Originally founded in 1924 as a commercial vehicle repair workshop by Joan Clua i Maluquer “Construcciones Mecánicas Clúa SL”, had its headquarters in the Barcelona neighbourhood of Clot
Later, once the Spanish civil war (1936-1939) was over, it looked to manufacture tractors etc but had difficulties getting the appropriate government permits.
The early part of the company history is rarely covered, and most people only know Construcciones Mecánicas Clua as a Catalan manufacturer of mopeds, motorcycles and microcars, based in Barcelona and active between 1949 and 1962.
It produced its first motorcycle in 1951. This was the MC-75, a 75cc, two stroke, air cooled, single cylinder machine with a 3-speed gearbox which produced 3.25 CV. After a year in production, the motorcycle was modified with improved suspension and an uprated engine that delivered 4 CV. In 1953, a 125cc model was introduced using a new Hispano Villiers two stroke, air cooled, single cylinder engine with a 3-speed gearbox and producing 6.5 CV.
This rare MC-75 is from 1952 and is part of the Sala Santy Collection that is exhibited in Riola (Valencia) every 2 years
From a point in 1953, they became known as just Clua SL and the logo changed. In terms of sales, the most significant two wheeled output from Clua were their Gorrion mopeds – the Gorrion I and Gorrion II. The Gorrion I was introduced in 1954, complete with a rigid chassis aimed at the mass market as an economical means of transportation.
This 1957 Gorrion I is on display in the “Made in Spain” Museum in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid).
In 1957, the Gorrion II came onto the market as a sports variant, with rear shock absorber suspension and a distinct motorcycle image. Both of the Gorrion variants shared the same 48cc, single cylinder. 2 stroke, air cooled engine with 2 speeds, a maximum speed of 50 kph and a 1.8 CV power output.
This Gorrion II is on display in the “Made in Spain” Museum in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid).
This 125cc model is in the Walter Ankli Collection at the Caldes de Boi resort in Catalonia.
The reproduction of the contemporary newspapers adverts here is authorised by the Ajuntament de Girona and are taken from their Digital Newspaper Archive (Los Sitios de Gerona)
This publicity document was downloaded from http://www.cartelmotor.com
In addition to its range of motorcycles, in 1955 Clua – like many other Catalan and Spanish motorcycle manufacturers – started to produce microcars. The Clua 500 (497cc, four stroke, twin cylinder engine) was an eye-catching convertible and was shown at the 1957 Barcelona Fair.
Clua accepted many orders and made a bold commitment that any defects would see the buyer refunded. Unfortunately, a manufacturing defect in the steel occurred and, even though it was not the fault of Clua, it still meant that they had to refund the buyers. The company sold its remaining stock in 1960 to raise funds before declaring bankruptcy in 1962. A sad end.
The Clua 500 – 1958 Model This example of the Clua 500 is in the MHAS (Museo Historia Automoción Salamanca) in Spain.
This 1957 publicity document was downloaded from http://www.cartelmotor.com
Spanish Motorcycles 