would end up seeing over 250,000 bikes made in a dazzling array of variants. Â With the Anniversary edition for 2013, let's take a look at the Monster's 20 year history with a retrospective photogallery of the Monster's evolution.

The Ducati Monster was arguably the first Streetfighter you could buy from a manufacturer and it came at a critical time for the Italian manufacturer. The 916 was still in a design studio, the 888 was winning races but sold in only comparatively low numbers to well healed enthusiasts while the Paso was failing. Cagiva underÂ Claudio Castiglioni'sÂ leadership needed a volume model that could sustain the company.

In 1991, designer Miguel Galluzzi (who would go on the pen the Aprilia RSV4) built a stripped down naked version of an 888 Superbike ostensively for his own personal use. When Claudio saw it being ridden to the office, he immediately saw the potential and had Galluzzi get on with the task of preparing something that could go into production.