Pannónia P12: the last Hungarian motorcycle was produced 50 years ago

Today, Hungarian Pannónia motorcycles are known in our country only to the most ardent motorcycle enthusiasts. However, in the second half of the 1950s, they were imported in large quantities and quickly established themselves as one of the most sought-after and most liked on the Bulgarian market stergatoare denso pret parbriz luneta auto.

Pannónia P12: the last Hungarian motorcycle was produced 50 years ago

Production of the Pannónia began in the early 1950s at the infamous Csepel truck factory. The basic model offered, called the Csepel 250, debuted in 1950, initially equipped with a twin-piston engine, but after 1951, only a single-piston version was produced.

In 1954, the motorcycles adopted the Pannónia brand, but the main part of the layout and technical features of the previous model were retained. The engine block was also identical in appearance, but there were some technical differences related to the chain primary drive and the crankshaft.

One of the most popular company models was the TLF, produced in the late 1950s, which enjoyed considerable export success, but this somewhat slowed down the pace of its technical development. It was based on the first model from 1954, which by then had already reached the limit of its capabilities, and the engine block, designed back in 1940, was not amenable to improvement. Therefore, a new series of prototype engines was created, in which the previous cast-iron cylinder was replaced by an aluminum one, and separately, some experimental samples with two-cylinder engines were made. At that time, the development of the modern two-cylinder model P20 was already in full swing. It was created so that it could be produced for a long time without needing a serious update.

This type, which was more complex than the previous versions, was up to date for its time and had many new parts, which required the creation of new tooling, which in turn made the motorcycle extremely expensive. Therefore, it was decided to partially modernize one of the older models, the Pannonia T5 (produced after 1964), with some parts from the P20, resulting in the new P10 model, introduced in 1967. It featured a new telescopic fork and rear shock absorber, while the tank and seat were taken from the P20. The new cylinder and cylinder head, as well as the engine housing, were made specifically for this model. Later, the engine also received an intake silencer and a modified exhaust, which allowed for quieter operation.

In 1974, the last company model, the P12, was introduced. It was based on the P10, but with smaller, 18-inch rims similar to those of the twin-cylinder versions, a modified frame, a new headlight design, a new starter, as well as redesigned exhausts and control devices. Its main distinguishing feature was the specific orange color, which strongly contrasted with the black paint typical of most previous Pannonia models.

An interesting detail from the company's history is that as early as 1974, representatives of the world-famous Yamaha company wanted to build a modern plant on the territory of Csepel with an area of forty thousand square meters for the production of 50,000 Japanese motorcycles per year, 70% of which were supposed to be sold abroad. However, the state leadership of the People's Republic did not support the idea, which finally put an end to the Hungarian motorcycle industry. The last Pannónia with the serial number 689 039 rolled off the Csepel production line on October 24, 1975.

Car parts AutoPower
Car parts AutoPower

Production of the Pannónia began in the early 1950s at the infamous Csepel truck factory

In 1954, the motorcycles adopted the Pannónia brand, but the main part of the layout and technical features of the previous model were retained