1923 - 1939
the ancestor, Jakob Zehnder
jakob Zehnder, born in 1855, was the pioneer of the Zehnder line of entrepreneurs. He was working as a mechanic in a music box factory when, in 1889, he came into contact with the Adler bicycle factory in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In the years that followed, he was able to sell a few Adler bicycles in his home region of Wynental (Switzerland) as a representative of the brand. This modest business and the occasional repairs carried out on the bikes sold enabled this father of a large family to improve his salary as a factory worker.
in his small workshop, Jakob Zehnder carried out repairs of all kinds. Occasionally, he would sell a bicycle from the German "Adler" brand, for which he was the local representative. Later, he also sold typewriters, sewing machines, washing machines and motorcycles.
founding of the general partnership J. Zehnder & Söhne
jakob Zehnder's seven sons trained as merchants and mechanics. They took an increasingly active part in the company's activities and encouraged their father to expand the workshops. The decision to expand was taken in 1911/1912, with the construction of a small production building. On March 1, 1912, father Jakob and his three eldest sons founded the general partnership "J. Zehnder & Söhne". In the small factory, activities were no longer confined to repair and sales: enameling, nickel plating and copper plating were also carried out.
zehnder's legendary light motorcycle wins over Switzerland
looking for a new product, the Zehnder brothers bought a small German motorcycle in 1923. In their workshop, they tested the engine and succeeded in increasing its power. Sales of the light motorcycle with the improved engine, which they launched on the Swiss market in autumn 1923, soared. The machine weighed only around fifty kilograms. With a displacement of 110 cm3, the two-stroke engine was very simple in design. At the same time, its very reasonable price made the motorcycle affordable for most people. It quickly became popular and earned the affectionate nickname "Zehnderli".
Founding of the J. Zehnder & Söhne joint-stock company
at the Gränichen workshops, the Zehnder brothers began production of their first large series of 1,000 motorcycles. With the help of an investor, they founded the joint-stock company J. Zehnder & Söhne on January 1, 1924. In the years that followed, the company's order books continued to grow, and at times the workforce reached 70.
Zehnder Motorcycle Clubs
the Zehnder motorcycle proved its reliability in everyday use, while at the same time appealing to motorcycle racing enthusiasts at the then-popular "Berg- und Flachrennen" (mountain and flat races), in which almost all Swiss motorcycle manufacturers took part. There was hardly a challenge that the "Zehnderli" didn't win. The Zehnder dealer network spread throughout Switzerland. Enterprising dealers founded Zehnder Moto Clubs, which only owners of Zehnder motorcycles could join. Despite the countless motorcycle brands, both Swiss and foreign, sold in Switzerland, Zehnder was able to secure a comfortable 10% market share.
the market in search of greater performance
by 1927, sales had dropped again. Customers were looking for ever more powerful machines. The Zehnder brothers therefore decided to develop a 250 cm3 model, which was launched in 1928, but its engine did not meet public expectations, and sales failed to take off. As a result of these poor results, the company ran out of cash. It had bought a lot of equipment in order to be able to produce profitably. Inventories were becoming an increasing burden on the company's finances. This situation prompted the search for a new product to keep the workshops running.
Maschinenfabrik Gränichen AG
by early 1930, the financial situation had become so dire that creditors forced the Zehnder brothers to step down from the company's management. The main creditor now ran the company, first under the old company name (until 1931), then as "Maschinenfabrik Gränichen AG". In 1932, this new company began producing "Standard" brand motorcycles under license. For a time, Maschinenfabrik Gränichen offered both Zehnder and Standard motorcycles, but phased out production of Zehnder models in the second half of the 1930s, as they had become technically obsolete.
Credits: Zehnder Group
