Weiss Manfred - WM
A large and successful company established in 1910 which had its own steel foundry before WWI, the Weiss Manfred Group built military aircraft and motorcycles...
Their product range included food packaging, ammunition, mobile field kitchens, agricultural machinery, bells, kitchen stoves, boilers, radiators and pipes. Many of these were exported to Europe, West Africa and Russia.
After the First World War output was restricted to civilian products, and in 1920 they were involved in the purchase of considerable quantities of war-surplus trucks and motorcycles from the French army, and their restoration to working condition occupied many of their workshops.
During this period they designed and built their first automobiles, with the Italian FIAM company supplying twin-cylinder engines. Viktor Szmick was a key member of the design team and the first cars appeared in 1926. However there were problems with the engine and the relationship with FIAM did not provet fruitful.
The Weiss Manfred 750cc motorcycle was also produced in the years after the great war.
When the Germans took control of the country in 1944, Schmick used his connections to escape to Brazil.
The Russians arrived in January of 1945 and occupied the WM factory which was then employed for war work on behalf of the communists, along with the produciton of agricultural equipment and the like. At this time there were some 15,000 employees in over a 100 workshops and factories.
Development of a motorcycle began shortly thereafter, and the first Csepel was produced in 1946.
See also Csepel History
Source: Article at magyarjarmu.hu by Pál Négyesi
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