Private company
New Imperial Motors
Logo: TR001, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons3
Former British motorcycle manufacturer
New Imperial was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded by Norman Downes in Birmingham, between 1887 and 1901, and became New Imperial Motors Ltd in 1912, when serious production commenced. New Imperial made innovative motorcycles that employed unit construction and sprung heel frames long before they became commonplace, and were moderately successful in competition. The 1920s were a financially successful decade, enabling the innovations of the 1930s that fought decline.2 It ceased to exist in 1939.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0
Last updated Oct 21, 2026.
Overview
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New Imperial was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded by Norman Downes in Birmingham, between 1887 and 1901, and became New Imperial Motors Ltd in 1912, when serious production commenced. New Imperial made innovative motorcycles that employed unit construction and sprung heel frames long before they became commonplace, and were moderately successful in competition. The 1920s were a financially successful decade, enabling the innovations of the 1930s that fought decline.2
Products and brands
- motorcycle
Listed on Wikidata.1
Timeline
Links
- WikipediaNew Imperial Motors
- More imagesWikimedia Commons
- WikidataQ2205943
Sources
The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.
- 1WikidataNew Imperial Motors on Wikidata
- 2WikipediaNew Imperial Motors on Wikipedia
- 3Wikimedia CommonsNew Imperial Motors logo by TR001, CC BY 3.0