The Vilar Factory  was founded in 1922 under the acronym FNB (Fábrica Nacional de Bicicletas). Headquartered at Rua do Bonjardim, 826-828, Porto, it was the first national manufacturer of bicycles and motorcycles in Portugal. The modernist factory, nestled in the heart of the historic downtown of Porto, was designed by architects João Pimental Junior and Alberto Bessa in the 1920s to cater to Portugal's nascent motorcycle market.

Vilar manufactured bicycles and churned out replacement accessories, mostly hubs, rims and spokes. In 1930, with ten years of experience behind them and well established in the market, they began to supply accessories and paint to other emerging brands and soon obtained production licenses for the new industry, with the aim of building reliable motorcycles at affordable prices while generating wealth for the country and creating jobs across the region.

One hundred years later, we have the honour of bringing the story of this factory full circle and sharing this unique piece of Porto’s industrial legacy with the local and international community. The carefully restored and reimagined Fábrica Vilar comes back to life for a new chapter in history.