Among European manufacturers, the Spanish are distinguished by their stable motorcycle production, established at the beginning of the last century. Despite the difficulties experienced by Spain during this period – constant political struggle, civil war, and economic recessions the country has spawned more than 80 brands in this field. Given the Spaniards’ great love for this mode of transportation, motorcycles were used by almost everyone, regardless of gender or age; the production of machinery was a particularly developed business on the Iberian Peninsula. Studying the history of motorcycle production, one can get the impression that the process itself was a favorite of the Spaniards. After all, even during the period of declining production, they continued to create and license foreign brands such as Ducati, Moto Guzzi, and other bright representatives of the Italian motorcycle industry.
One of the most ardent defenders of domestic motorcycle production was Franco, who pursued a strict anti-import policy and developed his industry and small businesses. Especially high demand for cheap, economical machinery emerged after the civil war, which brought motorcycle sales to the top of the country. This period can be called the golden age of the Spanish motorcycle industry. The leaders in this direction included Montesa, Ossa, and Derbi. Many model lines from these companies were recognized abroad and exported to Europe and the USA.
In the 60s and 70s of the last century, Spanish sports models with small-displacement engines became permanent leaders in Grand Prix racing. However, off-roaders, enduros, and trials in this country received strong demand abroad. However, Franco’s death in 1975 opened the domestic market to imported manufacturers, making it impossible for many domestic brands to compete with multinationals. Today, only a few local manufacturers remain in Spain. Naturally, among them survives the once-largest brand, Ossa, which alone struggles to maintain a place in the domestic market. Bultaco and Montesa survive at the expense of foreign investment, cooperating with Honda.
However, it can be said that along with the sharp drop in production and the closure of almost all national factories in the area, the Spanish motorcycle business is experiencing a renaissance. The small businesses that have sprung up in abundance have suddenly attracted the interest of large international trading firms and direct customers from abroad. Such companies include Gas Gas, which made a sensation in the States, Beta Motorcycles, and Sherco. Rieju and Derbi continue to fight for the European market.
Alfer
In 1980, at the end of the last century, Francisco Almirall, a famous motorcycle racer of the time, founded his brand to manufacture and sell motorcycles. He named his company Alfer and designed and assembled the machinery himself. The business was very successful in a market dominated by foreign corporations. This was because the designer himself perfectly understood all those urgent requirements that athletes imposed on their off-road sports “horses.”
The brand has changed its logo several times, recently presenting its latest modern, original version. It is characterized by compliance with modern digital execution requirements, high visual quality, and brevity. The color palette used is typical of the founder’s sportswear: dark yellow-green for the stripe on the leg of the letter “A” in the brand name and the word MOTOCICLETAS underneath it, slanted to the right, and dark purple for the Alfer name itself. The main text was set in a custom, graphically crafted font that features symmetrical rounding of the outer corners in the first and last letters to symbolize the streamlined body of the motorcycle. The last letter has no sideline, opening up 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 to the composition, uniting all the words into a single whole.
Bultaco
The company was founded in 1958 by Francesc Xavier Bulto, designer of another leading Spanish brand, Montesa, where he had worked since its foundation in 1944. The brand was originally headquartered in Adriana de Besos near Barcelona, Spain. Until the late 1960s, the brand specialized in single-cylinder models. But the only two-cylinder variant of Bultaco Pursang, created by him, became a real king of Spanish motorcycles. The company was closed in 1983. In 2014, there was an attempt to revive it with the Derbi brand. But since the company’s closure, no new original products under this brand have appeared.
The newest Bultaco logo is a bright round emblem consisting of several colors, bright yellow and red, and contrasting black and white. The basis of the emblem’s composition is the wheel symbol, which depicts several circles of different sizes inscribed within one another. The upper circle is made in yellow. From the wide red, it is separated by a thin, contrasting black contour. It is followed by a black circle with white dashes, symbolizing the construction of the motorcycle wheel and its disc. It is separated from the central black circle by a thick white contour. On the circumference of the red sector, the brand name is printed in large, bold yellow letters, following the contour of the circle. In the lower part, there is a transparent yellow ribbon with a black border with the inscription CEMOTO. Above the ribbon is REG TRADE MARK in black thin lowercase letters. And below it is the inscription MADE IN SPAIN. The accent element of the logo is the central image of the stylized “excellent” sign, conveyed graphically by a clenched fist with the thumb raised, a lightning bolt clasped in it, the lower part of which protrudes.
