Mars was a manufacturer in Nürnberg, Germany founded in 1873 that manufactured motorcycles in various periods from 1903 until 1958.
 | |
| Industry | Motorcycles |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1873 |
| Defunct | 1958 |
| Headquarters | |
History edit
Production was interrupted variously by the First World War, hyperinflation in the 1920s and the Second World War.[1] When Mars ceased production for the final time in 1958, production of the 50 cc Monza Super Sport model was taken over by Gritzner-Kayser AG under its Gritzner brand.[2][3]
Products edit
The most famous motocycles made by Mars were the series of motorcycles called the Weiße Mars ("White Mars"), which included the A 20, A 23, MA 25, MA 27, and MA 1000 Sport.[4] Designed by Claus Franzenburg, the A 20 and its derivatives had a box-section frame connecting the headstock to the rear wheel and housing the transmission and drive chain, while the engine was mounted in a subframe below.[5][6] The flat-twin engine was designed by Franzenburg and manufactured for Mars by aircraft engine builder Maybach.[5] It was mounted with its cylinders in line with the frame. was started with a hand crank, and had an enclosed primary drive to the transmission.[5][6] The A 20, with a trailing-link fork, was made from 1920 to 1925;[5] the MA 1000 Sport, with a girder fork and recirculating lubrication system in the engine, was made in 1928.[4][6] Despite being called the "White Mars", the motorcycles were also available in red and green.[5][7]
Notes edit
- ^ Chin 2009.
- ^ Sheldon's EMU: Mars Motorcycles
- ^ Wilson 1995, p. 66.
- ^ a b Wilson 1995, p. 123.
- ^ a b c d e "Mars A 20", Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim
- ^ a b c de Cet 2002, pp. 274–275.
- ^ BikeExif: The White Mars motorcycle
References edit
- Chin, Andrea (2009-10-10). "'mars' motorcycle by claus franzenberg". designboom.com. Archived from the original on 2013-09-23. Retrieved 2016-12-24.
- de Cet, Mirco (2002). "Mars". The illustrated directory of motorcycles. St. Paul, MN USA: MBI Publishing. pp. 274–275. ISBN 0-7603-1417-9. Retrieved 2013-09-23.
- Wilson, Hugo (1995). The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle. London: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 0-7513-0206-6.
- "Mars A 20". sinsheim.technik-museum.de/en. Sinsheim: Auto & Technik MUSEUM SINSHEIM. Archived from the original on 2012-08-14. Retrieved 2013-09-23.
- "Mars Motorcycles". Sheldon's EMU. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- "The White Mars motorcycle". www.bikeexif.com/. Warkworth, New Zealand. Retrieved 2013-09-23.
External links edit
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