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Thomas Schmieder
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Simson-Schwalbe: Most built German motorized two-wheeler
Samson Swallow
Most built German motorized two-wheeler
The production of the Simson Schwalbe started 55 years ago. From then on it was built for 22 years and production stopped 33 years ago. The Schwalbe is still the most popular motorized two-wheeler made in Germany.
Thomas Schmieder
11/11/2019
Did you know? Which was the most popular motorized two-wheeler made in Germany? Hercules Prima 5S? DKW RT 125? BMW R 1200 GS?
No, they were all popular and highly successful models. But a phenomenal 1,176,640 copies of the swallow produced the “nationally owned company” VEB vehicle and hunting weapons factory Simson Suhl from 1964 to 1988 in total. Namely in the series KR 51 (1964 to 1968), KR 51/1 (1968 to 1980) and KR 51/2 (1980 to 1986). This makes the Schwalbe the most popular motorized two-wheeler made in Germany. The model name stood for “KleinRoller 50 cubic”. The type abbreviation KR 50 was already taken – for the single-seater predecessor built from 1958 to 1964.
Never officially in the West
And for real know-it-alls: The famous swallow was the first model to be the prelude to Samson’s bird series, which also included sparrows and starlings, sparrowhawks and hawks. From the Thuringian Forest flew, no: the swallows rolled in huge swarms through the entire East German Republic. On the side irony: Before 1990, West Germans only knew these 50s, if at all, from personal visits to the GDR: unlike the MZ top models such as the ETZ 251, the swallow was never exported to the old Federal Republic. Swallows were too fast as mopeds and too lame for mopeds in the West German understanding.
More facts about the Samson Swallow can be found in MOTORRAD CLASSIC issue 12/2019, in stores since November 8, 2019.
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