Royal Gazelle

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Koninklijke Gazelle NV

logo
legal form NV
founding 1892
Seat Dieren , Netherlands
Number of employees 550 (2006)
Branch Cycles
Website www.gazelle.nl

Koninklijke Gazelle was a Dutch bicycle company that originally also manufactured small motor vehicles and motorcycles. The company has been part of Pon Holdings since 2011 and continues to exist as a brand under their umbrella.

Company history

With around 12 million bicycles sold and a company history spanning more than a hundred years, it is the largest bicycle company in the Netherlands . Annual production in Dieren is currently around 350,000 bicycles with around 550 employees.

Up to and including the Second World War

Gazelle motorcycle (1935)

In 1892 Willem Kölling, a PTT official, started a bicycle shop by initially importing English bicycles for resale. When his business was going well, he looked for a partner and found him in Rudolf Arentsen, a dealer in stoves, fireplaces and irons. They founded the company Kölling und Arentsen. In 1902 the company started its own production under the name Gazelle , which was influenced by Dutch colonial history . In 1903, the range was expanded to include a motorcycle that was not manufactured by Gazelle itself.

In 1905 Arentsen withdrew from the company and was replaced by Hendrik Kölling, a brother of William. After a major expansion of the production facility, it was possible to produce a larger number of bicycles.

In 1915 the company was renamed NV Gazelle Rijwielfabriek v / h Arentsen und Kölling. The company flourished until the Second World War and expanded its sales market in the Dutch East Indies. The first tandem was produced in 1935, which immediately proved to be a great success. In 1938 the construction of motorcycles began, initially with the 60cc "steak warmer" from ILO, later also with heavier models with 50 to 248cc ILO and Villiers blocks. Less successful was the first experiment with an electrically powered bicycle developed by five bicycle manufacturers, including Gazelle.

In the 1930s, Gazelle introduced a comic book entitled "Piet Pelle on his Gazelle". It was reissued in the 1950s and Kees Stip added two more stories in the 1960s.

The first tandem was sold in 1935 .

During the Second World War a large part of the material and the machines were transferred to Germany, shortly before the liberation the remaining machines were destroyed by a special demolition squad.

Between 1945 and 2000

After the war, it was not until August 1946 before the first post-war Gazelle bike was launched, and in 1950 the first auxiliary motor bike followed.

In 1954, the year the 1 millionth bicycle was manufactured, the company was transformed from a family business into an open joint stock company. Gazelle became one of the most important bicycle factories in the Netherlands in the following years.

In 1958, Gazelle, which also produced three-wheeled bicycles, presented a four-wheeled commercial delivery van bought for orders from De Gruyter and Vermaat bakery. An electric or gasoline engine (made by Sachs) served as the drive.

In 1964, Gazelle launched the Kwikstep, the first Dutch folding bike.

A merger with Batavus in 1964 did not go smoothly. The companies didn't seem to be a good match and after only two years the collaboration ended. At the end of the sixties, the competitors Juncker, Simplex and Locomotief and the moped manufacturer Berini were taken over.

In 1970 Gazelle built a two-seater light vehicle . A two-stroke engine provided the drive . The vehicle remained a prototype .

In 1971, Gazelle itself was taken over by Tube Investment and the company became "Gazelle Rijwielfabriek BV".

In 1987 the bicycle division of Tube Investments was sold to Derby Cycle Werke . This American company already owned Raleigh, the later manufacturer Sturmey-Archer and the German bicycle brands Kalkhoff, Rixe, Winora and Staiger.

In 1992, Gazelle was awarded the title "Koninklijk" for its 100th anniversary and the eight millionth bike was built.

In 1999 the number of employees was around 600, the annual production was around 300,000 wheels, and the ten millionth wheel was manufactured.

After 2000

Derby sold Gazelle to the Dutch investment company Gilde Buy Out Partners in 2001. Gazelle was doing just fine, but Derby needed the proceeds from the sale to survive. At the time, Gazelle was producing approximately 380,000 bicycles a year and the company had a 30% market share.

On June 1, 2006, the production of steel frames at the Dieren location was discontinued. Since then, like the aluminum frames, these have been purchased externally.

In 2011, Gazelle was acquired by Pon Holdings (an importer of Volkswagen cars) from owner Gilde Buy Out Partners. Gazelle remained an independently operating company after the takeover. According to Pon, the acquisition fitted into the growth strategy as a mobility provider and was an important step in the bicycle market.

At the end of 2012, Princess Margriet visited the factory, which was celebrating its 120th anniversary. In the same year Union was also taken over by the PON Bicycle Group. Union is now part of Gazelle.

In 2015 the new factory hall was opened by King Willem Alexander.

Wheel models

The Gazelle company is usually mentioned in the same breath as the " Dutch bike ", which is known in Germany . This classic city bike set the style for the company and is still widespread in northern Germany.

However, Gazelle also produced touring, trekking, cyclocross , track and racing bikes made of steel. The higher quality models were made from Reynolds pipes of varying quality, the top models from Reynolds 531 .

  • Bicycle chainring with incorporated gazelle

  • Motorized cargo tricycle

  • Gazelle Speciaal Exclusive Top Class Women (1988)

  • Gazelle touring bike

  • Gazelle racing bike from the 1990s

Piet Pelle

Book cover of 't Avontuur van Piet Pelle op zyn Gazelle from 1912

From 1912 to 1998, was advertising character of Gazelle the little boy Piet Pelle from the free distribution of the company storybook 't Avontuur van Piet Pelle op zyn Gazelle , designed by Ko Doncker . From this the advertising slogan "Doe as Piet Pelle - kies' n Gazelle" ("Doe as Piet Pelle - choose a gazelle") developed. Piet Pelle has been the trademark of the Het nieuwe fietsplan advertising campaign for electric bicycles since 2015 .

literature

Web links

Commons : Gazelle  - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Harald H. Linz, Halwart Schrader : The International Automobile Encyclopedia . United Soft Media Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-8032-9876-8 .
  2. ^ Lammerse: Autodesign in Nederland.
  3. ↑ Gazelle stops production of steel frames. In: radmarkt.de. May 30, 2006, accessed June 9, 2016 .
  4. ^ Gert-Jan Moed: "Piet Pelle of zijn Gazelle" . In: Nicholas Oddy / Rob van der Plas / (Ed.): Cycle History. Proceedings, 8th International Cycling History Conference . Glasgow 1997 . tape 8 . Van der Plas Publications, p. 151-156 .
  5. ^ Piet Pelle en zijn Gazelle - Geschiedenis. In: gazelle.nl. Retrieved June 8, 2016 (Dutch).
  6. ↑ Het Nieuwe Fietsplan. In: hetnieuwefietsplan.nl. Retrieved June 7, 2016 .