One of the oldest motorcycle brands in the world has changed hands, yet again, as the British marque Matchless has reportedly been sold. Changing hands from Greek to Italian ownership, the Matchless brand is now in the hands of Franco Malenotti, of Belstaff apparel fame.
Hoping to revitalize the motorcycle brand in a similar way as he did with Belstaff, Malenotti plans at first to build a limited production series of motorcycles, which will draw their inspiration from the G80, Silver Hawk, and Silver Arrow designs.
For now Malenotti, and his two sons Emanuele and Michele, plan on making Matchless motorcycles available for sale in both England and Italy, with the company’s new headquarters likely to be based in London, so as to pay homage to the historically British brand.
Of course, a part of the new Matchless business plan centers on having an extensive apparel and accessories line to accompany the motorcycles, making the new company very much an exercise in vintage motorcycle lifestyle branding, which should please the Concours crowds immensely.
Source: Il Mondo via OmniMoto.it
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