Cofersa
For 12 years, the Spanish motorcycle business has been represented by the Cofersa brand, founded in 1954 by José Mercader, who has been producing auxiliary engines for motorcycles since 1953, initially creating the company Construcciones Ferrusola SA in Madrid, Spain. The launch of the first complete motorcycle in 1954 was the birth of a new brand. The peculiarity of the entire Cofersa line was the use of a licensed power plant from the local assembly, Hispano-Villiers, which provided high equipment reliability. One of the features of the company’s products was the mandatory attention to riders’ comfort. Thus, in 1959, the Helix model appeared, designed for stamping and featuring a protective grille on the rear fenders. This was done to ensure a comfortable ride for women in skirts so that they would not get entangled in the rear wheel.
The brand’s emblem was characterized by pretentiousness, elegance, and aristocracy. Red and gold colors made it visually rich and especially attractive. The heraldic element confirmed its claims to aristocratism: a golden chimera standing on its hind legs and leaning on a golden letter “C” turned to face the first letter of the brand name. The emblem has a round shape. Its entire space is filled with a bright red shade. The outer contour is made of gold, and an accent composition along the contour highlights the central sector. On the outer circle in the upper part, in gold font, the brand name is handwritten. The name of the country of manufacture is written in lowercase below. To the right and left of the central circle are “ears” of gold cubes, which give the composition a visual perception of a boxer’s belt.
Derbi
Derbi Nacional Motor is a Spanish motorcycle brand that began operations in 1922. The first workshop was opened by Simeo Rabasa y Singla in the village of Molet near Barcelona. Two-wheeled vehicles were repaired there. Until 1949, the company grew rapidly, becoming a major motorcycle retailer. The main volume of sales was products with a small cubic meter. The company produced scooters, motorcycles, and mopeds. In the early 1980s, it became part of the giant Italian motorcycle holding company Piaggio & Co. SpA, focusing on products for the youth audience, small sport motorcycles, and cheap scooters.
The brand logo is simple and laconic. Consisting of a text element, the company name, in bold white lowercase font Sequel 100 Black 75 by OGJ Type Design on a bright red background, it is easy to read and looks good on any background. The attractive, eye-catching rectangular logo features a wide gray accent stripe along the right edge. It draws the eye to the logo, directing it directly to the most important element: the brand name. It uses a visual lure by adding a “tail” at the top of the negative space in the center of the letter “D,” which draws the viewer’s attention to a prominent feature of the motorcycle’s external shape: its front fairing protruding above the motorcycle body.
Gas Gas
The brand was founded in 1974. The first motorcycles rolled off the assembly line in 1985. Successful models generated strong demand, spurring the company’s further development. In 1989, the brand decided on the direction of production and began to produce light motorcycles, cross, and enduro. In 2002, the first ATV was released. After the Spanish bank departed from the auctioneers in 2015, the brand was on the verge of bankruptcy. An alliance with Black Toro Capital somewhat corrected the situation, but in 2018, the problems began again. A year later, it was acquired by KTM AG, which, while preserving the main directions and developments of Gas Gas, plans to make significant changes to the production vector.
The brand chose a stylized image of the letter “G” as its mark. Its graphic image is designed so that, in one symbol, one can see the first two letters of the name’s words at once. The capital letter “G” includes the capital letter “g,” which is the element forming the inner tail of the big letter. The full name “GASGAS” is written under the sign in lowercase with a traditional auto-moto brand slant to the right, symbolizing speed and forward movement. All elements of the logo are in an attractive, bright red, which has become the company’s corporate color and is used on most models of the company’s equipment.
Gimson
In 1930, Pierre Gimbernat-et-Batl founded the company, which was first licensed by the French firm Automoto to sell bicycles and motorcycles in the province of Girona. As a well-known Spanish watchmaker, Gimbernat moved to Figueres to expand his retail space, opened a store and service store, began repairing and selling watches, and added Automoto products. To differentiate himself, he decided to create his own brand and named his company Gimson. This name was an abbreviation of “Gimbernat and Sons.” The accumulated experience allowed, already in the mid-50s of the last century, to begin production of mopeds, having received an order to equip the patrol police of Spain, which included a rifle mount. The founder’s premature death led to the brand’s closure in 1982. The Benetti brand acquired all rights to it.
