Among European manufacturers, the Spanish are distinguished by a stable motorcycle production, which has been established since the beginning of the last century. Despite Spain’s difficulties during that period – constant political struggle, civil war, economic falls- the country has spawned more than 80 brands in this area. Given the great love of the Spaniards for this method of transportation, motorcycles were used by almost everyone, regardless of gender and age; the production of equipment was a particularly developed type of business in the Iberian Peninsula. Studying the history of the development of motorcycle production, one can get the impression that the process of making motorcycles was also a favorite for the Spaniards. Because even during the slump in production, they continued to create and license foreign brands such as Ducati, Moto Guzzi, and other prominent representatives of the Italian motorcycle industry.
One of the most ardent defenders of domestic motorcycle production was Franco, who pursued a tough anti-import policy, developing his industry and small business. Particularly high demand for cheap and economical equipment appeared after the civil war, which brought the sale of motorcycles to the first place in the country. This period can be called the golden age of the Spanish motorcycle industry. Such brands as Montesa, Ossa, and Derbi have become leaders in this direction. Many of the model lines of these companies gained recognition outside the country and began to be exported to Europe and the USA.
In the 60s and 70s of the last century, Spanish sports models with small engine displacement became the permanent leaders of the Grand Prix. However, SUVs, enduros, and trials of this country have received great demand abroad. But Franco’s death in 1975 opened up the domestic market for an imported manufacturer, making it impossible for many domestic brands to compete with multinationals. Today, only a few local producers continue to exist in Spain. Naturally, among them, the once largest brand survives – Ossa, which fights on its own for a place in the domestic market. Bultaco and Montesa survive on foreign investment by partnering with Honda.
However, it can be said that along with a sharp drop in production and the closure of almost all national factories in this area, the Spanish motorcycle business has undergone a renaissance. Small businesses that have sprung up in abundance have unexpectedly attracted the interest of large international trade businesses and direct consumers from abroad. Such companies were Gas Gas, which made a splash in the States, Beta Motorcycles, and Sherco. Rieju and Derbi continue to fight for the European market.
Alfer
The end of the last century, namely 1980, was the year of the foundation of the famous motorcycle racer of that time – Francisco Almirall, founded his brand for the production and sale of motorcycles. He named his company Alfer and developed and assembled the equipment on his own. The business turned out to be quite successful in the market, which was occupied by foreign trans-corporations. This was because the designer himself perfectly understood all the vital requirements that athletes presented to their off-road sports “horses.”
The brand has changed its logo several times, recently introducing the latest modern and original version. It is distinguished by compliance with modern requirements of digital execution, high visual quality, and laconicism. The use of the color palette that was typical for the founder’s sportswear – dark yellow-green in the design of the stripe on the leg of the letter “A” in the name of the brand and the word MOTOCICLETAS located under it, tilted to the right, and deep purple in the performance of the name Alfer itself. In writing the main text, a graphically processed individual font was used, in which symmetrical rounding of the outer corners was made in the first and last letters, which symbolizes the streamlining of the motorcycle body. The last letter does not have its lateral line, opening the previous one and forming the visual symmetry of the negative space of the three letters “FER.” The letter “A” has an elongated left leg, which provides visual unity of the entire composition, uniting all the words into one whole.
Bultaco
The company was founded in 1958 May by Francesc Xavier Bultó, the designer of another leading Spanish brand, Montesa, where he has worked since its founding in 1944. The brand’s headquarters were originally located in Adrian De Besos near Barcelona, Spain. Until the late 60s of the last century, the brand specialized in single-cylinder models. But he created the only two-cylinder version of the Bultaco Pursang – became the real king of Spanish motorcycles. The company was closed in 1983. In 2014, there was an attempt to revive it by the Derbi brand. But since the closure, new genuine brand products have not existed.
The latest Bultaco logo is a striking circular emblem that consists of several colors – bright yellow and red and contrasting black and white. The wheel symbol is the basis of the composition of the emblem, representing in it several circles of different sizes embedded in each other. The upper circle is in yellow. It is separated from the wide red by a thin black contrasting outline. It is followed by a black circle with white dashes, symbolizing the design of the motorcycle wheel, its disc. It is separated from the central black circle by a thick white outline. Along the circumference of the red sector, in large bold type, the brand name is applied in yellow, repeating the circle’s outline. At the bottom, there is a transparent yellow tape with a black border that reads CEMOTO. – REG TRADE MARK is applied above the ribbon in black thin lowercase letters. And below it is MADE IN SPAIN. The accent element of the logo is the central image of a stylized “excellent” mark, conveyed graphically using the image of a clenched fist with a raised thumb up, with a zipper clamped in it, the lower part of which protrudes.
