Moto Guzzi Hispania was a Spanish motorcycle company with its headquarters first in Barcelona and later in Seville, specialised in small and medium-capacity machines. It was founded in 1948 by the Italian-Spanish entrepreneur Oscar Ravà and grew out of a licence agreement with the Italian Moto Guzzi.
Moto Guzzi Hispania at a glance
| Founded | 1948, by Oscar Ravà |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Barcelona, then Seville from 1972 |
| Basis | licence agreement with Moto Guzzi |
| First model | Moto Guzzi 65, known as the Motoguzzino |
| Licence period | 1948–1979 |
| Renamed | Motorhispania in 1979 |
| Owners | ISA from 1972, the Gallego family from 1988 |
| Closed | 2014; the brand returned as MH Motorcycles in 2015 |
The Spanish company is described in the Italian Wikipedia article on Motorhispania, its later name; this page is based on that one source.
History of the Moto Guzzi Hispania
In the years immediately after the Spanish Civil War, Franco’s Spain kept strong restrictions on the import of foreign products. Ravà, an industrialist of Piedmontese origin, obtained from Moto Guzzi the rights to build and sell licensed versions of some Italian models in Spain. That agreement, signed with the Mandello company, was the origin of the business.
The first model produced was the Moto Guzzi 65, popularly known as the Motoguzzino, which was a considerable success on the Spanish market thanks to its low consumption and simplicity of use.
From Guzzi licence to its own range
In 1972 the company was acquired by ISA, Industrias Subsidiarias de Aviación, and moved to Seville. The collaboration with Moto Guzzi continued for several years until 1979, when the company changed its name to Motorhispania and began to develop its own range of independent motorcycles, turning to small capacities for urban and young riders. After being acquired by the Gallego family in 1988, it consolidated its position during the 1980s and 1990s with 50 and 125 cc models, including enduro, supermotard and naked bikes such as the Furia, the Ryz, the RX and the CR.
With growing Asian competition in the 2000s, Motorhispania was forced to close in 2014, and the following year the brand reappeared on the market as MH Motorcycles, used for the sale of Chinese Zongshen motorcycles.
Design and features
- Licensed production: Guzzi models built in Spain under an agreement with Mandello.
- Motoguzzino: the 65 cc first model, popular for its low running costs.
- Spanish industry: a response to the import restrictions of Franco’s Spain.
- Long afterlife: the company survived as Motorhispania until 2014 and as MH Motorcycles afterwards.
Moto Guzzi Hispania versions
- Moto Guzzi 65 Motoguzzino (from 1948): the first licensed model, popular for its low running costs.
- Later Guzzi licence models: other small Italian models built in Spain before 1979.
- Motorhispania (1979–2014): the company’s own range of 50 and 125 cc machines, including the Furia, Ryz, RX and CR.
The Spanish company built licensed Guzzis, a smaller relative of the Italian models described in the Airone and Galletto pages. More machines are in the Moto Guzzi collection.
Video: 224.1 Moto Guzzi Hispania. 65cc. 1953.
Video by Artsvalua on YouTube.
Sources
- Motorhispania, Italian Wikipedia: founding, licence, first models, later history
