Tomos (Tovarna motornih koles Sežana, or the Sežana Motorcycle Factory) was set up in 1954, just a few miles from the Italian border. At first it manufactured Austrian Puch motorcycles under license. The demand was high, and before the decade was out, TOMOS moved into a new, larger factory in the port town of Koper.
In the 1960s, the company’s management realized that the demand for heavy bikes was slowly declining. At the same time, a transportation revolution was on the horizon: Young people had more disposable income than ever before, but cars remained an unattainable dream for most, so mopeds were a becoming an object of desire and a symbol of personal mobility. Tomos adjusted to the new circumstances by launching a line of mopeds and light motorcycles of its own design.
Tomos motorcycles became a hit throughout Yugoslavia, and gave many young people their first taste of freedom on the road. The inexpensive bikes also found success abroad. After the oil shocks of the 1970s, they even became an increasingly common sight on American roads. They were soon joined by Tomos outboard engines, which could soon be seen in American harbors from coast to coast.
Bolstered by its success, Tomos decided to tackle automobiles. It set up Cimos, a joint venture with the French car giant Citroën, and began to assemble a number of different models. The idiosyncratic, simply-built 2CV was a particular hit, and soon Slovenia developed a love affair with the most quintessentially French car of the era. Even now, a quarter century after production of the model came to an end; Slovenian 2CV enthusiasts still organize regular meet-ups of these classic cars.
After independence, Tomos had a difficult time adjusting to the loss of the Yugoslav market. In 1997, however, Hidria, a privately owned Slovenian auto part maker, bought the company and gave it a second lease on life. The company recently shifted its production from motorcycles to high-tech car components. Even though Tomos has stopped making motorcycles for Slovenia’s younger generations, the old factory lives on as a parts supplier for auto makers across Europe.
Jaka Bartolj
