Why Did Bultaco And Montesa Go Under- 70's?

[gasgas249uk]

Why did Bultaco and Montesa go under ...Was it the Fantic 200??.

I know that Mr Ignato Bulto set up Merlin so his enthusiasm was still there.

I know that Spanish companies get big tax breaks for the first 2 years, keeping Mecatecno afloat.

A lot of these companies were set up by enthusiasts and not business men. Maybe thats got something to do with it?.

Anyone know?.

[nigel dabster]

Basically socialist government making employment laws which did not allow the companies to shed workers.

[martinm]

Spanish economics rather than competition from other marks.

Bultaco were struck by a series of strikes by the workforce around 1980, just after they won the world championship....right at the point when they could have sold more bikes than anyone else.

Ossa went into receivership in 1979, and was run by the Spanish Government for a few years before it was eventually closed down.

Montesa was going in the same direction, but was rescued by Honda.

[downunder]

Not to mention the fact the Japanese finally figured out how build bikes in the late seventies (all bar Kawasaki anyway)and took a big bite out of european manufacturers sales.

BJDownunder

[as iow]

I was in my prime at the time and basicly the Fantic 200 was the Dogs Bo**ocks, anyone could ride one, youth's & Adults . It had just enough power and was so light that you could put it anywhere.

The Bultaco was good to ride but would wear out in know time if used at the top level, so i think the Fantic's sales killed off the Bultaco

[feetupfun]

I think you should consider the broader motorcycling market before thinking that the Spanish makes folded because of Fantic. Sure enough the Fantic was a more modern design than the Bultacos of the same year but the seeds of what happened to the Spanish makes were planted 10 years before the Fantic 200 came out.

As popular as trials was and still is in Europe, trials bikes were and still are only a small part of the motorcycle market worldwide. Think about the big sellers ie Road bikes, Trail bikes and Motocross bikes. During the 1970s the Japanese makers took over most of the world market in these fields which had been previously dominated by European brands.

With reduced sales, product development was limited and so the Spanish bikes fell behind others in the race for technological improvement.

There were also significant political changes happening in Spain at the time which led to increased labour disputation issues in the Spanish workforce.

[spud plark]

Franco had died in 1975 but the socialists did not come to power until 1982. Spanish industry was indeed being hammered by new laws which went too far the other way. The typical yo-yo effect that any society goes through after a dictatorship.

Apart from trades unions having a huge amount of power, new imports of Japanese bikes did not go down well for the big three. The Spanish market was their playground and then it was all taken away.

I remember speaking to one of the Permanyer family (old owners of Montesa) about 8 years ago asking about the last 3 Cappra prototypes. Monoshock, water cooled late comers but beautiful all the same. He was quite upset telling me how they were all destroyed and how the factory was in turmoil in those days of change.

Rieju and Derbi fared better as the relatively poor Spanish were able to afford the small cc machines they made.

[gazer]

dont forget eta blow up the bultaco factory along with one of sinur bultos

sons!!!!

[toofasttim]

Mark 15 Bultaco Pursang. Never went into production. I'd love to see some pics of those Cappras.