Historic 2003 Ducati Desmosedici GP03 Set to Fetch Six Figures at Silverstone Auction

Classic MotoGP Ducati Expected to Fetch Six-Figure Sum at Auction

This weekend, a 2003 Ducati Desmosedici GP will be up for auction at Silverstone.

This weekend, a unique Ducati Desmosedici will be auctioned at Silverstone.

In Iconic Auctioneers' upcoming Iconic Sale at Silverstone, the Desmosedici GP03 is estimated to fetch between £180,000 and £200,000.

So, it's likely more than what you'd discover in the couch cushions, but it's still worth checking.

The Desmosedici GP03 marked Ducati's initial entry into MotoGP, designed for the second year under the 990cc regulations that transitioned Grand Prix racing from two-stroke to four-stroke engines.

The bike achieved a decent level of success, highlighted by Loris Capirossi securing Ducati’s inaugural MotoGP victory at the 2003 Catalan Grand Prix after Valentino Rossi of Repsol Honda went off track at turn four.

As time went on, the Desmosedici underwent several changes. The engineers at Borgo Panigale focused on enhancing the bike's strengths, like its speed on straightaways, but struggled to solve its major weakness: cornering.

In 2007, Casey Stoner clinched a championship title; however, Ducati faced a drought from 2011 to 2015, with multiple riders, including Rossi, unsuccessfully attempting to turn the Desmosedici into a consistent victor.

Gigi Dall’Igna joined Ducati’s MotoGP engineering team in 2014, and by 2016, his efforts paid off when Andrea Iannone secured a victory, breaking a long winless period for the team. This would be Iannone’s sole MotoGP race win, but Ducati has since established a strong presence in the premier class.

Since 2019, Ducati has claimed every Constructors’ and Teams’ championship. They also secured the Riders’ championships in 2022 and 2023 with Francesco Bagnaia. In the 2024 season, Ducati has dominated by winning 10 out of the first 11 Grand Prix races and nine out of the first 11 Sprint races. They have also occupied 29 out of the 33 podium spots available so far, achieving complete podium sweeps in the last eight races.

The rise to prominence of the Italian brand began in 2003, and it all traces back to the motorcycle that will be up for auction at Silverstone on Sunday, August 25.

It features the complete factory team design from that era, particularly showcasing Capirossi's iconic #65 number.

Certainly, beneath the surface lies a 989cc desmodromic V4 engine that generates, as per Iconic Auctioneers, over 220 horsepower. A 305mm carbon brake disc is installed at the front, although it is intended solely for display, and it includes the original Ohlins suspension system.

The sole modification compared to the initial specifications is a somewhat updated ignition system produced by Magneti Marelli.

Iconic Auctioneers refers to the motorcycle as “A highly practical model with easily accessible spare parts,” and calls it “An exceptional chance to possess a piece of Ducati and MotoGP heritage.”

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