Montesa Cota Celebrates Its 50Th Anniversary
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Honda Motor Europe Spain Motorcycle Division October 8th, 2018 Montesa Cota celebrates its 50th anniversary 1.- MONTESA’S BEGINNINGS (1945-1967) Montesa is the pioneer production plant in the world of motorcycles (automobiles and motorcycles) in Spain. The name Montesa originates from the order of cavalry founded by king James II of Aragon (Order of Santa María of Montesa and San Jorge of Alfama), linking the motorized “horsemen” of the time to the medieval horsemen. Montesa’s first crest features the shape of a “wax seal” with a medieval “M” and in its bottom area is shows the initials F and P, for Francisco (Bultó) and Pedro (Permanyer). Its founder was Pere Permanyer Puigjaner, who started his professional career creating, after the Spanish Civil War, Construcciones Mecánicas, a company focused on the installation of gas powered devices for four wheel vehicles (a fuel obtained from the burning of almond kernels). Vital to this company was his knowledge about plant-based fuels acquired through his grandfather’s carbon business. In 1944, the growing rivalry of the business and the with the perspective of fuel restrictions ending, lead Permanyer to explore new industrial alternatives at a moment when the consequences of the Civil War could still be felt, at the same time as the country started to become more dynamic and show a growing necessity of cheap means of transport. That is why he decided, at the beginning, to built auxiliary engines for bicycles. It was during the hard years of the post-war era in Spain. Fuel was scarce and there were restrictions, but Permanyer was able to predict that in 1944, with the Second World War about the end, the normalization to access to fuels was close and began to value the possibility of reorienting his gas-powered products business to the production of 2-stroke engines for motorcycles. The outlook was encouraging, as there was a great demand for this kind of vehicle all over the country and the industry of Spanish motorcycles was almost inexistent. His collaborator and friend Josep Antoni Soler i Urgell “Jasu”, with whom he had spent the Civil War fixing vehicles for the air force, introduced him to his brother in law Francisco X. Bultó, a passionate biker that had his own company in Vilanova i la Geltrú, focused in the creation of segments and cylinder liners for automation. This alliance, created in June 1944, makes them decide to start building light motorcycles in the garages that Permanyer had at number 408 Córcega Street in Barcelona. They distributed their duties: Permanyer would deal with obtaining prime material and accessories, a difficult task at the time. Bultó, on the other hand, would prepare the first designs. But Spain was isolated from Europe and had a clear lack of material and auxiliary industries. With these difficulties, they abandoned the idea of starting from scratch and instead made the decision of simplifying the production process by copying an already existing model, the Motobecane B1V2 that Francisco X. Bultó had given as a gift to his niece Juan Soler Bultó, taking everything except the fork, the mudguards, the exhaust silencers and little more. That’s how the XX was born, as they still hadn’t decided the name of the brand, a first prototype that gave way to the A-45 - with 98 cc engine of their own manufacture and with manual shift with three speeds - this time under the name of Montesa, the first model to include the brand name. With the A-45, Montesa started, in 1945, its industrial journey as a producer of serial motorcycles along with the weak national industry represented by Soriano and a reduced number of artisanal brands, such as Gimson, Valsolet, or JV. The country began a process of regeneration thanks to an economic injection given by the United States. In an era where having an automobile was a synonym for luxury, the decade of the 50s is the perfect scenery for the proliferation of many industries in the area of motorcycles. However, the mediums where still lacking. The low quality of materials and a very basic technology lead to the disappearance of many emerging brands, at the same time as others began their consolidation in the national industry, such as Montesa, Vespa, Rieju, Derbi, Ossa, Sanglas or Moto Guzzi. In 1950, the commercial success of the A-45 and the B-46 forces Montesa to move to a new production plant in Pamplona Street. During these years, Montesa achieves multiple commercial successes thanks to the various versions of the Brio. At the same time, they start a frenetic promotional activity participating in numerous competitions, and thanks to their international projection, they become the first Spanish brand to participate