What does KTM mean?

I thought it meant "Kronreif and Trunkenpolz at Mattighofen"..or something close to that (I even had a look at Mattighofen on google earth)

...now I read in the November Motorcyclist mag (USA) that it is "Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen"

(of course this is the same mag that just did a bizarre comparison test of the SDR and the new euro-Harley XR1200..based on what?...orange and black?)

...and Yanks aren't known for their spelling.

I see another version in a British book that claims it means Kronfief + Trunkenpolz at Mattighoffen.....


...so okay..maybe they changed the name once (Kronreif died or left?)and wanted to keep the K in KTM? Who knows the real story?

...or does it mean...what have you got?

Grendel is old but he can still teach the new kids a thing or two. 20 seconds of surfing on www.ktm.com took me to their 'history' page. Kronreif, Trunkenpolz, Mattighofen

Introduction of the first production series of KTM motorcycles (a team of 20 completes 3 motorcycles per day). First racing activities (5th Gaisberg competition: KTM comes first, second and third).


The company is now known as "Krownreif, Trunkenpolz, Masttighofen". officially in 1953

The answer is in the Wikipedia ():

"The company was founded in 1934 by engineer Hans Trunkenpolz [1] in Mattighofen. It started out as a metalworking shop and was named Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen. It wasn't until 1953 that KTM began production of motorcycles. With just 20 employees, motorcycles were built at the rate of three per day. In 1955, a businessman Ernst Kronreif became shareholder of the company, on acquiring a sizable portion of the company. It was then renamed Kronreif & Trunkenpolz Mattighofen. Trunkenpolz died unexpectedly in 1989. During these early years of motocycle production at KTM, almost all components for the motorcycles were built in-house by KTM."