competizione), a half-faired racer that was developed to win endurance events like the Oss 24 hours, Barcelona 24 hours and the Bol D'Or at Le Mans. This it did, often placed first, second and third in the same race, and dominating the international endurance race circuit in 1971. Distinguished by its characteristic orange paint which would become the company's race department colour, its smooth aerodynamic fairing and upswept exhaust, the SFC was Laverda's flagship product and best advertisement, flaunting pedigree and the message of durability, quality, and exclusivity. The SFC "Series 15,000" was featured in the Guggenheim Museum in New York's 1999 exhibit The Art of the Motorcycle as one of the most iconic bikes of the 1970s. Triples By the late 1960s, Laverda was facing increasing competition from the Japanese. While launching their new model range in 1968, the company turned its attention to a new three-cylinder powerplant, which was first shown as a prototype at the Milan and Geneva shows in 1969. The prototype was essentially a 750 twin with an additional cylinder. After extensive testing, modifications, and mechanical engineering, the company finally unveiled the new liter-class, three-cylinder bike in competition at the Zeltweg race in Austria. The bike that went into production shortly later in 1972 was recognisable as a motorcycle of the modern era, but it was still configured in a conservative layout, sharing some of the features of the earlier SF/SFC models, such as the high-quality alloy castings and distinctive styling. The 981 cc triple provided more power than the outgoing twins, with not much more weight. The 1973-1981 Laverda 1000 3C Triple model that made @ 7,250rpm and reaching speeds of more than . The new Laverda Jota based on the 3C made a big impression in 1976 producing and reaching speeds of , thanks to the factory racing parts fitted into the road engine directly at the factory, it was the fastest production motorcycle to date. British importer Roger Slater worked with the factory to develop a high-performance version of the bike, the Jota. Laverda three-cylinder engines up to 1982 featured a 180-degree crankshaft arrangement, in which the center piston is at the top of its stroke when the two outer pistons are at the bottom. This purposefully out-of-phase design gave the 1,000 cc Laverdas a distinctive character. The engine evolved into a smoother, rubber mounted 120 degree configuration in 1982. The three