Kathmandu. The Royal Enfield motorcycle journey began in 1891. That year, entrepreneurs Bob Walker Smith and Albert Eddy purchased George Townsend & Company, an old needle manufacturing company. The factory was located in Redditch, England.
A few days after buying the factory, they began producing bicycles.
In 1893, the company won a contract to supply parts to the Royal Small Arms Factory. It was later renamed Enfield Manufacturing Company Limited.
The first bicycle it produced was named Enfield. The following year, the brand was renamed Royal Enfield. It was then that their famous slogan ‘Made Like a Gun’ came to the fore.
In 1901, the first Royal Enfield motorcycle came into the market. Then, gradually, new models, including the V-twin and two-stroke, began to emerge. In 1932, Royal Enfield’s legendary model bullet was born.
Royal Enfield’s 125cc ‘Flying Flee’ model motorcycle also gained fame during World War II. Then in 1955, Enfield India was launched in partnership with Madras Motors of India.
The brand survived in India, even though factories in the UK shut down in the 60s and 70s. In the UK, Royal Enfield’s production plant is closed, but there is an R&D centre. Royal Enfield has established itself as the world’s longest-running motorcycle brand, crossing the 120-year milestone in 2021.
History of Royal Enfield
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The Company’s journey to England began in 1891. It started with George Townsend & Co., a 50-year-old needle manufacturing company. In 1893, the company was renamed the Enfield Manufacturing Company. The first bicycle that came on the market was called Enfield. In 1894, Royal Enfield motorcycles were introduced. The Royal Enfield’s slogan was made like a gun, it became widely known.
In 1898 the official name of the Enfield Manufacturing Company Limited was The Enfield Bicycle Company Limited. The name remained in use for the next 70 years.
The first Royal Enfield motorcycle was created in 1901 by the joint design of Bob Walker Smith and French engineer Jules Goubiet.
In 1914, Royal Enfield produced the first two-stroke motorcycle, which was used in World War I.
In 1924, Royal Enfield launched 8 new models.
Royal Enfield’s most famous motorcycle, the Bullet, was launched in 1932. It was first showcased at the Olympia Motorcycle Show in London.
After co-founder Bob Walker Smith’s death in 1933, his son, Major Frank Smith, took full responsibility.
From 1939 to 1945, Royal Enfield began mass production of military motorcycles, bicycles, generators and anti-aircraft equipment.
In 1949, Indian entrepreneur K. R. Sundaram Iyer founded Madras Motors to import British motorcycles. Three years later, in 1952, the Indian Army ordered the purchase of 500 350 cc bullet motorcycles.
1955 Enfield Cycle Company Limited and Madras Motors jointly formed Enfield India. And two years later, in 1977, Enfield India began exporting 350cc Bullets to the UK and Europe.
In 1993, Enfield India produced the world’s first commercially produced diesel motorcycle. In 1994, the Indian multinational company Eicher Enfield India was acquired. The name was changed to Royal Enfield Motors Limited.
In 2001, an Indian Army team set a world record by running 200 meters using a 350 cc bullet model motorcycle to build a human pyramid of 201 people.
In 2005, Royal Enfield celebrated 50 years in India. In 2016, the first adventure motorcycle, the Himalayan was launched.
In 2017, Royal Enfield’s Technology Centre opened in the UK, where Royal Enfield’s design and engineering skills are developed.
In 2021, Royal Enfield celebrated its 120th anniversary.
In 2023, Triveni Auto Group started assembling Royal Enfield’s motorcycles in Nepal. The company is in the financial year 2081. A total of 11,883 motorcycles were sold in the company.
Image source: Royal Enfield
