mtb-timeline

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<div column 50% #intro>
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===== Panasonic Bicycles =====

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.


<blockquote>
//A day's work at Godai Bicycle Shop//
\\

My job as apprentice was to scrub the shop each morning, clean up every evening, and dust the bicycles and other items on display.
I also learned how to do repairs. In those days, repair was not a matter of simply replacing parts; often we had to manufacture new parts right there in the shop, and we had lathes and drilling machines for that purpose, all of which I learned how to use.
I enjoyed this work and never tired of it. The days went quickly.
<cite>
Konosuke Matsushita
[[https://holdings.panasonic/global/corporate/about/history/panasonic-museum/konosuke/archives/20200224.html|panasonic]]
</cite>
</blockquote>


Sources:

  * [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dnosuke_Matsushita]],
  * [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panasonic]],
  * [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panasonic_(brand)]],
  * [[https://www.panasonicbikemuseum.info]],
  * [[https://panaracer.com/en/]],
  * [[https://www.panasonic.com/global/corporate/history/panasonic-museum/konosuke-matsushita-museum/history.html]],
  * [[https://holdings.panasonic/global/corporate/about/history/panasonic-museum/konosuke/archives/20200224.html]],
  * [[http://www.yellowjersey.org/pana.html]]

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<div column 45%>
{{konosuke.jpg?440|Kōnosuke Matsushita}}
\\
Billionaire on a bike.
[[https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201808/09/WS5b6b7a9ea310add14f384b66_4.html|chinadaily]]
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<div column 50% #s1983>
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===== 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.

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<div column 45%>
{{1983.jpg?300|1983 National/Panasonic Cobra }}
\\
1983 National/Panasonic Cobra
\\
[[https://mountainbikemuseum.nl/mountainbikes/national-panasonic-cobra-mountainbike-444|mountainbikemuseum]]
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<div column 50% #s1984>
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===== 1984 All-Terrain Bike =====
15 speed, Shimano AL-11, electric blue, lugged frame.
\\
Dating Panasonics is very easy, as full catalogs [[https://www.panasonicbikemuseum.info|exist]] and each year (and region) had a unique color scheme.
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<div column 45%>
{{1984.jpg?300|1984 All-Terrain Bike }}
\\
1984 All-Terrain Bike
[[ https://www.ebay.com/itm/304567073088|ebay]]
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<div column 50% #s1985>
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===== 1985 Pro-ATB =====
18s, Shimano Deore XT (v1), TIG welded, metallic graphite, slingshot stem.
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<div column 45%>
{{1985.jpg?300|1985 Pro-ATB }}
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1985 Pro-ATB
[[https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/69114639|ksl]]
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<div column 50% #s1986>
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===== 1986 Pro ATB =====
SunTour XC, TIG welded, chrome yellow.
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<div column 45%>
{{1986.jpg?300|1986 Pro ATB }}
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1986 Pro ATB
[[ https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/1986-panasonic-pro-atb.377186/|retrobike]]
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<div column 50% #s1987>
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===== 1987 Mountain Cat 7500 =====
1987 Mountain Cat 7500
18s, Deore XT v2, TIG welded, Tange tubing, Lemon Lime/Lime Green.

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<div column 45%>
{{1987.jpg?300|1987 Mountain Cat 7500 }}
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1987 Mountain Cat 7500
[[ https://i0.wp.com/www.panasonicbikemuseum.info/wp-content/uploads/1987catMountainCat7500Page18.jpg|panasonicbikemuseum]]
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<div column 50% #s1988>
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===== 1988 MC-7500 =====
Shimano Deore XT v2, Tange lugged frame
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<div column 45%>
{{1988.jpg?300|1988 MC-7500 }}
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1988 MC-7500
[[https://www.panasonicbikemuseum.info/1988-panasonic-mc-7500-2/|panasonicbikemuseum]]
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<div column 50% #s1989>
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===== 1989 PICS Team MC 800 Custom =====
Panasonic exited the US market on a high note, allowing for custom paint choices, executed at the factory.  Shimano Deore MT62.
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<div column 45%>
{{1989.jpg?300|1989 PICS Team MC 800 Custom }}
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1989 PICS Team MC 800 Custom
[[ https://www.panasonicbikemuseum.info/1989-panasonic-pics-team-mc-800-custom/|panasonicbikemuseum]]
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<div column 50% #s1990>
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===== 1990 MC-8500 =====
European spec.  Shimano Deore XT.  It should have come with a Tange Switch Blade fork, but no Panasonic Switch Blade examples in the wild have been found.
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<div column 45%>
{{1990.jpg?300|1990 MC-8500 }}
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1990 MC-8500
[[ https://www.mtb-news.de/forum/t/panasonic-mc-8500.964254/|mtb-news.de]]
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<div column 50% #s1991>
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===== 1991 MC Comp =====
Deore DX, elevated chainstay, Tange TIG welded.
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<div column 45%>
{{1991.jpg?300|1991 MC Comp }}
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1991 MC Comp
[[ https://www.mtb-news.de/forum/t/1991-panasonic-mc-comp.894326/|mtb-news.de]]
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<div column 50% #s1992>
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===== 1992 MC Team =====
Full Shimano XTR M900.  Tange Prestige lugged frame.
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<div column 45%>
{{1992.jpg?300|1992 MC Team }}
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1992 MC Team
[[ https://www.panasonicbikemuseum.info/1992-panasonic-mc-pro/|panasonicbikemuseum]]
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<div column 50% #s1993>
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===== 1993 MC Pro DH =====
Full Shimano Deore XT, Tange Shock Blades, Panaracer Smoke/Dart tires, unnamed rear suspension.  A downhill specific machine.
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<div column 45%>
{{1993.jpg?300|1993 MC Pro DH }}
\\
1993 MC Pro DH
[[ https://www.facebook.com/OKKYSCLASSICMTB.part.accesories.restoration/posts/pfbid02MrQifidpvdCbUr2c8E8RT2rzMCV7rW37BnXTRPBPKAzwFeo4YgoZzJ7p5iUgKUcbl|facebook]]
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