Česká zbrojovka Strakonice

History

Work started on the construction of the first workshops of the arms factory originally called Jihočeská zbrojovka ('South Bohemian Armament Works'). The company merged with an arms manufacturing plant in Vejprty and with a factory in Prague in 1922. This gave rise to the formation of a stock company whose name translates as "Czech Armament Works in Prague of the Manufacturing Plant in Strakonice". It produced pistols, air guns, and automatic guns which all became successful products.

In 1929, the growth of the Czech Armament Works reached a turning point. With the downturn in weapons sales after World War I, the company acquired a bicycle parts manufacturing plant in Kralupy nad Vltavou on the Vltava River. Bicycle exports destined for several countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America started to expand. Production of motor-driven bicycles started in 1932. Three years later, the first motorcycles made in Strakonice entered the market. This marked the beginning of an era of great success for the ČZ brand. In a short time, the company became the biggest manufacturer of motorcycles in Czechoslovakia. Consequently, business success resulted in a further extension of production activities by introducing chain and machine tool production. In World War II, the factory came under German occupation and was converted to the manufacture of war materials.

Like most large industrial enterprises, this stock company was nationalized in 1946. Due to the post-war political situation, firearms production in the Strakonice plant was ended.

The company changed after the motorcycle brand went out of production in the 1990s and started focusing on manufacturing car components, like turbochargers, besides its traditional production of chains, tools, moulds, castings, and machine tools. Since 1999, cs:Desta forklifts have been manufactured in ČZ Strakonice.

Competition history

Motocross World Championships

1964 250 cc Motocross - Joël Robert, Belgium

1965 250 cc Motocross - Victor Arbekov, Russia

1966 500 cc Motocross - Paul Friedrichs, East Germany

1967 500 cc Motocross - Paul Friedrichs, East Germany