Royal Enfield was a brand name under which The Enfield Cycle Company Limited of Redditch, Worcestershire,Royal Enfield. The Times, Wednesday, 2 Oct 1912; pg. 27; Issue 40019 England, sold motorcycles, bicycles, lawnmowers and stationary engines which it manufactured. Enfield Cycle Company also used the brand name "Enfield" without the "Royal". Later in 1994, Eicher Motors, an Indian multinational automobile manufacturing company, acquired full ownership of the company. The first Royal Enfield motorcycle was built in 1901. The Enfield Cycle Company's Royal Enfield Bullet is the longest-lived motorcycle design in history.

Royal Enfield's spare parts operation was sold to Velocette in 1967, which benefited from the arrangement for three years until its closure in early 1971. Enfield's remaining motorcycle business was acquired by Norton Villiers in 1967, and the business eventually closed in 1978.

History George Townsend established a business in 1851 in Redditch, specialising in the manufacture of sewing needles. In 1882, his son, also named George, started making components for cycle manufacturers, including saddles and forks. By 1886, complete bicycles were being sold under the names Townsend and Ecossais. This business suffered a financial collapse in 1891. Albert Eadie, sales manager of Birmingham's Perry & Co Ltd, pen makers who had begun to supply components for cycles, and Robert Walker Smith, an engineer from D. Rudge & Co,W.F. Grew. The cycle industry, its origin, history and latest developments. Sir Isaac Pitman, London, 1921 were chosen by Townsend's bankers to run the business. Then, in 1892, the firm was re-incorporated as Eadie Manufacturing Company Limited, based in Snow Hill, Birmingham.The Irish Times 17 July 1897: 11 Later, in 1907, after serious losses from their newly floated Enfield Autocar business, Eadie Manufacturing and its pedal-cycle component business were absorbed by Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA).The Motor Industry. The Times, Friday, 2 Sep 1910; pg. 8; Issue 39367 Years later, the BSA chairman was to tell shareholders that the acquisition had "done wonders for the cycle department".Birmingham Small Arms. The Times, Tuesday, 30 Sep 1913; pg. 16; Issue 40330 Eadie still retained a separate identity when Raleigh bought BSA's cycle interests in 1957.Business Changes. The Times, Friday, 12 Jul 1957; pg. 16; Issue 53891

Enfield

Eadie had won contracts to supply precision parts for firearms to the government's long-established Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield, Middlesex, with its offshoot in Sparkbrook, and had assumed the brand name Royal Enfield. In 1896, they also incorporated a new subsidiary company, The New Enfield Cycle Company Limited,From 1896 to 1897 known as "The New Enfield Cycle Company Limited" to handle much of the cycle work. In 1897, Enfield, which made complete cycles as well as parts for other assemblers, took over all the cycle assembly work from Eadie.

Enfield diversified into motorcycles in 1901 and motor cars in 1902. The motor department was established as a separate subsidiary, Enfield Autocar Company Limited, incorporated in 1906 and located in the new works at Hunt End, Redditch.Prospectus. The Times, Wednesday, 7 Mar 1906; pg. 15; Issue 37961 However, Enfield Autocar, after just 19 months, reported a substantial loss, and, aside from Eadie himself, shareholders were unwilling to provide more capital. Therefore, in early 1907, Eadie sold his control of Eadie Manufacturing to BSA. Albert Eadie and Robert Walker Smith had been appointed directors of BSA before the proposed sale had been put to shareholders. The new combined BSA and Eadie b, Enfield Autocar, after just 19 months, reported a substantial loss, and, aside from Eadie himself, shareholders were unwilling to provide more capital, so in early 1907, business manufactured "military and sporting rifles, (pedal) cycle and cycle components, motor-cars etc."Important Cycle Trade Amalgamation. The Times, Wednesday, 13 Feb 1907; pg. 12; Issue 38255 "BSA and Eadie cycle specialities".B.S.A. display advertisement. The Times, Wednesday, 2 Oct 1912; pg. 26; Issue 40019 But there were still minority Eadie shareholders alongside BSA in 1957.

The business of Enfield Autocar, that is to say, the plant and stock, was sold to Birmingham's Alldays & Onions Pneumatic Engineering.Enfield Autocar Limited. The Manchester Guardian 18 January 1908: 11 Enfield Cycle Company took over the Hunt End premises.

In 1955, Enfield Cycle Company partnered with Madras Motors in India to form Enfield of India, based in Chennai. It began assembling the 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle in Madras. The first machines were assembled from components imported from England. Starting in 1957, Enfield of India acquired the machines necessary to manufacture components in India, and by 1962, all components were produced domestically.

Frank Walker Smith (1888–1962), eldest son of Robert Walker Smith, joined Enfield Cycle Company in 1909. Appointed joint (with his father) managing director in 1914, he took over the full responsibility when his father died in 1933."Major F. W. Smith." The Times 27 April 1962: 13. After his death, Enfield was bought by investors E & H P Smith, who sold Enfield for £82,500 to Norton Villiers in 1967.WCycle Company Sold. Daily Telegraph, 9 Mar. 1967, p. 2. While Norton Villiers acquired 33 per cent of Enfield India the assets of Enfield's diesel engine division and pedal cycle and spares divisions were not picked up.The Guardian, 9 Mar 1967: 12.

Royal Enfield produced bicycles at its Redditch factory until it closed in early 1967. The company's last new bicycle was the 'Revelation' small wheeler, released in 1965. Royal Enfield Revelation (retrieved 26 August 2013) Production of motorcycles ceased in 1970, and the original Redditch, Worcestershire-based company was dissolved in 1971.Millers's Classic Motorcycles Price Guide 1995 Volume II, p. 78. Judith and Martin Miller, general Editor Valerie Lewis.

