Manufactured: Cykelfabriken Monark AB, Sweden, 1927-1975
From 1913-1926 the motorcycles were branded "Esse" before changing to the Monark name after the parent company became Monark Crescentbolagen (MCB).
Birger Svensson, born in 1883 to a farming family, was quite gifted and an excellent student. Whilst still a teenager, he began selling for a mail-order company and before long was earning more than three times the wage of a good farm-hand.
At the age of 19 he opened a small store in his rural village, and by 1904 was selling farming equipment, tools and bicycles. Business went well, he employed an off-sider, and by the time he had sold 300 bicycles he began assembling his own.
The first motorcycle was built in 1913. 1
When Svensson died in late 1944 his companies had over 2.000 employees.
The 1930 Monark M10 used a Blackburne engine, and the Monark M560 Blue arrow used a JLO. Several mopeds from the 1970s used Franco Morini engines.
Early post-war lightweights used Villiers engines, and at least one (1948 M70) apparently used Puch. Several from this era used the JB engine, and a few used Husqvarna.
According to another source, Monark built the predecessor of the Bantam as the M70 and M71. The project began in March 1948 using the BSA-built copy of DKW's RT125 engine, the design of which had been obtained as part of the war reparations. (The BSA factory had been extensively damaged in 1940 and 1941 by German air raids). Initially the engines went solely to Monark, and it was not until late in 1948 that BSA produced the Bantam D1. (bsafiles.se)
Electric 3-wheelers were built during World War II with motorcycle front ends and two rear wheels.
The M112 of 1957-58 used an Ardie BD201, and CZ engines were fitted to 1950-52 M200 models. Sachs engines were fitted to racing models of the early 1970s (50cc RoadRacing) and to moped-like stepthroughs of the 1980s.
The 1970s saw the introduction of motocross machines which were exported to the United States and distributed initially by Rockford Motors of Illinois and later by John Olson of Inter-Trends in California and Illinois. Racing success was sparse but the machines were quite popular until the advent of the Honda CR125, after which sales in the US dropped off. Production of MX machines halted in 1976.
Monark models include:
1929 Blackburne 350 SV
1930 M10
1948 M70
1950-52 M200 (CZ)
1952 Blue Arrow 250cc JLO Twin
1957-58 M112 (Ardie BD201)
1959-61 500MX BSA-Albin
1959 Monark 500 Cross-Replica
1960s Monark Monza ILO TS50 (possibly a rebadged Goricke Supersport)
1971 Monark 125MX
1972 Monark Enduro 125 Sachs 21hp
Monark sold their motorcycles under many other brand names including Jagaren, Erlan, Stanley, Maraton, WICI, Wano, Centrum, Konsums, The James and Kärnan. Some of these were marketed by other companies.
Other related Swedish marques include Albin-Monark, Crescent, Vimpel and MCB.
Notes:
The first motorcycles were possibly built in 1908.
Sources: Konditori, bsafiles.se, classicmotor.se
Considerably more information here: Monark Archive
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