Pony, the legendary compact urban bicycle, is the star of a new permanent exhibition at the Rog Centre in Ljubljana, a converted former factory where its production started sixty years ago.

After the Second World War the Rog factory became the biggest bicycle manufacturer in the former Yugoslavia.

In addition to manufacturing different types of Rog bicycles, the factory also produced typewriters and camping equipment during its 40-year history.

In 1969 it manufactured 57% of all bicycles in Yugoslavia, while Pony bikes, its flagship product at home and abroad, accounted for 43% of total production.

Pony was launched in 1964, and the model soon became known as an accessible and hip urban bicycle.

Ever since, it has remained a means of transport desired across generations, whether it is teens heading to meet their friends or adults going to work.

Its signature features are its compact size and foldable aluminium frame allowing for easy storing and transporting.

The exhibition, launched on 23 January, showcases the original and modern versions of the iconic bike.

It was was put on in cooperation with the Technical Museum, which donated the original version of the bike from the 1970s, and the company Turna, which contributed a modern Pony version.

The museum houses the largest collection of Rog products, while Turna is the current owner of the brand Rog Pony and has been producing and assembling the upgraded version of the bike at its plant in Šoštanj since 2017.

This is not Turna's core business, but "we are proud to manufacture these bikes", the company's director Vladimir Pogač said. Currently they are working on electrifying Pony's motorcycle version, the Pony Express.

The Pony bikes have remained popular to this day and there is even the annual Red Bull Goni Pony challenge, a race to the top of Vršič Pass featuring old single-gear Pony bicycles.

It is also because of nostalgia that the bike has remained a popular choice as Pony used to be the first proper bike kids got as a present, said the museum's Matevž Šlabnik, who curated the exhibition.

Back in the day, the model was also the Rog factory's leading export product, its design having been based on the Italian model Graziella.

Pony is part of Slovenia's collective memory and the exhibition aims to celebrate it as an important part of the country's technical heritage.