A Brief History of the Marque
1923-1925
Astra Motoren GmbH, München
Initially fitted with Bosch-Douglas 300cc flat twins built under licence by SMW of Munich (1), they continued with Blackburne and JAP engines of 348 & 496cc. Ernst Henne of BMW fame rode a Blackburne-engined Astra in 1924-25. His success in competition drew the attention of BMW's chief engineer Rudolf Schleicher, who invited him to ride for that company.
Astra closed in 1925 as a result of the financial crisis sweeping the country.
Notes
1. Not to be confused with the similar 493 cc BMW M2B15 engine.
The Italian Astra marque is unrelated.
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