German Motorrad

Today in Motorcycle History

Gold-Rad Motorcycles and Mopeds

A Brief History of the Marque

Manufacturer: B. Goldberg, Hansaring 102-104, Cologne

Motorised production 1930s~1970s

In the early 1930s they began building motorised bicycles using Sachs engines, and also produced automobile and motorcycle parts.

When business conditions improved after the war, in 1950 motorized bicycles and motorcycles with 98cc and 125cc engines from Sachs and JLO were offered, followed by mopeds and scooters some of which were Motograziella machines from Italy, possibly rebadged. In the 1960s the Piccolo folding bicycle was built.

Founded in 1892 by Benjamin Goldberg in Siegburg, the company built sewing machines and bicycles, moving to Ebertplatz (near Cologne) in 1910. They survived the first war, hyperinflation and the Great Depression, doing quite well with a distributions network for the bicycle. The firm suffered considerably during the Nazi era due to the name Goldberg which, although a Christian name dating back to 1640, to the ignorant National Socialists "sounded" Jewish. However, Goldberg survived this too, and supplied the Wehrmacht with bicycle components through the years of the second war. Goldberg died in 1944, the business continuing under his sons until closing in 1998.

Models included the 53I JLO, 54S Sachs, MC50 Sport and Touren, and 56ST Transport (1961).

Sources: motorradfahrer-ruhrgebiet.de, GTU Oldtimerservice, wikipedia.de, et al.


If you have a query about Gold-Rad or have some information to add about these classic German machines, please contact us