When did Royal Enfield become "Enfield"? Hello
Royal Enfield motorcycles have been present in India for a long time. For instance one of them won the Indian TT in 1913. Towards the 1940s Madras Motors started importing them regularly and in the 1950's Enfield India was established, with complete bikes being produced in 1962. These initial machines were branded "Royal Enfield".
Sometime in the 1970's the bikes produced by Enfield India started being branded "Enfield" alone without "Royal" in front. Eventually Enfield India acquired the use of the term Royal Enfield in the UK through litigation in 1994 and bikes branded "Royal Enfield" started appearing for export in 2000 and in the Indian market in 2003.
My question is: when did the switchover from "Royal Enfield" to "Enfield" took place? And why? Was it related to the demise of Royal Enfield in the UK? When the company finished operations in 1970 its remaining assets were sold to Aerco Jig and Tool in Birmingham and this included the brand "Royal Enfield" (the litigation in 1994 was between representatives of Enfield India and Matt Holder of Aerco). Did Aerco ask Enfield India to stop using the brand "Royal Enfield"? Don't brands in the UK and India operate separately anyway?
I'd appreciate any information.
Regards
Jorge
Last edited by Rehaan : 25th June 2010 at 13:35.
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