in the European Fair, the International Fair of Geneva of 1953. However, the implementation of the National Stabilization Plan in 1958, promoted by the government, forces a restructure of the business which requires a decrease of expenses, something that creates tension in between Pere Permanyer and F. X. Bultó, who decides to leave Montesa. A few months later, in March 1959, F. X. Bultó would present the first model of the recently created Bultaco, a brand that would become the main commercial and racing rival of Montesa. Even with the difficulties of the time, Pere Permanyer faces the situation delegating the technical department to Leopoldo Milà, future creator of models as popular as the Impala. Ever since, and up to this moment, the industrial and racing activities of Montesa haven’t stopped, from the production of road models, like the famous Impala, to off-road ones, such as the Cota, Cappra and Enduro, achieving both national and international prestige. 2- THE BEGINNING OF TRIAL (TRIAL 250)- 1967 The country was immersed in an era of economical and industrial growth. The end of the 60s mark the boom of tourism and the liberation of foreign capital in the nation. The automation sector is also at its peak. Renault and Citroën begin their production in Spain and the Seat 600 becomes the most popular vehicle of the time. For Montesa it’s a time of great success, lead by the popular Impala, and its derivate models, making a new industrial expansion necessary, something that took place in 1962 with a new production plant in Esplugues del Llobregat, in Barcelona. Its increased production capacity allows Montesa to expand its product range with the manufacture of mopeds and the expansion to new markets, such as the United States, where various Montesa models achieved a notorious popularity. At the end of the decade, and as a reflection of the Montesa’s new success, the first trial model is born, which not only brought on more volume to the business, but also a lot of prestige to the image and the quality of the brand. This bet on trial defines the historical event that Montesa is celebrating today with an uninterrupted production of trial models during a surprising time lapse of half a century. In the 60’s trial was a very popular specialty, especially in Great Britain, where the competition season started at the beginning of autumn, when the speed and motocross races ended, and it was a good occasion for the great pilots to stay active in a fun and competitive way. Montesa was aware of this tendency and at the end of the decade, starting on the basis of the successful engine of the Impala, they begin their incursion into countryside motorcycles such as the trial motorcycles. It was showcased in April of 1967 in the Motorcycle Fair in Barcelona by the name of Trial 250, but only 44 units were built. The introduction to competition of this model took place in the first Trial of Sant Llorenç (in Terrassa) on October the 1st 1967, where Pere Pi placed third. 3- COTA: THE LEGENDAY MODEL. COTA 247, THE PIONEER After the launching of the Montesa’s first serial model for trial, the Trial 250 in 1967, with those epic 44 units. Montesa, and more specifically Pere Pi acting as a pilot-technician, along with Jordi Ros and Leopoldo Milà, continued working on the evolution of the motorcycle, which resulted in a completely new and revolutionary model for the time. But…what was it going to be called? To decide this, Pi decided to ask the question to the various people that composed the different departments of the factory. Each of them gave their opinion and a commercial name, and so, after various rounds and by elimination, the final names chosen where Daina and Cota. However, in the end, the final decision was left to Pere Permanyer and he chose the name of Cota. It was the right the decision, the name is short and powerful, easy to remember in any language, and it showed a Montesa’s relation to the world of trial because “cota” is a way of naming a part of the mountains (literally height or altitude), the natural habitat for this motorcycle. That is how the name was chosen and that’s how the epic model was born, the first and the pioneer: the Montesa Cota 247. The Cota 247 became a sales phenomenon thanks to its attractive design, with an integrated fuel tank and seat, that won the brand the Delta de plata prize in the area of industrial design at the Adi-Fad. In May 1968, Montesa made its official debut at the International Six Days of Trial of Scotland, with the Cota 247, ridden by Don Smith, Charlie Harris and Pere Pi. Don Smith, in his first international contact with Montesa in the Six Days, placed third in the general classification, which meant that the whole world anticipated the possibilities off the new Montesa in Trial.