A great number of car companies have dabbled in bicycle production. In fact it's where a few car companies started out from! These companies might be better thought of transport companies, and some have held a very good reputation in the push bike world for their products. You only need to look at The Bicycle Safari's long archive of classic Peugeot bikes to see what I mean.
But there are also some surprises in car-to-bike production, such as the not very convincing looking Bugatti bicycle I saw back in Lund, Sweden. But here are two more that I've spotted around Nottingham, England.
Kia might not be the first people you think of when looking for a bike, and I guess this was a promotional tie-in, or give away bike. The slogan 'Think before you drive' though.... well, maybe that wasn't the best slogan for a car company to use!
Kia bicycle, wants you to reconsider driving your Kia car.
Quality wise... not so great either.
Daewoo on the other hand were a sprawling company to begin with, covering car to firearm production. So the appearance of a Daewoo bike probably shouldn't be too suprising.
It's another uninspiring mountain bike, so beloved by anyone looking for a bicycle in Britain in the 1990's. It does claim however to be a genius.
Maybe the secret plan was for people to find cycling these so dull that they would get back in their cars!
Kia actually started out making bikes and bike parts back in the 40's and 50's. A kia bike, like the daewoo pictured, shouldn't be surprising
ReplyDeleteInteresting to know! It's surprising how many car companies seem to have started this way!
ReplyDeleteincluding reasonable comments here... Newmarket Wedding Limo
ReplyDeleteI had a red Kia bicycle as a kid in the late 1970s. I didn’t know anybody else that had one. I never saw another one in person.
ReplyDeleteThat bike got me through most of my years as a paperboy. I wondered if it was the same company that sold cars. Now I know. Thanks.