Matt Chambers chose the name of his company as a sign of rebellion. Motorcycling culture is built on a certain amount of societal defiance, so at the time, naming his motorcycle manufacturer Confederate made since. However, as the years passed, Chambers slowly began to realize that this choice of name may have been a mistake.
Can You Guess Why Confederate Motors Is Changing Its Name?
Confederate Motors has been through a lot since it released its first motorcycle back in 1994. The F131 Hellcat sold for tens of thousands of dollars, setting the hand-built machine out as a limited-edition custom. However, the high price tag did not equal business success. In 2001, the company had to file for bankruptcy, then its factory was damaged by hurricane Katrina in 2005. That prompted the company to move to Birmingham, Alabama, unfortunately another dark cloud followed the manufacturer over state lines.
Since naming the company in the 1990’s, a political storm has brewed over the civil war, the confederacy, and monuments. This controversy may have also tainted the name of Confederate Motors, and Chambers believes that it may have been a contributing factor to poor business. He hopes that will all change soon.
Confederate Motors has decided to take the leap from gas-powered engines into electric. In an alliance with Zero Motorcycles, the next Confederate Motorcycle will be powered by two electric motors. The motorcycle will also lose the Confederate name, and will hence sold under the Curtiss Motor Company brand name. The name swap was engineered by Chambers, who decided to name the company after Glenn Curtiss—the aviation pioneer who set the first ever land speed record.
Considering that the company has always named its motorcycles after fighter planes, the name change does make a certain amount of sense. But will Curtiss Motor Company be able to shake the shadows that have haunted its past?
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