Indian group Mahindra restarts its British motorcycle brand BSA
Jealous of the success of Royal Enfield (owned by the Indian group Eicher) and in no way cooled by the recent difficulties of Norton (bought by TVS, suddenly), Mahindra will relaunch "his" English brand BSA: thermal and electric motorcycles "Made in UK "are planned for next year. Explanations.
There was a time when the under twenty sixty years can not know where BSA was the largest producer of motorcycles in the world. In 1949, the Birmingham brand was so powerful that it came to the aid of its sister in Coventry … Triumph !
The years (19) 50 and 60 were particularly "glorious" for this BSA-Triumph duo: in 1967 and 1968, it also received the "Queen Award for Industry" because of its excellent sales and its contribution to the British motorcycle industry. The latter is then competed, soon overcome by new brands from Japan: Honzuki or Kawamaha … something in the genre.
Merged in 1972 with its competitors and compatriots Norton and Villiers, BSA disappeared from circulation the following year. In 1978 during the liquidation of NVT ("yes", Norton Villiers Triumph), the name BSA was bought by MBH, a holding company that owned the manufacturer of the "famous" London taxis. !
It will take almost forty years to hear about BSA again, especially on the Site! At the end of 2016, the Mahindra acquired the prestigious English brand: the successive and "successful" relaunches of Triumph, Royal Enfield and Norton – to a lesser extent … – are appetizing…
- MNC of November 7, 2016 :
- MNC of November 15, 2019 :
- MNC of April 20, 2020 :
Already owner of the French Peugeot Motocycles (at 51 then 100%) and of the Czech Jawa, the Indian giant of the tractor, the car and the rickshaw – which has diversified into finance, real estate, energy , aerospace, etc! – then expresses the wish to "revive mythical brands like BSA and Jawa, not only in the form of products but also as a lifestyle".
Vishnou save the motorcycle industry
Before selling T-shirts and caps, mugs and socks, smartphone cases and magnets, however, Mahindra must restart the machine. And this is precisely what Anand Mahindra, big boss of the eponymous conglomerate, has just announced. !
The 1.4 billion euro businessman according to Forbes magazine recently confided in: "The UK has been the leader in motorcycles from the start. This origin is something we really want to keep ". Understand: the BSA will be "Made in UK".
In a short time, the new company BSA will start in Bandurry (Oxfordshire, not far from Coventry) the construction of a research center in order to develop future electric motorcycles: it would have received for this a grant of a little more than 5 million euros from the British government which hopes to create 255 jobs.
Thermal BSA motorcycles then, very quickly, electric
Before you become doubly connected – electric and fashionable again? -, BSA also plans to produce motorcycles powered by internal combustion engines. Because Mahindra does not intend to abandon thermal before the market reaches its "tipping point".
For information, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has just announced his intention to advance to 2030 (instead of 2040 and then 2035) the ban on the sale of new and 100% thermal cars and vans across the Channel. The switch would therefore take place long before the oil shortage…
Before the end of next year and the release of its first electric motorcycle (!), "BSA plans to assemble traditional motorcycles costing between EUR 5,500 and 11,000 with parts sourced from various suppliers in the UK and elsewhere. ". To accomplish this extremely ambitious program, BSA can count on its sprawling parent company and its vast know-how..
The image of the prestigious brand – but almost forgotten! – will it then be strong enough to attract customers? The relaunch at the end of 2018 of Jawa exclusively in India exceeded all expectations: 50,000 motorcycles were sold in twelve months, including 2,000 recent and cute Perak (photo above) … Business to follow on the Site, stay tuned !
Related articles
-
Company life – Indian manufacturer TVS acquires English brand Norton – Occasions NORTON
Indian manufacturer TVS acquires English brand Norton End of the financial turmoil for Norton: riddled with debt, the venerable English brand passes into…
-
Kawasaki Heavy Industries group restructures its motorcycle division The sprawling Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) group sets up a vast restructuring…
-
Why Polaris is shutting down Victory Motorcycles The Polaris group has just announced the end of the activities of the Victory Motorcycles brand … The…
-
Business – Bruno Muller takes the helm of Zero Motorcycle in France – Occasions ZERO MOTORCYCLES
Bruno Muller takes the helm of Zero Motorcycle in France After 12 years at Yamaha Motor France, 11 years at Piaggio and 11 more at Peugeot Scooters,…
-
Deconfinement: Ducati motorcycle factory restarts after six weeks of closure Stopped on March 13 to fight against the spread of Covid-19, the Ducati…
-
Motorcycle speed record: Indian takes over the track at Munro and Bonneville In 2017, Indian celebrated the 50th anniversary of Burt Munro’s speed record…
-
Company – Confined with … Pierre Audoin, director of Indian Motorcycle France – Occasions INDIAN
Confined with … Pierre Audoin, director of Indian Motorcycle France What are the main players in the motorcycle world doing during the lockdown linked…
-
Market reports – Pierre Audoin: Victory is still young – Occasions INDIAN VICTORY
Pierre Audoin: Victory is still young With 317 registrations in 2013, Victory posted a drop of -20.4% on the French motorcycle market. Pierre Audoin,…
-
Pierre Audoin (Indian, Victory): the current notoriety of Indian is a good surprise With 277 registrations, Victory posted a decrease of -12.6% while the…
-
Business – Polaris Industries acquires Indian Motorcycles – Occasions INDIAN POLARIS
Polaris Industries acquires Indian Motorcycles Polaris Industries has just acquired Indian Motorcycles, the oldest American motorcycle manufacturer, from…