7 Montesa's Jordi Permanyer Interview

An exclusive interview with Montesa's Jordi Permanyer

This is the Spanish championship winning prototype 1985 Montesa Enduro bike of Carlos Mas. Isnt it a dream !!

An exclusive interview with Montesa's Jordi Permanyer www.retrotrials.com

Did your brothers and sisters also work for Montesa ?

My sister's no, but brothers yes.

In fact this is what both other brothers did at Montesa.

Pere Permanyer Mon (Son) - Director of National sales.
Xavier Permanyer - Director of the factory.

An exclusive interview with Montesa's Jordi Permanyer www.retrotrials.com

What was your first job at Montesa ?

I start in technical office because I had studied as an engineer and I spent some time in this office making drawings of the many different parts required for motorcycles, later in 1972, I went to the USA which at this time was a very big market and the introduction of trials was just starting there at this time. We had a subsidiary in Los Angeles in order to ensure that I would learn and also to help the Los Angeles subsidiary.

An exclusive interview with Montesa's Jordi Permanyer www.retrotrials.com

I went there for six months, at the weekend I made demonstrations of trials, at this time I was with Robert Edwards. I also worked with Gordon Farley in the United States. Previously in about 1970, 1971, Pedro Pi had been in the United States making demonstrations.

An exclusive interview with Montesa's Jordi Permanyer www.retrotrials.com

I remember the Pamplona factory very well.

As Jordi Permanyer was born in 1950 , he wasn't able to visit the first Bulto Permanyer- Montesa factory . This was located at number 408 Calle Corcega in Barcelona. It operated at this location from 1944 until 1950. Here are 2 photos provided to Retrotrials by the Permanyer family. Whilst Montesa were at this factory , Mr Bulto would only visit occasionally.

2 photos of Montesa's first factory at 408 Calle Corcega in Barcelona.

An exclusive interview with Montesa's Jordi Permanyer www.retrotrials.com

This was the first motorcycle that Montesa ever produced and this was placed at the entrance to the original Montesa factory so that when you walked in, this was the first thing that you saw. I remember the Pamplona factory very well, because we visited there every Sunday when my father took me there with my family and my father would show us around the factory and show us everything.

This motorcycle was owned by Jordi's father Pere Permanyer. It was the first motorcycle from the production line and had the frame number MB0001.

An exclusive interview with Montesa's Jordi Permanyer www.retrotrials.com

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