The year 2005 marked an important milestone in the history of Hungarian motorcycle manufacturing: it was the 30th anniversary of the end of Pannónia motorcycle production. These motorcycles had been built at the Csepel Motorcycle Factory between 1954 and 1975. To commemorate the anniversary, a Veteran Motorcycle Exhibition was organized at the Csepel Works, which my husband and I also visited. I even found several photos that I took myself back in 2005..
Personal memories
The last motorcycle was produced in the factory in 1975, after which only bicycles were made. Ten or twelve years later, I worked there for a year or two as a factory doctor. At the time, I never would have thought that one day I’d look back on this part of my life because of the Pannónia motorcycles. Still, I probably walked through the same halls where those motorcycles had once been built.
50th Anniversary
It’s hard to believe that 20 years have passed since 2005. This means that now we are at the 50th anniversary of the end of Pannónia motorcycle production.
While researching Hungarian motorcycles, I came across many programs related to this anniversary. One of them was held on May 1, 2025, at the Csepel Works, and another will take place tomorrow (on September 13) in Bocfölde.
Vintage Motorcycle Exhibition 2005
Around 50 Hungarian-made motorcycles were on display in a large hall on the grounds of the Csepel Works.
The exhibition hall
A Sidecar Motorcycle
Racing Motorcycles
Pannónia-White
Csepel 250/U
Szabolcs, Tünde, Panni and a Rota-hoe
Csepel series
Pannonia T-Series
Pannonia P-Series
Pannonia TW001
Keys, speedometers, emblems
Csepel Works
It is an institution that no longer exists today.
Since the economic transformation that took place during the change of regime, it has been used mainly as rehearsal rooms for bands from Csepel and the surrounding area, and many small companies rent the gigantic, dilapidated factory halls, offices, and sites
(Translation from Hungarian Wikipedia)
I myself worked for 10 years in various departments of Csepel Works during the 80s.
Hungarian motorcycles
My husband loved Hungarian motorcycles. We went to motorcycle fairs, motorcycle meetings and motorcycle exhibitions for 20 years. During this time I picked up quite a lot of motorcycle terminology-or at least heard about it. For example, the motorcycle types: Csepel, Danuvia, Pannónia, Tünde. Types: P10, P20, P21, TL, TLT, TLF, TLB, T5, T5-H. 250 Csepel, 125 Csepel, Silver Tank Csepel. U-Csepel. This last special Csepel, because it has two exhausts and twin pistons. (I don’t really know what it means, but I’ve heard it often). Then small brake drum, large brake drum, single cylinder, twin cylinder, disc fork, telescopic suspension- and a thousand other terms that came to my mind over those 20 years.