Details

Name

B S A

Brief Biography

1861 - 1972/73, British

Occupation

Motorcycle Manufacturer; Munitions Manufacturer

Description

B.S.A. (Birmingham Small Arms) was for many years the largest British motorcycle manufacturer. In the 1850's a group of gunsmiths came together to form a Trade Association and in 1861 they founded the BSA Company. The first complete motorbike they built was produced in 1910. During the wars they produced both arms and motorcycles and in WW2 the main stay of the British Army became the BSA M20 with a side valve engine of 500cc. The Gold Stars became the name that will live for ever as they were the first of the production racing machines. At its peak, BSA was the largest motorcycle producer in the world. Despite entering the 1960s boasting record profits and a formidable reputation, by the end of the decade BSA were all but finished and production ceased in 1972/3. Loss of sales and poor investments in new products in the motorcycle division, which included Triumph Motorcycles, led to problems for the whole group. A government organized rescue operation in 1973 led to the takeover of remaining operations by what is now Manganese Bronze Holdings, then owners of Norton-Villiers, and over the following decade further closures and dispersals. The original company, The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited, remains a subsidiary of Manganese Bronze but its name was changed in 1987. Manganese Bronze continues to operate former BSA subsidiary Carbodies, now known as LTI Limited, manufacturers of London Taxicabs and the largest wholly British owned car manufacturer.