MZ to close

MZ, the famous East German brand, is to close at the end of this year unless a last-minute rescuer can be found.

Sadly the attempted revival of the name through a range of lively four-stroke V-twin and single-cylinder road bikes doesn't seem to have succeeded.

According to reports from Europe, the marque has been suffering losses since 1996 and its Malaysian financial backers have had enough.

Some 40 workers at the Saxony factory will lose their jobs as a result.

MZ grew out of the remains of the DKW and Auto Union marques in and, at its peak, was producing 80,000 motorcycles per year.

It won its first GP in 1958.

This pic from the MZ Riders Club in the UK, wonderfully illustrates the progress of the marque over the decades.