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BSA C15 250cc (1958) |
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BSA M20 (1943) |
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BSA Gold Star DBD34 (1960) |
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BSA D1 Bantam (1949) |
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BSA A65 Lightning (1966) |
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NVT Ranger & BSA JTX |
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BSA Junior 50cc Scrambler |
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BSA & NVT History |
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BSA, or more properly the Birmingham Small Arms Company was formed in 1861 as a response to a shortage of munitions at the outbreak of the Crimean War (1854-56). The group of 14 gunsmiths wanted to ensure that Great Britain would never be in a position again where they were unable to supply their soldiers with arms. In order to keep the factory busy when there were no Government orders for arms BSA began to produce bicycle parts. The first bicycle production started in 1880. By 1902 BSA was producing frames and fittings suitable for low power motor engines. In 1909 BSA produced its first complete Motor Bicycle. Production of motor cycles developed rapidly. This production was curtailed to an extent by WWI and WWII. Although a large number of motor cycles were supplied to the British Army, most of the manufacturing capacity switched to munitions and gun production during these times of conflict. After WWII there were restrictions on raw materials, but motorcycle production continued. The 1950’s were the ‘Golden Years’ for BSA with its purchase of Triumph Motorcycles making it the largest producer of motorcycles in the world, and with exports to more than 80 countries. At this time BSA could boast that 1 in 4 newly registered motorcycles were produced by BSA. But from the early 1960’s onwards there were signs that lack of investment and ineffective management were causing problems within BSA. For the 1971 season, in an attempt to regain some of the ground lost to foreign imports a brand new range of motorcycles was launched, amid a blaze of publicity. Production delays caused by the massive headache of having to assemble 13 brand new models at one time meant BSA did not deliver the bikes to the lucrative U.S. market in time for the new season. In the U.S., 90% of all bike sales were made in this (3 month) season – and BSA exported around 80% of their production to the U.S.
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