In addition to the original product design and high technical characteristics, the brand was remembered for its distinctive logo. The composition’s graphic design was very similar to that of beer brands’ emblems. It was based on a text composition of the company’s name. The brand name is set in 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 that smoothly and symmetrically arcs over the whole text, visually uniting all the letters into a single whole. The original execution of the letter “I” as the number “1” symbolizes the brand’s importance in its field. The color palette, golden letters, and a black-red border make the logo attractive and memorable.
Lube
The name Lube, a Spanish motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1947, echoes the modern brand of a lubricant manufacturer. It’s a situation often found in global practice. Founded by Luis Bejarano Morga, the motorcycle brand produced equipment in great demand. However, the company’s management decided to change the powertrain, installing the German NSU Motorenwerke, which made 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 has remained in the minds of motorcycle enthusiasts. It is a horizontal rhombus in the foreground, behind which there is a five-pointed star, partially hidden by it. Three prismatic rays protrude from behind it. The star is silver in color with shadow effects that create volume. The rhombus has a gold border and an opalescent green inner surface. The brand name is printed in silver font, with an artistic design of lowercase letters, reminiscent of the digital design of Dharma’s A 500 system.
Montesa
Montesa was founded in 1944 in Barcelona, Spain, by two men with a common passion, Pedro Permanyer Puyhaner and Francisco Javier Bulto, and has an unusual history. Initially, the founders were engaged in tuning military cargo transport, carrying shells. But a year later, after the end of World War II, the brand refocused on lightweight, inexpensive motorcycles, which were in high demand. Five years later, sports models for circuit races went into production. In the 60s, the production of sports off-road vehicles began. The entry of foreign manufacturers into the market in the 80s caused a crisis, which led to the sale of a controlling stake in Honda.
Despite this, motorcycle production continued under the old brand, which also retained its round emblem in the corporate colors of bright yellow and red. The emblem turned out to be very colorful and eye-catching. The use of gold in the outer contour edging and the inner hexagonal shape adds contrast and attracts attention. At the same time, this option provides softness to the overall perception of the composition. The field of the circle is filled with yellow, and the inner part of the central figure is red. In the center, a white color with serifs is created with the Gothic capital letter “m,” which, after the sale, acquired a break in the middle leg, symbolizing the loss of independence. The brand name on the white rectangular plate with a gold border is blackened.
Ossa
Spanish industrialist Manuel Giro founded a motorcycle manufacturing company in Barcelona, Spain, in 1924, naming it OSSA. The word was derived from Orpheo Sincronic Sociedad Anonima, his own company that produced movie equipment. Refocusing on racing cars, road bikes, and off-roaders, Giraud changed the name of the family company to an abbreviation of the previous one, thus preserving the history of his brand. Famed racer Mick Andrew won a championship title on OSSA machines. However, after his departure to Yamaha and an unsuccessful merger with Bultaco in 1982, the company lost scale and became a small production facility. In 2010, the brand was bought out, beginning a second life.
Today, the brand’s logo is a circle with a dark yellow rim consisting of two circles, a large one in white. The smaller one, with a border of the same shade but thinner, has a black inner space. The central element of the whole composition is a symbolic image of a floral miracle, a four-leaf clover, which is a symbol of luck and success. The symbol has a dark yellow outline and is in a bright light green. Above the central circle on the contour, the brand name is inscribed in black lowercase letters. In some variants and when applied directly to motorcycle bodies, the dark yellow color is changed to gold.
Rieju
Luis Riera Carré and Jaime Juanola Farres 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, Rieju bike accessories were produced. The company, located in Figueres in the Spanish region of Catalonia, curtailed its development during the civil war. But in 1947, it produced its first motorcycle. In 1959, the Jaca lightweight motorcycle was launched. Small, economical, and inexpensive, it would become a sales hit for several years. In 1964, it entered into a partnership with the Italian firm Minarelli, which installed its engines, resulting in a moped model that could reach 43 mph, with a legal speed limit of 24. Today, Rieju is Spain’s leading manufacturer.
