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Czech Motorcycles

Today in Motorcycle History

Premier c.1928 Czech

Premier Motorcycles of Czechoslovakia

Manufactured by Akciová spol. 1913-1933 [1]

Premier was a British firm which produced motorcycles in Coventry from 1908. A branch was formed in Nuremberg in 1911 where Arno Dietrich, founder of Ardie, was a major player, and there they produced 270cc two-strokes and 346cc four-strokes along British lines. The name of this company was Justus Christian Braun-Premier-Werke AG.

The company moved to Eger (now Cheb) shortly before the onset of the first war and over the following decade produced mainly bicycles and perambulators. After the demise of the English parent company, Premier CZ developed their own models fitted with JAP and Python engines from Rudge-Whitworth. During the 1920s the Czech factory, managed by Englishman Geoffrey Rotherham, became the largest producer of motorcycles in the country.

Premier was very active in competition, winning 29 gold medals and 55 first place finishes.

Models

1923~1932 Premier Liliput, 269cc two-stroke with 2-speed gearbox and belt drive, and later withl 3-speed Sturmey-Archer and chain drive. It was modeled along British lines similar to the Triumph Baby.

1924 349cc 7hp with Ricardo cylinder head, S-A gearbox, Druid forks, capable of 85-90 km/h.

1926 499cc (85 x 88 mm) OHV 15 h.p.

1927 750cc V-twin military machines designed for sidecar use. 747cc SV.

1931 Premier 500 Model SLL, 494cc 22 hp, 75.5x110mm, 125 km/h max speed, weight 140 kg. Designed by Otto Lausmann.

1938-39 Premier-Sachs 98cc.

The firm also built bicycles and delivery tricycles, along with sidecars in at least four variants.

Motorcycle production ceased around 1933 due to the global economic crisis and strong competition from both CZ and Jawa which were both considerably cheaper. The firm continued to build Sachs-powered auto-cycles and lightweights until 1939 [2].

*N.B.
1. Motorcycle production did not begin in Eger until 1923.
2. Production years may not have been contiguous.
Sources: meisterdinger.de, South-Bohemian MC Museum, motorkari.cz, et al.

See also Premier Cycle Co of Britain