Like so many other projects of the time, the Tünde was designed by committee, the members of which seemed not to be comprehending what the others were saying. (Hungarian is tricky, admittedly).
Several years in development, all of the work was wasted when the KGST (Comecon) decided to do something entirely different and canned the idea.
The first prototype appeared in 1953 and used a Csepel 125cc engine, and more versions appeared in 1957. Late the following year the committee came up with a brilliant new idea - they would move the factory to a new location and build a new, improved version with a larger engine, a 175cc probably derived from the Danuvia.
In 1959, a mere six years from conception, the machine, now a scooter, was given a name: the Tünde. The first was completed, and plans were afoot to produce 350 of them. Fifty were built.
The project wandered into 1960 and production actually began in ernest, with the chaotic factory rolling over a thousand machines out the door. Yes, ok, it was supposed to be 2700, but hey... percentage-wise it was a major coup compared to the previous attempt which had a success rate below 20%.
Meanwhile back at committee headquarters it seems something had gone awry - the KGST had got their sums wrong. At the end of 1961 some 2500 scooters had been built but no-one was buying them. Easy solution - shut up shop. Now, where did we put those hovertank plans? Pass the vodka, Vladimir.
"Based on a true story"
Source: Article at magyarjarmu.hu by Pál Négyesi
The article mentions Hungarian Motorcycles by Dr. Miklós Kováts (2005), and Csepel motorcycles by Zoltán Ocskay (2004)
