The Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia (MNACTEC) has opened two exhibitions connected with the world of motorbikes: the renewal of the permanent exhibition space "Viva Montesa" and the new temporary exhibition "Champions of Motorcycling". Both exhibitions form a part of the process of remodelling the permanent exhibition "Transport" at the MNACTEC. The event also featured the presentation of the book Montesa Art Gallery, published by Honda Motor Europa España, a publication that tells the story of Montesa since it was founded in 1945.
The formal opening of the exhibition was attended by the Director-General for Archives, Libraries, Museums and Heritage of the Autonomous Region Government, Joan Pluma; the Director of the MNACTEC, Jaume Perarnau; the Permanyer brothers, Xavier and Jordi, the former owners of the Montesa marque and the owners of the motorbike collection held at the mNACTEC; the Catalan trial racer Toni Bou, and the authors of the book Montesa Art Gallery, published by Honda Motor Europa España: Albert Cavero, Jose Peiró, Miquel Cirera and Francesc Montero.
Remodelling of "Viva Montesa"
The MNACTEC has remodelled the permanent exhibition "Viva Montesa", a journey through the history of the Catalan marque Montesa, courtesy of the motorbike exhibits from the Pere Permanyer Collection, representing a veritable Montesa Museum. The exhibition includes all models of Montesa motorbike from every era.
The purpose of the renewal of the exhibition space is to embellish and give greater visibility to the collection. The new aesthetic and distribution of the vehicles is intended to create a more dynamic space attracting a younger audience.
The 67 motorbikes, three bicycles and two engines on display, accompanied by landmark videos and images, have the task of explaining the story of the marque from its beginnings, back in 1945, highlighting a number of the most significant social and sporting heroes, such as the Operation Impala, Operation Crono and Montjuïc 24-Hour periods, the relocations of the factory as a result of the company's growth, global exports, advertisements and press features, up to the founding of the company Montesa-Honda S.A.in 1986.
"Champions of Motorcycling"
This exhibition covers the different forms of sports motorcycling (trial, enduro, motocross, rally raid and Moto GP), with ten display cases featuring the equipment with which notable riders have won competitions.
The trophies and teams behind some of the leading riders in the history of motorcycle racing are on display: Toni Bou, Marc Coma, Toni Elias, Gerard Farrés, Takahisa Fujinami, Javi García Vico, Marc Guasch, Juan Pedrero, Laia Sanz and Jordi Viladoms.
The exhibition aims to go further in presenting these early figures. It therefore takes visitors inside of the world of technical textile equipment for motorcycling, revealing the apparel worn by motorbike racers: helmets, jackets, overalls, protectors, etc The exhibition also focuses on the technical fabrics used to make their apparel, key elements in competitive success, as they must guarantee freedom of movement, comfort, and above all the rider's protection and safety.
The book Montesa Art Gallery
Montesa Art Gallery is a high-quality publication issued by Honda Motor Europe Spain, as a tribute to fans of Montesa and motorcycling in general.The 248 pages of the book cover the history of Montesa, from its founding up to the present day, illustrating the key landmarks of the Montesa marque at various stages of its history, along with photographs and graphical documents from each period.
The book includes a selection of the 64 most representative models of the Montesa marque, in a perfect state of preservation, photographed in a studio to offer the highest level of quality and image detail.
The publication Montesa Art Gallery will be available for a price of 65 euros via the Honda dealership network, bookshops and museums specialising in automobiles.
11/12/2015
11 December 2014
