A Brief History of the Marque
Allright Fahrradwerke, later Köln-Lindenthaler Metallwerke AG
Built between 1901 and 1927, they initially constructed motorcycles in Cologne using engines from FN, Minerva and Kelecom. They sold machines re-badged as Vindec-Special and VS in Britain from 1903 to 1914. The firm also built automobiles between 1908 and 1913, the early machines being cyclecars with V-twin engines and wire-spoked wheels.
After WWI they produced machines powered by JAP, Blackburne and Motosacoche engines. In 1922 they acquired Cito and built the 500cc KG (Krieger-Gnadig).
In 1928 they built a 98cc Sachs-engined machine popularly referred to as the "Hermännchen" (The Little Hermann), named for the preposterously large Hermann Goering who attended a press conference announcing the "people's motorcycle". The term persisted into the 1950s as a reference to 98cc BMA-style motorcycles.
Germans *do* have a sense of humour!
Rudi Albert, an Allright designer, went on to create the famous Mars Stella.
The firm began as a bicycle manufacturer, using components from UK companies Triumph and Allright Coventry, selling machines for 500 to 1000 marks - the equivalent of a year's wages for a member of the working classes. By the late 1800's the prices of American import bicycles had dropped to 80 marks, whilst German Allright machines were still priced around 200. A crisis loomed.
In 1898 the company name was changed from Allright to Köln-Lindenthaler Metallwerke (KLM), and soon began producing motorcycles, in addition to cycles. Paul Henkel took over motorcycle production and moved the factory to Suhl. He became seriously ill in 1931 and took his own life. The company was owned by the Hanau bank of Adolf Hanau who, with his wife, was murdered by the Nazis in a concentration camp. The brand was revived after the war and produced mopeds under the brands Cito Frera and Allright until 1965.
Models include:
Allright KLM 2 3/4 PS 1906
Allright KLM 500 cc. 3 PS Modell 1908
KLM Allright 680cc 1909
KLM 7 PS Model 1910 1000cc.
Allright KLM 250 BJ 1924 Sport
Allright KLM Motorrad Typ C 3 BJ. 1926
Sources: Tragatsch p72, Menim.com, coelner-zweiraeder.de, et al.
September 18, 2001
To whom it may concern,
my name is Horst Nordamnn. I live in Cologne, Germany where Allright
motorbikes were built.
I own a number of Allright machines since I have been collecting them and researching about the manufacturers history for years. Therefore I have a lot of information (from 1890-1965) which I would like to contribute to your site.
Unfortunately I haven't got an e-mail address just yet and I am not familiar with the ins and outs of the internet. Therefore I would be very grateful if you could call me and let me know how I should provide the information for your site (i.e. pictures or just text etc.)
Also it would be great if you could add the below address as contact under 'Allright' on your site.
If you can't call please sent a mail to my girlfriend (bettinab at khm.de) and let me know how else to proceed.
Thank you very much yours
HORST NORDAMNN
CLEVERSTR. 51
50668 KÖLN
TEL 0049-(0)221-727838
(Some years later, Horst seems to have mastered the interwebs: coelner-zweiraeder.de )
If you have a query or information about Allright motorcycles please contact us
