Monark
Monark , also Cykelfabriken Monark AB , is a Swedish company that is particularly well known for its production of bicycles , light motorcycles and motorcycles .
history
It was founded in 1908 in Varberg by Birger Svensson (1883–1944) and at peak times it produced up to 1,000 two-wheelers of all kinds per day.
After private drivers had modified the popular lightweight bikes on their own initiative and successfully participated in off-road sports events, the company also became involved in sports. Eight Monark machines started when they took part in the Six Days in 1954: All eight drivers won a gold medal. The following year, Sten Lundin won the Motocross World Championship on a 500cc Monark .
In 1960 a merger was made with Nymanbolagen from Uppsala and the name was changed in 1964 to Monark Crescent AB or MCB.
In the following years, the company expanded in terms of its product range and manufacturing locations, e.g. B. Husqvarna took over the outboard production, also manufactured radios and opened a plant in Brazil . While around 2,000 people worked at Monark at peak times, there were layoffs, plant closures and product streamlining from the late 1960s. The factory in Uppsala z. B. was sold to Volvo in 1973 .
Today Monark is part of Cycleurope , around 80 people still work in Varberg and the company is part of Grimaldi Industri AB .
Web links
- Vår historia. In: monark.se. (Swedish).
- Vintage Monark - non-commercial website for collectors, restorers and part-makers (English, Swedish)