Nostalgia once again runs through the streets of Vigo with one of our bodies. 50 years ago, the city’s urban transport company embarked on its journey with a fleet of 30 buses, leaving behind an entire network of trams, without going through the trolleybus stage, to connect the different parts of the city. Vitrasa was born.
We are transported, on this journey, to the year 1968, but it all began a few years earlier, with British Leyland, a shareholder in Enasa Pegaso, manufacturing the Leyland Comet engine. It was the origin of what we would later know as the Pegaso Comet truck, a model that emerged with the aim of relaunching Pegaso products.
The arrival of a reliable, affordable, and versatile chassis
We witnessed, therefore, the origin of what would be a very popular model at the time, not only in truck bodies but also in other types of bodies. Its versatility led to it being bodied in large quantities as buses and coaches, as well as vans and box trucks for moving and various uses in the entertainment world.
The Pegaso Cometa was a very reliable and robust vehicle, with a 6-cylinder engine called 9020 with 125 horsepower. This robustness was combined with ingenuity through a sales strategy that included a relatively affordable price.
Thanks to all these aspects, Pegaso was able to compete with its main competitor at the time: Barreiros Diésel.
In this context, Enasa Pegaso began to supply chassis to the bodywork sector. And it was at that moment that what was then Castro Unión Carrocera Gallega (in Vilagarcía de Arousa) and later Castrosua (in Santiago de Compostela), under the leadership of Don José Castro Suárez, came into play.
During this period, Enasa Pegaso offered numerous ranges: 5061, 5062, 5063, 5064, 5065, 5067, 5068… With a gearbox that could be either a 6-speed manual or a 4-speed Wilson automatic.
Castrosua, one of the main bus manufacturers
From the 1960s onwards, the demand for our bodies on the Pegaso Comet chassis increased thanks to the customization and quality of the materials used by Don José Castro when bodying our models.
During these 1960s and also during the 1970s, large quantities of bodied units left the Castrosua factories in Vilagarcía and Santiago for numerous clients, among whom we can mention Empresa Pereira in Vilagarcía de Arousa, Autocares Capela in As Neves, Autocares Romar in Santa Comba, Autos Arcade in Lugo, Rialsa in Ferrol, among many others, including the company Vitrasa in Vigo.
And a few days ago, we were able to see our bodywork on the streets of Vigo again. To commemorate its half-century of life, Vitrasa wanted to celebrate it in style by restoring one of our bodies on a Pegaso chassis.
Restoring the Castrosua-bodied Pegaso Comet
After 10 months of hard work, this restoration, which brings back the 1968 model, the year Vitrasa was inaugurated, has been a great success in the city since this second life of the ‘Cometa’ was unveiled, bringing the memory of this historic vehicle closer to citizens on European Car-Free Day.
For Grupo Castrosua, it is an honor and a source of pride to be part of this piece of the city’s history, especially with the enthusiasm of drivers, former drivers, tourists, curious onlookers, and other people who have come to see this model inside and out.
However, the restoration of the Pegaso Comet 5062 was not only about renovating the interior and exterior bodywork but also about preparing the engine for tourist trips around the city.
Compartimos convosco algunhas imaxes do noso Cometa percorrendo os barrios de Vigo a pasada semana. Grazas a todos os que vos achegastes a coñecelo!#50AnosMovéndonosporVigo pic.twitter.com/9wLJCZ2lG7
— Vitrasa Vigo (@VitrasaVigo) October 8, 2018
With a semi-automatic gearbox, this model featured the latest technology of the time for both passengers and drivers. From step entrances to access ramps, from turnstiles or turnstiles to obstacle-free spaces, from barriers for people with reduced mobility to more space and innovation in integral air suspension, bodies have evolved towards sustainable passenger mobility.
From another perspective, the safety regulations of half a century ago are now a distant memory. Currently, bodies must comply with more comprehensive and up-to-date national and international safety regulations in line with today’s standards.
On the other hand, we can see how the industry has evolved towards cleaner technologies, for example, with the design of new models such as our MAGNUS.Hybrid Scania Castrosua hybrid, homologated in Class II, reducing fuel consumption.
And what did you think of the work done to restore the Pegaso Comet 5062? Would you like to see a restored Castrosua model in your city? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments.
