THE vast assembly of buildings and workshops, full of busy workers and humming with the energy of thousands of wheels, all engaged on the production of the various manufactures for which The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited is world-famous, naturally provokes the question how so great an organization had its origin. THE BIRMINGHAM SMALL ARMS COMPANY’S EARLY HISTORY In 1918, BSA published a brochure celebrating their own history: In 1910, new BSA bicycles were at last available again to the public.ġ885 advert for ‘Birmingham Small Arms & Metal Co Ltd’ So BSA decided to supply complete machines and exhibited a full range at the November 1909 Cycle Show. Unscrupulous dealers made a good living selling as-new ‘knock-off’ machines in classified ads from rented accommodation and moving house promptly afterward, making them difficult to prosecute. However, genuine BSAs also had a good secondhand value. The company had taken quite a few to court to try and prevent the practice. Some cycle agents had been installing cheap parts but selling their bicycles as genuine BSAs. But, by 1908, despite excellent advertising campaigns, BSA had a public relations problem. In the early years, BSA didn’t sell complete cycles, only components. It’s interesting that the company name still exists …as BSA Guns Ltd. BSA started out as gunmakers and, through government contracts, helped defend the British Empire through the Boer War and two world wars. They were there at the beginning of bicycle production, and played a major part in their manufacture when Great Britain was the world’s leading producer of bicycles, motorcycles and cars. BSA was formed in 1861 and the company was finally sold in 1957 to Tube Investments.

Bsa bicycles history