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Vintage German Motorcycles
Vintage German Motorcycles
Classic German Motorcycles
This page lists brand names beginning with the letter "C" for which we currently have only an historical precis.
For a more complete listing visit the German Index.
Cargo Cruiser
Manufactured by Dreiradbau, Saarbrücker Strasse 22-24, Berlin.
Olaf Lange established the firm around 1997. The Cargo Cruiser of 2007 is electric and pedal-powered with a payload of 250kg and is capable of 24 km/h.
Sources: Axel Oskar Mathieu Archive, et al.
Carlos
Manufactured by Carlos Fahrzeugwerke GmbH, Kreiensen (Harz), 1924-1926.
Built motorcycles fitted with DKW two-stroke engines.
Bicycle firm, formerly Jagdrad, Burgsmüller & Sons Einbeck, later Baronia of Bielefeld (see Heidemann). Operated from 1924 to 1925.
Sources: nl.wikipedia.org, motor-lit-berlin.de
Centaur
1924-25
Manufactured by Neu-Co Motorradbau, Forchheim, Oberfranken
Built conventional lightweights with 1.5hp engines sourced from Richard Gruhn in Berlin-Steglitz.
Sources: Tragatsch p102, wikipedia.nl.
N.B. Several other firms used variations of the Centaur brand.
Champion
Manufactured by Champion of Radolfzell am Bodensee, Baden-Württemberg, 1926-1933.
Situated on beautiful Lake Konstanz, a stone's throw north of Zurich, the firm built some fifty racing and touring machines during one of the harshest economic periods the world had seen.
The sole survivor was built in 1926; it sports a 172cc Villiers "TT-Super-Sports" engine has been displayed at the Messkirch castle which has a vintage car museum.
Sources: Wikipedia DE, et al
N.B. Shortly after WWII, Hermann Holbein of Fahrzeugbau built a microcar powered by a TWN Triumph engine which he named "Champion".
Charlkron
1925-1926
Manufactured by Charlkron Motorradbau, Ohligs
Built sports motorcycles using Kürchen 348 and 496cc OHC single-cylinder engines.
Sources: Tragatsch p103, wikipedia.nl.
CL
1951
Manufactured by Compagnia Levante GmbH, Hamburg
Built 34cc mini-scooters in small numbers, 1951 only.
Sources: Tragatsch p104, wikipedia.nl.
Claes
1904~1908
Manufactured in Mühlhausen, the bicycle factory built motorcycles using Fafnir engines of 3.5 hp and 5 hp.
The owner's name was Claes Pfeil and possibly machines were also marketed under the Pfeil brand, as were the bicycles.
The original firm named Claes & Flentje was established in 1869 by Franz Theodor Flentje and Ernst Bernhard Claes, building sewing machines. Bicycle production began in 1889 and they built their first stationary engines around 1900, at which time the factory had over 1000 employees.
Bicycle production reached 300,000 pa by 1930.
Sources: Tragatsch p104, de.wikipedia.org, fahrradsammler.de.
N.B. In the 1950s there was a Pfeil by Sudbrack
Cloumobil
Manufactured by Alfred Karfunkel, Charlottenburg-Westend, Küsternallee 24. (or possibly Rüstern-Allee 24), 1906 to 1908.
There were two models - one was a tricycle which used an electric motor to drive the single front wheel. The top speed of the Elektrisches-Dreirad was claimed to be 25 km/h with a range of 80 to 90 km. The open body offered space for four people. The other model had a 4-cylinder petrol engine.
The company failed as a result of the economic slump of the period.
Sources: de.wikipedia.org; archiv-axel-oskar-mathieu.de.
Colonia 1921~1926
CR
1926-30
Manufactured by Carl Rueff, 5. Bruderstraße, München, these were lightweight machines powered by Villiers 172cc two-stroke engines.
Sources: Tragatsch p110, das-leichtmotorrad.de
Cyclop
1922-25
Manufactured by established bicycle firm Cyclop Fahrrad AG of Elsdorf who built lightweights powered by 127cc to 198cc two-stroke and four-stroke engines from Kurier, Bubi, TeCo, Namopo and others
Sources: Tragatsch p111, wikipedia.nl.
Rarer German Marques
