The serial number 001 of the Ducati bike 1199 Panigale S – Senna was delivered to the Ayrton Senna Institute.
Back in 1994, the racing community lost one of its greatest talents in Ayrton Senna. Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Senna won three Driver’s Championships in the highly competitive sport of F1.
Senna was not only known to be one of the greatest race car drivers, but also for his humanitarian efforts, helping eradicate poverty and educate underprivileged children.
To this day, Senna is considered a national hero, and his foundation continues to work on what he established.
Motorbike firm Ducati had a strong relationship with Senna, who last visited their factory just a few weeks before his fatal race in Imola, Italy. Back in 1995, Ducati offered a special-edition version of the 916SP, which featured the color scheme Senna picked for his personal bike. Just 300 examples of this superbike were offered.
This series proved very popular, which prompted Ducati to offer more limited-edition Senna motorbikes in 1997 and 1998. These machines are considered collector items and are worth quite a bit, even today.
For 2014, to mark the 20th anniversary of Senna’s passing, Ducati, with the full support of the Senna Foundation, will offer another limited-edition superbike. The 2014 Ducati 1199 Panigale S Senna will be produced in a limited number of just 161 units – to commemorate the number of F1 races Senna participated in.
The 1199 Senna will sport the special-edition Senna colours (grey body over red wheels), will include a sport exhaust, and each bike will have a numbered plaque. The bike was on display at the 2013 Sao Paulo Motorcycle Show, and all of the 161 Senna units will be sold exclusively in the Brazilian market, with proceeds going to help the Senna foundation.