The company will design its logo in a bright red, catchy color. It will be rich and attractive, reflecting leadership, perseverance, and dynamism, fully in line with the brand philosophy. The main symbol of the logo will be the letter “R” – the first letter of the name, enclosed in an oval with a variable contour; below the symbol is the custom-designed inscription “Ordin Ordin” by Robert Corseansch in lowercase. All the sharp corners of the letters are rounded in the font, except for the letter “I,” which follows the streamlined shapes of the brand’s models. The letter “I” symbolizes the stability of the motorcycle suspension, stopping the eye and drawing attention to the emblem’s overall composition.
Sangles
Spanish motorcycle manufacturer Sanglas was founded by brothers Javier and Martin Sanglas in 1942, just after the end of the civil war. The company immediately demonstrated the advantage of its products by combining the best of German and British motorcycles into its technologies, providing significant advantages in 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 brand name, set in a handcrafted font, with uppercase and lowercase letters, and a nonstandard “S” design resembling the side silhouette of a motorcycle handlebar. Traditionally, it was placed on the side of the fuel tank. The emblem includes a stylized image of the top of the horizontally positioned fuel tank, made in two 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 shade.
Sbay
In the city of Sotogrande, on the picturesque southern coast of Spain, there is a motorcycle company, Sbay Motor, founded in 2009. The brand sees its mission in the exclusive production of unique vehicles distinguished by maneuverability, power, individuality, and unique driving sensations. Each model produced by Sbay undergoes individual customization. This process is carried out together with the customer. Modern high-tech materials are used in production, such as carbon fiber and super-strong, super-light metal alloys. Components are made only by global manufacturers such as Ohlins, Brembo, and Rizoma.
For its emblem, the brand has chosen a modern version of the design, stylized as an old signboard of the late XIX, early XX century. It is a regular ellipse, through which passes a rectangular plate extending beyond the figure in length. On its edges are shown fasteners. Executed in contrasting black and white, it attracts attention for its historicity. But created using the achievements of modern technology, it is very easy to read in all versions. The top arch bears the founding date. At the bottom is part of the name “MOTOR COMPANY.” The name itself is written in large, lowercase letters on the center plate: Sbay. To enhance the effect of antiquity, all the letters are made as if they were assembled from planks.
Sherco
Marc Tessier, who founded the Sherco brand in 1998, immediately sought to expand the boundaries of his products. Today, the company has two branches in Western Europe – the main factory in Spain, where trials are produced, and in France, which specializes in enduro and supermotards. Having firmly occupied its niche in this market, the brand offers more than 100 models of sports motorcycles in 50 countries around the world.
The brand’s logo is characterized by its modern design, simplicity, and memorability. In both digital and printed form, it stands out, especially thanks to the original 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 and makes it especially attractive. The text of the brand name is typed in the italicized lowercase font Miedinger Bold from Canada Type, which has serifs and a flattened point. Each letter has a black outline that provides a clearer perception by strictly delineating the text from the background. The right slant is a traditional conveyance of speed, movement, and acceleration, a demonstration of the desire to move forward in one’s development.
Volta
Having worked in industrial design in the automotive industry for a long time, Marc Barcelo sought to realize his ideas about the current changes in both the automotive and motorcycle industries. To develop an environmentally friendly two-wheeled vehicle for urban riding, he founded his own company, Volta Motorbikes, in 2010. Already in 212, the designer presented the product of his creativity, characterized by high technical characteristics and a unique, attractive design. The model was released with three modifications: City, Sport, and MyVolta, which immediately conquered motorists with its appearance and performance parameters.
The brand’s emblem and logo are based on its name. The individually designed name font, in black uppercase, has a flat bottom for each letter. This visual emphasizes the location of each letter on a single flat surface. The right slant is a symbol of movement and speed, of striving for development and leadership. The logo’s accent was the letter “o,” which has a space in the upper part, where an accent symbol in bright signal yellow was introduced, shaped as a unit, which speaks to the brand’s superiority over others. This letter also became the main independent sign of brand visualization, effectively distinguishing it during digital identification.