Cofersa
For 12 years, the Spanish motorcycle business has represented the Cofersa brand, founded in 1954 by José Mercader, manufacturing auxiliary engines for motor vehicles since 1953, initially creating Construcciones Ferrusola SA in Madrid, Spain. The release of the first full-fledged motorcycle in 1954 was the birth of a new brand. The entire Cofersa line was characterized by using a licensed locally assembled propulsion system – Hispano-Villiers, which ensured the high reliability of the equipment. One of the features of the company’s products was the compulsory concern for the riders’ comfort. So in 1959, the Helix appeared, whose design was based on stamping and had a protective grill on the rear fenders. This was done to provide a comfortable ride for women in skirts so that the latter would not get tangled in the rear wheel.
The brand’s emblem was distinguished by pretentiousness, elegance, and aristocracy. The red and gold colors made it visually rich and especially attractive. The heraldic element confirmed his claim to the aristocracy – a golden chimera, standing on its hind legs and resting on the golden letter “C,” turned to it, the first letter of the brand name. The emblem is round. All her space is filled with a bright red hue. The outer contour is executed in gold, and the contour highlights the central sector with an accent composition. The brand name is inscribed in a handwritten gold script on the outer circle at the top. Below, the name of the country of origin of the manufacturer is written in lower case. To the right and the left of the central circle, there are “ears” made of golden cubes, which give the central composition a visual perception of the champion belt in boxing.
Derbi
Derbi Nacional Motor is a Spanish motorcycle brand that began its activities in 1922. The first workshop was opened by Simeó Rabasa i Singla in the village of Mollet near Barcelona. Two-wheeled vehicles were being repaired there. Until 1949, the firm grew rapidly, becoming a major motorcycle trade association. The main volume of sales was made up of products with a small volume of cubic capacity. The company produced scooters, motorcycles, mopeds. In the early 1980s, it became part of the giant Italian motorcycle holding Piaggio & Co. SpA, focusing on products for a youth audience – small sports motorcycles, cheap scooters.
The brand logo is simple and concise. Consisting of a text element – the name of the company, made in bold white lowercase type Sequel 100 Black 75 by OGJ Type Design, printed on a bright red background, it is easy to read and looks high quality on any background. Attractive and eye-catching, the rectangular emblem has a wide accent stripe along the right edge in gray. It draws the eye to the logo, translating it directly into the important element itself – the brand name. It uses a visual lure – added a “tail” in the upper part of the negative space in the center of the letter “D,” which refers the viewer to the visual feature of the outer shape of the motorcycle, its prominent element – the front fairing protruding above the motorcycle body.
Gas Gas
The brand was founded in 1974. The first motorcycles came off the stocks in 1985. Successful models gained good demand, giving impetus to the further development of the company. In 1989, the brand decided on its production direction and began to produce light motorcycles – cross-country equipment and enduro. In 2002, the first ATV was launched. After leaving the auctioneers in 2015, a Spanish bank, the brand was on the verge of bankruptcy. The alliance with Black Toro Capital corrected the situation somewhat, but problems began again in 2018. A year later, it was acquired by the KTM AG concern, which, along with maintaining the main directions and developments of Gas Gas, plans to make significant changes in its production vector.
The brand has chosen the stylized image of the letter “G” as its mark. Its graphic image is created so that in one symbol, it is possible to see at once the first two letters of the words of the name. The large “G” includes the uppercase “g,” which is the element that forms the inner tail of the large. The full name text, “GASGAS,” is written under the sign in lower case with the traditional auto-moto brand’s right inclination, symbolizing speed and forward movement. All logo elements are made in an attractive bright red color, which has become the company’s corporate color and is used on most models of the company’s equipment.
Gimson
In 1930 Pierre Gimbernat i Batlle founded the company, which first received a license to sell bicycles and motorcycles to the French company Automoto in the Province of Girona. A renowned Spanish watchmaker, Gimbernat moved to Figueres to expand its retail space, opening a shop and a service workshop there, repairing and selling watches, and adding Automoto products. To distinguish himself, he decided to create his brand, calling his company – Gimson. The name was an acronym for Gimbernat and Sons. The experience gained made it possible, already in the mid-50s of the last century, to start producing our mopeds, having received an order to equip the Spain patrol police, in which a rifle mount was provided. The premature death of the founder-led to the closure of the brand in 1982. The Benetti brand has purchased all rights.
