[motorcycle.com] - BSA Purchased By Mahindra

[Ninjette Newsbot]

One of the most storied names in motorcycling, BSA, has been purchased by Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd., the Indian automotive conglomerate that’s one of the biggest of its kind in the world. Mahindra purchased all 120,000 shares of the company at $34.63 per share, equalling roughly $4.2 million USD. Mahindra subsidiary Classic Legends (CLPL) acquired the brand, giving Mahindra full licensing rights and the rights to sell, market, and distribute BSA motorcycles on a global scale.

Powered by a 106cc Single, Mahindra’s Centuro is its largest motorcycle offering.


We’ve yet to see what Mahindra’s plans are for the BSA brand, but it’s known the Indian company was looking to purchase an iconic British name – either Norton or BSA. When Norton CEO Stuart Garner said he wasn’t interested in selling his brand, attention shifted to BSA.

The Centuro, however, is not Mahindra’s largest offering, at least when it comes to engine displacement. That honor belongs to the Gusto 125 scooter, powered by, yes, a 125cc Single.


The British motorcycle marque BSA was once one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world before its business declined and operations ceased in 1972 due to increased competition from Japan and decreased resources being put into the company. Meanwhile, Mahindra has been on a shopping spree. In 2014 the company purchased a 51% stake in Peugeot Motocycles (PMTC) and acquired a 76.06% controlling stake in famed Italian design house Pininfarina for $28 million. Mahindra absorbed the Indian scooter maker Kinetic and formed a joint venture with Taiwanese brand SYM in an attempt to fight with established players like Hero MotoCorp, Honda, and Bajaj in the highly competitive (and lucrative) small-displacement category in the Asian market.

Considering the history of the BSA brand, it could be reasonable to guess the revamped company could return to producing modern versions of its classic motorcycles to rival the Triumph Bonneville or even Royal Enfield, another British marque with Indian ownership. Time will tell what comes next. Keep it on Motorcycle.com for the latest in the BSA saga.



BSA Purchased By Mahindra appeared first on Motorcycle.com.



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