| Next revision | Previous revision |
| panasonic:start [2022/09/20 14:49] – created mtbtimeline | panasonic:start [2023/10/27 06:27] (current) – mtbtimeline |
|---|
| ===== Panasonic Bicycles ===== | ===== Panasonic Bicycles ===== |
| |
| Kōnosuke Matsushita (1894-1989) started Matsushita Electric Industrial Company in 1917 in Osaka, Japan. Kōnosuke apprenticed in a bicycle shop for seven years while living with the owners starting when he was nine years old. At aged 16 he moved to an electronics shop, and soon struck out on his own manufacturing simple electronics under the Matsushita brand. Matsushita began producing bicycles in 1951 and the Panasonic brand was created in 1955. Panasonic started exporting bicycles to the US by 1971 in addition to supplying bicycles to Schwinn and Raleigh (US). Exports to the US ended in 1989 after Mr. Matsushita's death, while exports to Europe and Australasia continue today. | Kōnosuke Matsushita (1894-1989) started Matsushita Electric Industrial Company in 1917 in Osaka, Japan. The youngest of eight children, when his father lost all of his money Kōnosuke was forced to leave home and apprentice to a bicycle shop for seven years. At aged 16 he moved to an electronics shop, and soon struck out on his own manufacturing simple electronics under the Matsushita brand. Matsushita began producing bicycles in 1951 and the Panasonic brand was created in 1955. Panasonic started exporting bicycles to the US by 1971 in addition to supplying bicycles to Schwinn and Raleigh (US). Exports to the US ended in 1989 after Mr. Matsushita's death, while exports to Europe and Australasia continue today. |
| Panasonic remains the world's largest consumer electronic company, with revenue in excess of $80 billion. Panaracer tires, long favorites for MTBs, continue to be exported to the US. | Panasonic remains the world's largest consumer electronic company, with revenue in excess of $80 billion. Panaracer tires, long favorites for MTBs, continue to be exported to the US. |
| |
| [[https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201808/09/WS5b6b7a9ea310add14f384b66_4.html|chinadaily]] | [[https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201808/09/WS5b6b7a9ea310add14f384b66_4.html|chinadaily]] |
| </div> | </div> |
| | |
| | |
| | <div column 50% #s1983> |
| | ---- |
| | ===== 1983 National/Panasonic Cobra ===== |
| | European Panasonic import, rebranded as simply "Mountain Bike". |
| | The "National" brand was often used outside of the US and wasn't retired until 2009((See Panasonic brand history at: [[https://web.archive.org/web/20081108061747/http://panasonic.net/brand/history/|Panasonic history archive]].)). |
| | Sturmey Archer dynohub front, SunTour MounTech 4900 rear with a 1983 date code. |
| | |
| | </div> |
| | <div column 45%> |
| | {{1983.jpg?300|1983 National/Panasonic Cobra }} |
| | \\ |
| | 1983 National/Panasonic Cobra |
| | \\ |
| | [[https://mountainbikemuseum.nl/mountainbikes/national-panasonic-cobra-mountainbike-444|mountainbikemuseum]] |
| | </div> |
| | |
| | |
| |
| |
