Simson Classic
Motorcycles
In 1854 the brothers Löb
and Moses Simson bought one third of a steelhammer
works in Suhl (Germany). The production
of carbon steel began and the firm Simson
& Co. was founded in 1856. The factory produced
guns and gunbarrels in the years following.
In 1871 the first steam engine started its
service and the enterprise established production
of bicycles in 1896, which was followed
by the start of automobile production in
1907. The racing car Simson Supra is famous.
Simson S 51Adolf Hitler's
dictatorship forced the Jewish family Simson
to flee the country in 1936. Under the framework
of dispossession of Jewish industrialists
a trustee took control of the firm, and
so by merger with other factories the "Berlin
Suhler Waffen- und Fahrzeugwerke" (BSW)
was formed. In the same year the first motorbike
came off the assembly lines whose name was
BSW 98. After the politically determined
emigration of the Simson brothers the factory
intensified weapons production and so from
1939 the company was called "Gustloff-Werke
- Waffenwerk Suhl".
The factory continued to
build bicycles, weapons and cars until 1945.
Then, in 1946, by order of the Soviet military
administration the manufacturing plant was
partially dismantled and transported to
the Soviet Republic (USSR). This was as
part of the reparation programme for the
damage caused by Germany during the second
war and in 1947 the factory was integrated
into the Russian "SAG Awtowelo" (state stock
company motorcycle).
Simson DUO 4/1 tricycleLater,
the USSR handed back control of the factory
to the German Democratic Repuplic (GDR)
and in 1952 it was renamed "VEB Fahrzeug-
und Gerätewerk Simson Suhl". Production
of sporting guns, prams and bicycles slowly
resumed, but the main focus was again on
motorcycle manufacture.
Simson produced more than
300,000 motorcycles of the type AWO 425.
This was a shaft driven, 250 cc four stroke
motorcycle that enjoyed high reputation
within the eastern bloc countries. There
were two main models of AWO 425. The T (touring)
had plunger rear suspension, while the S
(sport) model had twin-shock swinging arm
rear suspension.
Simson DUO tricycleSimson
motorcycle manufacture ceased in the early
1960s when the GDR government decided that
from then on all new private cars and motorcycles
would be two-strokes. The GDR already had
a two stroke motorcycle factory: the former
MZ works at Zschopau. The Simson factory
was therefore given a new task of building
two stroke mopeds. From the 1960s moped
production grew steadily in Suhl; up to
200,000 mopeds per year came off the assembly
lines.
Series manufacture of the
scooter KR51 "Schwalbe", fitted with a 3.4
hp engine, began in 1964. The year 1968
saw the merger of Simson and "VEB Ernst-Thälmann-Werk
Suhl" to "VEB Fahrzeug- und Jagdwaffenwerk
Ernst Thälmann Suhl". Subsequently,
the Schwalbe helped the company to worldwide
and fame in the GDR the scooter stood for
the success of East German two-wheeler motor
manufacturing.
After the political changes
in East Germany in 1989 a number of attempts
to modernise the assembly lines failed.
Several investors tried unsuccessfully to
keep production going and to bring new developments
on market. Consequently, production finally
ceased in autumn 2002 and on 1 February
2003 bankruptcy proceedings were held in
the wake of which the remaining 90 employees
were made redundant without any form of
compensation.