Royal Enfield's spare parts operation was sold to Velocette in 1967, which benefited from the arrangement to such an extent that the company as a whole survived for another three years until their closure in early 1971. C C Cooper, a West Bromwich metals dealer, continued to produce limited spare parts for a short time by a small team of engineers.Goodman on Velocette, Part 2. Interview with works director Peter Goodman, by Dennis Frost. The Classic Motor Cycle, June 1996 pp. 47–51. Accessed 13 January 2020

Enfield of India continued to produce the 'Bullet' and began branding its motorcycles 'Royal Enfield' in 1999. A lawsuit over the use of 'Royal', brought by trademark owner David Holder, was judged in favour of Enfield of India, who now produce motorcycles under the Royal Enfield name.Trade mark decision, Patent Office, UK Government. Retrieved 12 March 2016 The models produced and marketed in India include Cafe Racers, Cruisers, Retros and Adventure Tourers.

Products

By 1899, Royal Enfield were producing a quadricycle – a bicycle modified by adding a wrap-around four-wheeled frame, retaining a rear rider-saddle with handlebars – having a front-mounted passenger seat, driven by a rear-mounted De Dion engine. Grace's Industrial Guide 1900 advertisement Retrieved 2013-12-31

After experimenting with a heavy bicycle frame fitted with a Minerva engine clamped to the front downtube, Enfield built their first motorcycle in 1901 with a 239 cc engine.

A light car was introduced in 1903 powered by either a French Ader V-twin or De Dion single cylinder engine. In 1906 car production was transferred to a new company, the Enfield Autocar Co Ltd with premises in Hunt End, Redditch. The independent company only lasted until 1908 when it was purchased by Alldays & Onions.

In 1907, Enfield merged with the Alldays & Onions Pneumatic Engineering Co. of Birmingham, and began manufacturing the Enfield-Allday automobile. By 1910, Royal Enfield was using direct belt drive 297 cc Swiss Motosacoche V-Twin engines which were enlarged to 344cc for 1911 with the advent of chain drive and the Enfield 2-speed gear. Enfield hired Bert Colver from Matchless and competed in the 1911 Isle of Man lightweight TT.

In 1912, the Royal Enfield Model 180 sidecar combination was introduced with a 770 cc V-twin JAP engine which was raced successfully in the Isle of Man TT and at Brooklands. Enfield developed a prototype for the soon-to-arrive 1913 425cc model 140. The prototype was Enfield's first in-house manufactured V-twin, also at 344cc, being of overhead-inlet, side-exhaust layout.

First World War (1914–1918) In 1914 Enfield supplied large numbers of motorcycles to the British War Department and also won a motorcycle contract for the Imperial Russian Government. Enfield used its own 225 cc two-stroke single and 425 cc V-twin engines. They also produced an 8 hp motorcycle sidecar model fitted with a Vickers machine gun.

Inter-war years (1921–1939)

In 1921, Enfield developed a new 976 cc twin, and in 1924 launched the first Enfield four-stroke 350 cc single using a Prestwich Industries engine. In 1928, Royal Enfield began using the bulbous 'saddle' tanks and centre-spring girder front forks, one of the first companies to do so. Even though it was trading at a loss in the depression years of the 1930s, the company was able to rely on reserves to keep going. In 1931, Albert Eadie, one of the founders of the company, died and his partner R.W. Smith died soon afterwards in 1933.

Very First Bullet (1932) 1932 The Virtual Launch of the Very First Bullet Royal Enfield. When the very first Bullet was presented to the world, it was in a magazine! Due to the Great Depression, and the consequent cancellation of the vaunted Olympia Motorcycle Show, the ‘Motor Cycle’, the most popular motorcycling magazine of the time, decided to publish a special edition where the 250, 350 and 500cc Bullets were showcased to the world for the first time

Second World War (1939–1945)

During World War II, The Enfield Cycle Company was called upon by the British authorities to develop and manufacture military motorcycles. The models produced for the military were the WD/C 350 cc sidevalve, WD/CO 350 cc OHV, WD/D 250 cc SV, WD/G 350 cc OHV and WD/L 570 cc SV. One of the most well-known Enfields was the 125cc 2-stroke Royal Enfield WD/RE, designed to be dropped by parachute with airborne troops.

In order to establish a facility not vulnerable to the wartime bombing of the Midlands, an underground factory was set up, starting in 1942, in a disused Bath stone quarry at Westwood, near Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire. Many staff were transferred from Redditch and an estate of "prefabs" was built in Westwood to house them.

As well as motorcycle manufacture, it built other equipment for the war effort such as mechanical "predictors" for anti-aircraft gunnery: the manufacture of such high-precision equipment was helped by the constant temperature underground. After the war the factory continued, concentrating on engine manufacture and high-precision machining. After production of Royal Enfield motorcycles ceased, the precision engineering activities continued until the final demise of the company.

Postwar Model G and Model J and ex-military C and CO (1946–1954) Postwar, Royal Enfield resumed production of the single cylinder ohv 350cc model G and 500cc Model J, with a rigid rear frame and telescopic front forks. These were ride-to-work basic models, in a world hungry for transport. A large number of factory reconditioned ex-military sv Model C and ohv Model CO singles were also offered for sale, as they were sold off as surplus by various military services."Royal Enfield By Miles the Best" book by Gordon May