| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorcycle |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder(s) | H. Matthew Chambers |
| Headquarters | Birmingham, Alabama, USA |
| Products | P120 Fighter, B120 Wraith, X132 Hellcat |
| Website | http://www.confederate.com/ |
Confederate Motors, Inc. is a manufacturer of exotic street motorcycles in Birmingham, Alabama. It was founded in 1991 by trial lawyer H. Matthew Chambers, as an initiative seeking “enlightened design through true American inspiration.”
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The company opened shop in San Francisco, California in 1992, moving in 1993 to a prototype shop in New Orleans, Louisiana where its first motorcycle rolled off the production line on 11 November 1994. Over 500 first generation Hellcat models were built from 1996 to 2001.[1] After going bankrupt in 2001, Confederate recovered in 2003 and produced a second generation of Hellcats, about 75 total.[1]
After the severe factory damage in August 2005 by Hurricane Katrina interrupted production,[1] Confederate moved its corporate headquarters and assembly operations to a building in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. Production resumed after the reorganization and move in early 2006, with an announcement in May of their $5 million expansion plans for production of a third, more affordable, model. Plant staffing is expected to increase from twelve to as many as thirteen employees.
Confederate Motor Co. sold 37 bikes in 2008 and anticipated the sale of 30 bikes in 2009, due to the recession. Even though Confederate's buyers are too rich to be affected by the economic downturn, company founder Matt Chambers said during the recession, "it was very fashionable to not be buying a high-end luxury product like ours."[2]
In 2007, the $92,000[2] B120 Wraith and F131 Hellcat took first and second place respectively in the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building show at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, in the production manufacturer category.
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