Confederate Motors
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorcycle |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder(s) | H. Matthew Chambers |
| Headquarters | Birmingham, Alabama, USA |
| Key people | Pierre Terblanche, head of product development |
| Products | P120 Fighter, B120 Wraith, X132 Hellcat |
| Website | http://www.confederate.com/ |
Confederate Motors, Inc. is an American 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.”
History
The company opened in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1991, and after a brief move to San Francisco, California, the next year, moved to a prototype shop in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1993. The company's first motorcycle rolled off the production line there on November 11, 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. The company has approximately twelve 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 2013 the company moved to a larger facility in Birmingham.[3]
Products
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.
List of current models
- R 131 Fighter
- X132 Hellcat
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Carpenter, Susan (20 December 2006), "Paparazzi magnet; Gawkers get whiplash when Confederate Motor's new Wraith rolls by. That alone may make it a worthy successor to the star-seducing Hellcat.", Los Angeles Times: G.1
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Carpenter, Susan (October 24, 2009), "A bumpy ride for motorcycle makers; Sales plunge 37.3% in the third quarter. The industry is cutting staff and product lines.", Los Angeles Times: B1,B4, retrieved 2011-06-07 Online version headline: "Motorcycle makers cutting staff and product lines as sales plunge"
- ↑ Tomberlin, Michael (November 18, 2013) "Confederate Motors relocates, expands and American Building Supply moves headquarters to Birmingham in Graham & Co. deals." Birmingham News
External links
- Confederate Motor Company announces relocation... Retrieved 20070617
- alabama.gov: Governor Riley Celebrates First Production Motorcycle Made in Alabama Retrieved 20070617
- Out of New Orleans, Confederate Rises NYT Handlebars column
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