Montesa Cota Celebrates Its 50Th Anniversary
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Honda Motor Europe España Motorcycle Division October 8th, 2018 Montesa Cota celebrates its 50th Anniversary It is the only motorcycle that continues in production in Spain after 50 years Since its establishment in 1945, Montesa has not ceased its production of motorcycles. Today Montesa Honda produces 5 trial models exclusively for the whole world Montesa is the most celebrated brand when it comes to trial, with a total of 65 world victories in the speciality Toni Bou showcased exclusively the limited edition of the Montesa Cota to commemorate de 50th anniversary of the model Honda is celebrating the 50th anniversary since the start of the production of the Montesa Cota. It’s the only motorcycle model to be commercialized without interruption since 1968 in Spain. Its success is based on the efforts of the R+D department and its high technical quality, adapted to the necessities of the market at every moment. That is why the Montesa Cota is the motorcycle with most longevity to be produced in Spain, and the only motorcycle, not scooter, with a continued production in Europe during 5 decades. Since its release, more than 160,000 units have been sold. The production of Montesa takes place in Honda’s production plant in Santa Perpetua de Mogoda, and is exported to the whole world. The models currently coming out of the production line are 5: The Montesa Cota 4RT, the Race Replica, the 300RR, the 4Ride and the Honda RTL300R. In addition to producing motorcycles the facilities also makes product components for Montesa’s three business lines (vehicles, motorcycles and power products). Honda celebrated the ephemeris uniting in a conference - at its facilities in the Honda Safety Institute (HIS) - key people in the evolution of this iconic Montesa model, such as Joan Cañellas (commercial ex-director and president of the company) or Francesc Xavier Permanyer (ex-director of the brand and son of the founder of Montesa). After the conference, Toni Bou - one of the most important figures in past and present trial - showcased the limited edition of the Cota to celebrate its 50th anniversary, a model that pays homage to a trajectory that has been as long as it has been as successful in the world of motorcycles. Inspiration that comes from an Anglo-Saxon tradition In the 60s trial was a very popular speciality in Great Britain, where the competition season started at the beginning of autumn, once the racing and motocross competitions ended. Trial helped elite pilots stay in shape during the winter months in a way that was not only fun, but also competitive. Montesa was not unaware of this tendency and at the end of the decade, and starting from the basis of the successful Impala engine, they started their adventure in trial developing various prototypes that would culminate in the production of the revolutionary Cota 247. The 247 quickly became a commercial phenomenon, thanks to its level of performance and an innovative and sleek design with clean lines, including the noticeable integration of a fuel tank and seat made out of the same piece, the main reason why they received the Delta de plata prize for industrial design at the Adi-Fad. Its commercial and sporting successes turned the Cota 247 into a legendary model capable of staying in production during 12 years without any big changes. The Cota 247 set the design path for other emblematic models of the brand, such as the Cota 25 and the Cota 49, made for a child audience. Along with these models, there were other emblematic models such as the Cota 348, the Cota 123 and the 172. After almost a decade and a half of commercial success and a great proliferation of Cota models, the beginning of the 80s brought about a time of economic difficulties in the area of motorcycles, including Montesa. The solution came when Montesa made an agreement with Honda to produce models of the brand in their production plant in Esplugues del Llobregat. Subsequently, in 1986, the Montesa Honda society was created, establishing a powerful alliance that would allow the continuity of production and development of high quality and reliability models. It was also a way to use Honda’s great experience when it comes to the world of trial, applying the newest technology given by Montesa’s R+D team. With this change, Montesa stayed in the path of success and created the Cota 304, 307, the Cota 310 and the Cota 311, this last one being equipped with a modern and light aluminium frame and the first two-stroke water-cooled engine used by the brand. The introduction of Japanese technology The collaboration between Montesa and Honda was first reflected in