02 October 2021
|
The first motorcycle to be manufactured in Norway was built in 1903 by Oscar Engstrøm. Although this was probably the only motorcycle he made, the ‘Engstrøm’ must be regarded as the first motorcycle to have been produced in Norway and now, 118 years later, Norway are celebrating their motor bike heritage with four colourful stamps.
We don’t see the ‘Engstrøm’ in the set, rather four other bikes that made motoring history. The ‘Atlanta’ was initially made using parts from England. In the 1920s the 500 cc bike was advertised as ‘the first motorcycle to be made here in Norway – the Norwegian Atlanta Motorcycle!’ and was smaller and lighter than the popular designs seen in the USA.
Staying with the subtle Scandinavian feel, the ‘Mustad’ was known as a ‘folk scooter’, had a small engine and a modest top speed of 40 km/h; indeed the designers were left disappointed when the authorities demanded that the design was made larger in order to meet road regulations.
The ‘Raufoss’ of the late 1950s was a popular model, with around 6,500 mopeds produced to meet demand. Meanwhile, on the final stamp, we see the Tempo Corvette, which appeared in 1960 and was manufactured for almost two decades until 1979. The production of mopeds continued in Norway until 1987, when the production equipment was sold to Portugal.
Issue date: 2 October 2021, posten.no/frimerker