ROYAL ENFIELD Brand History
Due to financial problems, Towsend was forced to ask for help in 1890 when a couple of Birmingham investors took over his business. Along with the investors, R.W. Smith and Albert Eadle also joined the company in order to re-organize it for new projects. After Albert Eadle received a supplier contract for the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield, the company decided to create a special bicycle that would be named Enfield.
This way, both the investors and the two designers founded a new company, dubbed The Enfield Manufacturing Co. Ltd, in 1892 in order to promote the bike. Thanks to the contract with the Royal Small Arms Factory, the term Royal was attached to the new name of the company, so the company became Royal Enfield.
The first vehicle produced by Royal Enfield and equipped with an engine was released in 1898 and was a quadricycle, similar to an ATV, which produced 2.7 horsepower. However, the first motorcycle was officially released 1901 and was equipped with an engine providing a displacement of 150cc and 1.5 horsepower.
In 1910, the company rolled out one of the most famous motorcycles ever released by the company, a bike equipped with a V-twin 344cc engine which developed 2.7 horsepower. The next models where equipped with engines developed by Enfield during the First World War.