the launching of the Cota 314R, the first model of a saga that equips a Japanese propellant, designed by Honda in collaboration with HRC. A model that would be followed by another successful product, the Cota 315R with which Marc Colomer, Dougie Lampkin, Takahisa Fujinami and Laia Sanz would proclaim themselves champions in the speciality. After years of success, in 2004, Montesa would introduce a revolutionary model, the Cota 4RT, a clear example of technological innovation, being the first trial model to be equipped with an aluminium frame and an advanced 4-stroke, 4-valve and electronic fuel-injection engine, with which Montesa proved a level of performance unknown until the time and a clear reduction of polluting emissions in comparison to 2-stroke engines. From this moment onwards, since the apparition of the Cota 4RT up until today, all the production of Montesa models has been based on latest generation 4-stroke propellers that are respectful towards the environment. The Cota 300RR is the latest model of the saga, with a mechanical basis of a 4-stroke and electronic injection. With this base, Montesa has taken the first three position of the TR2 Trial Championship in 2018, another example of the high level of performance of this model. In its 50 years of production, since the first Cota 247 till the Cota 300RR, there have been no less than 43 variants of the Cota model, a number that proved the high capacity of development and production of Montesa, which is also certified by the more than 1,276,000 (441,000 Montesa and 835,000 Honda) units produced in between 1945 and 2017. Montesa and Cota, leaders of Trial World Championships In May 1968 Montesa made its debut with the Cota 247 at the Six Days in Scotland, the most prestigious international competition, with Don Smith, the pilot, placing third in the competition. The same year, Pere Pi, a key person in the development of the model, won the first Spanish Trial Championship. A triumphal beginning that was proven a year later with the victory in the team competition of the Six Day of Scotland. In 1980 Ulf Karlson and his Cota 348 won the world championship of brands and pilots. He would be followed by Dougie Lampin, Takahisa Fujinami, Laia Sanz, Alfredo Gómez and Toni Bou, all of them world Champions thanks to their Montesas. However, Toni Bou, the all time champion pilot, and the leader in the speciality with 24 world titles achieved consecutively from 2007 till 2018, is the best example of the quality of the products resulting from the alliance between Montesa and Honda applied to the most demanding market: the one of high competitions. Since 1980, Montesa has won 65 world titles (21 by brands and 44 by pilots) and since 2000 Montesa is also the leading brand with an iron fist at the Trial World Championship, having won 18 brand titles out of a total of 19. Montesa Cota’s 50th anniversary special edition And to commemorate half a century of life of the Cota, Montesa is showcasing an exclusive limited edition to celebrate the 50th anniversary, called ‘50 Aniversario’. It is a version based on the new Cota 300RR with a special design that commemorates the 50 years of the model. Without a doubt, the first thing one notices about the Cota od the 50th anniversary is the spectacular golden color of the frame and swing-arms. The gold combines perfectly with the elegant white and black of the rest of the motorcycle, which also has many decals with the logo of the 50th anniversary of the Montesa Cota. Even the mudguards have received the special paint treatment like the rest of plastics of the model. The black rims are also decorated with a decal that reminds us of the half a century of lifetime of the model. In total, 50 numbered units of this special edition Cota will be made for the whole world. In this sense, its important to mention that the numbering will be engraved by laser on the frame. Each of these units will be sold with a special accreditation certificate of the brand with the numbering of the model. Also, ‘Cota 50 Aniversario’ will come with a 50th anniversary special maintenance stand made at Montesa Honda factory and an exclusive book “Montesa, The Art Gallery” signed by Toni Bou. As for the technical innovations, the 50th Anniversary edition is based on the new Cota 300RR. In this sense, an aspect worth mentioning is the inclusion of a new skid plate with the same design as the motorcycle used by Toni Bou to win championships, made with the same alloy used in competitions, which makes it more resistant, while keeping the same thickness. The new Cota 300RR, and also the 50th anniversary special edition model, feature novelties such as the brake caliper which increases its resistance and feel.