Classic Velocity

Express Werke was a turn of the century (19th into 20th) bicycle manufacturer. They soon branched into motor tricycles as well as gasoline and electric cars. Express moved into small motorcycles in the early 1900s. The initial concentration was on 100cc and smaller two-stroke machines with Fafnir engines. This emphasis continued through the 1930s. Following the war, Express returned to motorcycle production in 1948 and added larger displacement machines from 125cc to 250cc. The most popular of these was the Radex 151, which was powered by a Sachs 147cc engine, and made 6.5 hp. Radex machines (Rad Express) sold well, and for a while the company could not keep up with demand. They also produced an excellent moped, the M52 using their own engine for the first time.

This success caused them to issue very optimistic forecasts for the company, and to commit money and resources accordingly. They did this right into the teeth of the motorcycle decline of the late 1950s, and the rise of the small automobile. After shopping for investors for a year, Express was absorbed into Zweirad Union along with Victoria and DKW in 1959.