In addition to the products’ original design and high technical characteristics, the brand is remembered for its original logo. The graphic design of the composition was very similar to the emblems used by beer brands. It was based on a text composition – the name of the company. The brand name is made in the form of a half-arc, with a specially designed hand-drawn font. The text is a composition in which the first letter “G” has an upper element made in such a way as to cover the entire text in an arc, overthrow smoothly and symmetrically from the bottom, visually combining all the letters into one whole. The original execution of the letter “I” in the form of the number “1” symbolizes the brand’s importance in its field. The color palette – gold letters and black-and-red edging make the logo attractive and memorable.
Lube
The name Lube, a Spanish motorcycle manufacturer that began operations in 1947, echoes the modern brand of a lubricant manufacturer. This situation is often encountered in world practice. Founded by Luis Bejarano Morga, the motorcycle brand produced equipment that was in high demand. Nevertheless, the management decided to change the power plant, installing NSU Motorenwerke Germany, making the Condor a bestseller. Despite this success and sales of over 1000 units per year, the company closed in 1967.
Finding Lube motorcycles today is quite difficult. But the emblem of the once successful brand remains in the memory of motorcycle enthusiasts. It is a horizontal rhombus in the foreground, behind which is a five-pointed star partially hidden by it. Three beams of a prismatic shape protrude from behind it. The star is finished in silver with shadow effects that create volume. The rhombus has a gold edging and an opal green interior. It features brand name text in silver in an artistically crafted lowercase script that would resemble the digital Design System A 500 by Dharma.
Montesa
Founded in 1944 in Barcelona, Spain, by two people passionate about a common idea – Pedro Permanier Puijaner and Francisco Javier Bulto, Montesa has an unusual history. Initially, the founders carried out tuning of military cargo transport carrying shells. But a year later, after the end of World War II, the brand reoriented to light, inexpensive motorcycles, for which there was massive demand after the war. After five years, sports models for circuit races went into production. In the 60s, the production of sport utility vehicles began. Market access by foreign manufacturers in the 1980s triggered a crisis that led to the sale of a majority stake to Honda.
Despite this, the production of motorcycles continued under the brand name of the old brand, which also retained its round emblem with the corporate colors – bright yellow and red. The logo is very bright and attractive. The use of gold in the edging of the outer contour and the inner hexagonal shape adds contrast, drawing attention. At the same time, this option provides the softness of the overall perception of the composition. The field of the circle is filled with yellow, and the interior of the central figure is filled with red. In it, in the center, a Gothic capital letter “m” is created in white with serifs, which after the sale acquired a gap in the middle leg, symbolizing the loss of independence. The brand’s name is black under the letter on a white rectangular plate with gold edging.
Ossa
Spanish industrialist Manuel Giró founded a motorcycle company in Barcelona, Spain, in 1924, giving it the name OSSA. This word was derived from Orpheo Sincronic Sociedad Anonima – his own company that made cinema equipment. Refocusing on racing, road bikes, and SUVs, Giró changed the name of the family company to an abbreviation from the previous one, thus preserving the history of its brand. The famous racer Mick Andrew won the championship title on OSSA vehicles. But with his departure to Yamaha and a failed merger with Bultaco in 1982, the company lost its scale, becoming a small production. The trademark was purchased in 2010, starting a second life.
Today, the brand’s logo represents a circle with a dark yellow wide rim, consisting of two circles – large – white. The smaller one placed in it, in the edging of the same shade, only smaller in thickness, has a black inner space. The central element of the entire composition is a symbolic image of a floral miracle – a four-leaf clover, which is a symbol of good luck and success. The symbol has a dark yellow outline and is made in a bright light green color. Above the central circle, the brand name is inscribed in black lowercase letters along the outline. In some versions and applied directly to motorcycle bodies, the dark yellow color is changed to gold.
Rieju
Luis Riera Carré and Jaime Juanola Farrés founded one of the country’s most famous motorcycle brands in 1934. The name was made up of the initials of the founding friends. Initially, accessories for Rieju bicycles were produced. Based in Figueres in Spain’s Catalunya region, it curtailed its development during the civil war. But in 1947, she released her first motorcycle. In 1959, Jaca, the lightweight motorcycle, was released. Small, economical, and inexpensive, it will be a hit for several years. Having entered into a partnership with Italy’s Minarelli in 1964, the brand will install its engines, which will create a model of a moped that has a speed of 43 mph under the permitted speed of 24. Today, Rieju is the leading Spanish manufacturer.
