Bultaco
Industry | Motorcycle Electric motorcycles |
---|---|
Founded | 1958 |
Defunct | closed in 1983, reopened in 2014 |
Fate | active |
Headquarters | Barcelona, Spain |
Key people | Francisco Xavier Bultó |
Products | Bultaco Tralla 101 (1959) Bultaco Sherpa (1960) trials bikes Bultaco Pursang (1965) Motocross bikes Bultaco Metralla Bultaco Alpina Bultaco Frontera Bultaco Mercurio (1960) Bultaco Matador Bultaco Astro Bultaco El Montadero Mk II Bultaco El Tigre Other Models: Bultaco Streaker, Bultaco Mini (mini-bike), Bultaco Lobito, Bultaco Pomeroy |
Website | bultacolifestyle |
Bultaco was a Spanish manufacturer of
In May 2014, a new Bultaco was announced.[1]
Origins
The origin of the Bultaco motorcycle company dates from May 1958. Francesc "Paco" Bultó was a director of the Montesa motorcycle company, founded in 1944.[2] After several years of steady growth and road-racing success, in 1957, Montesa moved to larger facilities.[2] The move was protracted, disrupting production, and was followed by a downturn in the Spanish economy.[2] This slump brought to a head disagreements between Bultó and the other senior director, Pere Permanyer.[2] As an economy measure, Permanyer (the majority shareholder) felt that the company should withdraw from racing. Bultó, the driving force behind the racing program and responsible for much of the company’s technical expertise, was vehemently opposed. Failing to reach a compromise, Bultó decided to leave Montesa to concentrate on his other business interests.[2] Perhaps unsurprisingly, the majority of Montesa's racing department left shortly afterwards, as well.[2]
Bultaco is formed
The suggestion to form a new company is said to have come a few days later when Sr. Bultó was invited to a meeting by several of the former staff of Montesa's racing department. Keen to return to racing, they persuaded him that their greatest hope lay in forming a new company.[2] Setting up shop in very primitive conditions at an old farm owned by Bultó, things developed quickly. On 24 March 1959, Bultaco held a press day and launched its first motorcycle, the road-going 125 cc Bultaco Tralla 101, named after a Spanish word for whip.[2][3] Just two months later, Bultaco entered its first Spanish Grand Prix, taking seven of the first ten places.[2]
The company name and logo
"Bultaco" comes from combining the first four letters of Sr. Bultó's surname with the last three of his nickname "Paco".
In 1998, rights to the Bultaco name were purchased by Marc Tessier, who used it to help launch a range of purpose-built trials motorcycles from his company Sherco Moto S.A.R.L. The bikes were initially named Bultaco Shercos. In 2000, the bikes became Sherco by Bultaco, and in 2001, the Bultaco name was dropped altogether. The US trademark is now owned by HDW Enterprises, parent company of a parts and repair specialist for vintage Bultacos.[4][5]
Bultaco produces electric motorbikes in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, also the site of the original 1958 factory.
Notable products
Although they made road and road-racing motorcycles, the company had its greatest success with models for
Perhaps the most famous Bultaco model, the Sherpa T trials bike, revolutionised the sport in the 1960s. At that time, trials were almost exclusively a British sport using big, heavy,
Bultaco's premier model in the USA, the Pursang, was an excellent-handling and powerful 250 cc competition model that was competitive in virtually any type of speed-based off-road competition. The Pursang range was later expanded to 125, 360, and 370 cc.
The Bultaco Astro was a very popular short-track racer in the United States, and was used by many AMA Grand National riders in the US in pursuit of their championships, including Mike Kidd, Terry Poovey, Bubba Rush, and hundreds of other top-class competitors. The Astro had a superb power band, perfectly suited for short tracks, and some half-miles, as well.
Bultaco motorcycles were mainly powered by
Due to
Sherco motorcycle company , founded in 1998 in Barcelona, derives its name from an amalgamation of two words, Sherpa and Bultaco.
Former
References
- ^ a b "Power sports business - Bultaco to unveil high-performance electric motorcycle". 27 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ ISBN 0-85045-705-X.
- ^ Phillip Tooth (April–May 2009). "50 Years of Bultaco". Motorcycle Classics. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
- ^ "Apply for a Trademark. Search a Trademark". trademarkia.com. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
- ^ "Bultaco". www.bultaco.com. Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
External links
- Bultaco at Spanish Wikipedia (in Spanish)
- Vintage and Evolution Motocross at Curlie