The Mahindra Group may be planning to revive British motorcycle brand BSA, with direct backing of Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group, according to latest reports from the UK. According to a report in The Guardian, Mahindra is planning to restart production by the BSA Company, assembling electric motorcycles under the BSA brand in the Midlands as soon as the middle of 2021. According to the report, the revived BSA Company will shortly begin building a research facility in Banbury to develop electric motorcycle technology, before launching motorcycles with internal combustion engines, closely followed by an electric battery model by the end of 2021.
Also Read: Mahindra Acquires BSA Motorcycle Brand
Iconic British motorcycle brand BSA may be revived with both electric powertrains and internal combustion engines
BSA, or Birmingham Small Arms, was acquired by the Mahindra Group in 2016, through its subsidiary, Classic Legends Private Limited (CLPL), which manufactures and sells the revived Jawa motorcycles in India. BSA was originally founded in 1861 to manufacture guns, and the brand's metalworking factories were later turned to bicycles and then motorcycles. By the 1950s, it was the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer, but it ceased production after going bankrupt in the 1970s. During the 1950s and '60s, BSA was one of the most popular British motorcycle brands, across the world, along with Triumph, Norton and Royal Enfield.
Also Read: Analysis - Why Mahindra Acquired The BSA Motorcycle Brand?
The new BSA Company plans to start assembling traditional internal combustion engines costing between 5,000 and 10,000 GDP (between Rs. 5-10 lakh, approximately). Anupam Thareja, founder of Classic Legends Private Limited, is leading the project to revive the BSA brand. Thareja initially acquired the BSA brand, and has plans to set up the BSA factory near the original Small Heath site in West Midlands, South-East Birmingham. carandbike reached out to Classic Legends Private Limited for a reaction to the news report. However, CLPL is yet to respond to queries at the time of this story being published.
(Source: The Guardian)
