Founded: 1934
KTM headquarters: Mattighofen, Austria
KTM parent: KTM AG
Official website: www.ktm.com
Numerous prizes, awards, and multiple world champion racers confirm the quality label of KTM founded in 1934. This brand does not refer to the number of available ones. Not long ago, the company withdrew a bit from its main tendency on the production of cross-country motorcycles and switched into the production of city motorcycles.
KTM Logo Meaning and History
The company was founded in 1934 in Mattighofen by the engineer Hans Trunkenpolz. Everything started as a workshop for metalwork and was called Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen.
In 1953, KTM started the production of motorcycles. 20 employees produced just three motorcycles a day. In 1955, the businessman Ernst Kronreif became the shareholder of the company, having acquired its significant share. It became the cause of the company to rename Kronreif & Trunkenpolz Mattighofen.
During KTM history, the brand was at the forefront of motorcycle technologies. It was the first manufacturer, which produced a four-cycle engine of a motorcycle with air cooling for road mcies. In 1986, KTM became the first producer, which began to kit up road motorcycles with front and rear disc brakes. In 1998, the brand offered an un-swiveling rear suspension, having strongly reduced the mass of a motorcycle. It was also the first to offer a hydraulic clutch on all models of motorcycles, and it became the first to offer a super-mcy ready for races.
In 1992, the company became insolvent and was divided into three companies:
KTM Sport motorcycles GmbH, which was renamed into KTM Sport motorcycles AG in 1994, KTM Fahrrad GmbH (Bicycles), KTM Kehler GmbH (Radiators).
In 2005, KTM Sport motorcycles AG sold 80,000 motorcycles throughout the world and started cooperation with Polaris Industries. In accordance with an agreement, these two companies helped each other in the expansion of the national markets in each other: KTM -in North America, Polaris – in Europe. This cooperation was two-year trial agreement, as a result of which both parties had to determine about the merger into one company. In 2006, KTM announced the cooperation with Polaris was completed earlier than the scheduled term.
The Swedish motorcycle company Husaberg AB and the Dutch WP Suspension became branches of KTM Group.
In 2013, the actual KTM brand owner, Pierre AG, bought the brand Husqvarna. Since those times, both brands have been learning to coexist without competition inside one company.
KTM logo description
The brand logo evolved and underwent the entire range of changes.
1953: The first models of КТМ R100 were adorned with the logo of a tiger.
1954: The first official logo of KTM was made in 1954 when Ernst Kroraif came to the company. There was no order in coloring: the logo oval was colored partly into orange and blue ones.
1958: there was no official logo, an alternative version with white letters on a blue background was made.
1962: Erich Trunkenpolz inherited the company after the father’s death and installed a new logo with an “updated” inscription.
After the first victory at the world championship in 1974, Erwin Lechner, the former racer and in that time the sales manager, decided to change the logo again: the logo oval was stretched, the blue color grew bolder.
In 1978, the logo was again edited. The inscription “Austria” disappeared, and the blue color became darker. There were two versions: an original one with a border, and the other- without any bother.
1989: After acquisition by the company Таус-Gruppe, great changes were made in KTM. The oval part disappeared and the slogan “Pleasure in movement” was added.
1992: Three years later, Stefan Pierer took over the company’s leadership and began its reorganization. He did not change the logo of the 1989 type, but changed the signature: “Motorcycles.”
Since the 1996 KTM logo became orange.
In 1999, the logo was changed from the color point of view: the letters became black. They also changed their shape.
Since 2003 and until our days, the logo remains without changes. There are large black letters on a white background without any frame.
