Brennabor Classic Cars for Sale

Founded by brothers Adolf, Carl and Hermann Reichstein in 1871, Brennabor was a German manufacturer of numerous wheeled vehicles. It's more prestigious period was in the 1920s and early 1930s when it established itself as a leading car maker.

Brennabor puts itself among the elite of German motor manufacturing

From its base in Brandenburg an der Havel in north east Germany, Brennabor initially made its name manufacturing children's buggies before moving into the motorcycle market. It's breakthrough as a car manufacturer came in 1908 and it did not take long for the firm to launch its own racing team. However, the outbreak of World War One brought an end to production just six years later. In 1919, Brennabor reentered the market with the launch of its 2-litre type P model. The rear wheel drive vehicle had a four speed gearbox operated by a lever on the outside of the car's cabin and had 24 horse power with a top speed of 65 km/h. In 1925, the type P was superseded by the type PW, which was slightly more powerful at 32bhp and had a shift transition in the center of the car. Top speed was improved to approximately 75 km/h. Around 10,000 type PW models were sold in its first two years on the market. Brennabor felt it needed to revamp its range in the 1930s and targeted luxury buyers with the launch of its Jewel 6 and Type C versions, which were available with two body lengths and had 2.5 litre engines capable of producing up to 45 horse power. 3.2 litre 55 horse power models were available at an extra cost, but only a small number were sold.

The end comes for Brennabor

Brennabor was one of the first European companies to use American production methods. During the mid-1920s, this helped the firm to become the biggest car maker in Germany. However, the economic downturn of the late-1920s hit Brennabor hard and its production rates fell. The launch of the Jewel 6 and Type C models brought the firm back during the 1930s but a lack of funding soon took its toll again and all car manufacturing ceased in 1933. The Type E was the last car be made but it couldn't change the company's fortunes as it share of the domestic market slipped to just 1.3%. With Germany going through a difficult economical and political period, Brennabor scaled back its operations to light motorcycles and components. During the Second World War, the firm moved into the makings of some arms, but the company's 74 year history came to a sudden end in 1945 when the Soviet Union took control of East Germany and Brennabor's factory was closed down.