Exhibition "Ikarus - The Bus" was opened at the St. Stephen King Museum in Székesfehérvár yesterday. At the opening ceremony, a convoy of nostalgic buses went from the Heroes' Square in Budapest to the venue of the exhibition.
The exhibition, which was realized in cooperation between the institution and the Hungarian Museum of Technology and Transport (MMKM), presents the history of legendary Ikarus, who occupies a special place in the history of the Hungarian bus and vehicle industry, as well as the General Mechanical Machine Factory of Székesfehérvár.
At the opening ceremony, Dávid Vitézy, director-general of the MMKM, emphasized that the care of the Ikarus heritage was a priority mission of their institution, and that they took over a dozen buses over the past year and a half and worked on the entire Ikarus photo archive. He believed that preserving the history of the factory for posterity is not only about the past, but about the future, as there is plenty of usable knowledge that can and should be utilized.
The Director General has announced that he will soon have a new transport museum in Kőbánya, the former North Vehicle Repair Service and the Ikarus history as well as the oldest and newest buses. János Hídvégi, curator of the exhibition, recalled that buses were made in Budapest for more than fifty-five years, and for forty years in Székesfehérvár, and during that time almost 300,000 vehicles were made. Of these, about 240,000 Ikarus buses were exported to 83 countries.
The exhibition highlights the moments of bus and vehicle production in Székesfehérvár from the accession of the former General Mechanical Engineering Factory to the Ikarus Body and Vehicle Factory in 1963. The exhibition focuses on independent bus planning in Székesfehérvár, showing the division of vehicle manufacturing between two factories, the difficulties in launching mass production, the work of innovative and brigade movements aimed at improving work organization, and even gaining insight into the “afterlife” and activities of the Székesfehérvár factory.
The exhibition features the legends of László Finta, Kázmér Smiedt, Gábor Lassú, László Rózsa, Béla Szini and many other designers. In addition, visitors can learn about the milestones of domestic bus production and the original blueprints through the evolution of the types. The exhibition can be seen at the exhibition hall of the Szent István King Museum in the country until July 21st.
(Source: vezess.hu / photo: pixabay.com)