Kreidler Motorcycles

Kreidler was a German manufacturer founded in 1903 in Kornwestheim, near Stuttgart, as "Kreidlers Metall- und Drahtwerke," a metal and wire factory started by Anton Kreidler. The company moved into motorcycle production in 1951 and quickly became one of Germany's dominant lightweight-bike makers - by 1959, roughly one in three motorcycles sold in Germany was a Kreidler. The brand also built a strong motorsport reputation in the 1970s, particularly in the Netherlands, where riders Jan de Vries and Henk van Kessel won championships on Kreidler machines. The original company collapsed in 1982, and the trademark passed to businessman Rudolf Scheidt, who had Italian manufacturer Garelli produce mopeds under the Kreidler name through 1988. Bicycle maker Prophete later acquired the rights, and today Kreidler exists as a moped and scooter brand of Prophete's subsidiary Cycle Union GmbH in Oldenburg, Germany - a licensing continuation rather than the original manufacturer.