The company will make its logo in a bright red, memorable color. It will be saturated and attractive and reflect leadership, perseverance, and dynamism, fully corresponding to the brand’s philosophy. The logo’s main symbol will be the letter “R” – the first letter of the name, enclosed in an oval with a variable outline, under the symbol, custom-designed inscription in Ordin Ordin by Robert Corseansch in lower case. All sharp corners of the letters are rounded in the font, except for “I,” which echoes the streamlined forms of the brand’s models. The letter “I” symbolizes the stability of the motorcycle’s suspension, stopping the eye, forcing one to pay attention to the entire composition of the emblem.
Sangles
The Spanish motorcycle manufacturer Sanglas was founded by brothers Javier and Martin Sanglas just after the civil war in 1942. The company immediately demonstrated the advantage of its products by combining in its technology all the best from German and British motorcycles, providing them with significant advantages of reliability, functionality, and durability. The most significant model of the brand was the 400T, which was produced until the company closed in 1989.
The company logo is the full brand name in a handcrafted font that includes uppercase and lowercase letters and a custom design of both “S” letters, shaped like a motorcycle handlebar’s side silhouette. It was traditionally placed on the side of the fuel tank. The emblem includes a stylized top view of a horizontally located fuel tank in 2 colors – light green and white with a gray outline. It is crossed by a smooth sloping curve, a graphic representation of the letter “S” in a bright, attractive greenish-yellow hue.
Sbay
Sotogrande, located on the beautiful southern coast of Spain, is home to Sbay Motor, a motorcycle company founded in 2009. The brand sees its mission as the exclusive production of unique vehicles distinguished by agility, power, individuality, and uniqueness of driving sensations. Each model manufactured by Sbay is individually adjusted. The process is carried out jointly with the customer. Production includes the use of modern high-tech materials – carbon fiber, ultra-strong extra light metal alloys. Components are produced only by global manufacturers, including Ohlins, Brembo, or Rizoma.
The brand chose a modernly executed version for its emblem, stylized as an old signboard from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is a regular ellipse through which a rectangular plate extends beyond the figure in length. Fasteners are depicted along its edges. Made in black and white in a contrasting color, it attracts attention with its historicity. But created with the help of the achievements of modern technology, it is very easy to read in all versions. The date of foundation is marked on the upper arch. The lower part bears a part of the name – “MOTOR COMPANY.” The name itself is written on the central plate in large lowercase letters – Sbay. To enhance the effect of antiquity, all the letters are made as if they were assembled from planks.
Sherco
Marc Tessier, the founder of the Sherco brand in 1998, immediately sought to expand the boundaries of his products. Today the company has two subsidiaries in Western Europe – the main factory in Spain, which makes trial motorcycles, and in France, which specializes in enduro and Supermotard. Having firmly occupied its niche in this market, the brand offers more than 100 models of sports motorcycles in 50 countries of the world.
The brand logo is distinguished by modern design, simplicity, and memorability. In digital and print, it especially stands out thanks to the original choice of the color palette. The text is in bright signal yellow, and the background is in rich deep blue. Their combination makes the whole composition stand out, making it especially attractive. The text of the brand name is in italic lowercase, Miedinger Bold by Canada Type, which is sans serif and with a squashed point. Each letter has a black outline, which provides a clearer perception, strictly delimiting the text from the background. Right tilt is a traditional transfer of speed, movement, acceleration, a demonstration of the desire to move forward in its development.
Volta
Having worked for a long time in industrial design in the automotive industry, Marc Barcelo tried to realize his ideas about modern changes in this and the motorcycle industry. To design an eco-friendly two-wheeler for urban driving, he founded his own company in 2010 called Volta Motorbikes. Already in 212, the designer presented a product of his creativity, distinguished by high performance and unique, attractive design. The model was released in 3 modifications – City, Sport, and MyVolta, which immediately conquered motorists’ appearance and operating parameters.
The brand’s emblem and logo are based on its name. The individually designed typeface of the title, executed in black uppercase, has a flat bottom for each letter. This visually emphasizes the location of each letter on one flat surface. The right slope is a symbol of movement and speed, striving for development and leadership. The accent of the logo was the letter “o,” which has a gap in the upper part, into which an accent symbol in a bright signal yellow color was introduced, made in the form of a unit, which speaks of the superiority of the brand over others. This letter also became the main independent sign of brand visualization, effectively highlighting it in digital identification.
