Aermacchi was an Italian manufacturer that was originally founded in 1912 as Aeronautica Macchi. Although Aermacchi specialized in aircraft manufacturing, due to the post-WW2 demand for inexpensive, simple transportation, the company branched out into the motorcycle world. Aermacchi's first motorcycle, named the Convertible, was introduced in 1951. After the initial model, a wide range of other models such as the 250, Ala Verda, Chimera, and Corsaro were also developed. The company also frequently participated in motorsport to help their profile. In 1960, Harley-Davidson bought 50% of the Aermacchi motorcycle division, eventually taking over entirely in 1974. After a few more years, in 1978 Cagiva purchased the entire motorcycle operation for Harley-Davidson, ending the Aermacchi brand.