Early years[edit] In 1934, an Austrian engineer Johann (Hans) Trunkenpolz[12] set up a fitter's and car repair shop[13] in Mattighofen. In 1937, he started selling DKW motorcycles, and Opel cars the following year. His shop was known as Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, but the name was unregistered. During the Second World War, his wife took care of the business which was thriving mainly on account of diesel engine repairs.[14] After the war, demand for repair works fell sharply and Trunkenpolz started thinking about producing his own motorcycles. The prototype of his first motorcycle, the R100, was built in 1951.[15] The components of the motorcycle were produced in house, except for the Rotax engines which were made by Fichtel & Sachs. Serial production of the R100 started in 1953. With just 20 employees, motorcycles were built at a rate of three per day.[16] KTM 1953–1991[edit] In 1953, businessman Ernst Kronreif became a major shareholder of the company, which was renamed and registered as Kronreif & Trunkenpolz Mattighofen. In 1954, the R125 Tourist was introduced,[17] followed by the Grand Tourist[18] and the scooter Mirabell[19] in 1955. The company secured its first racing title in the 1954 Austrian 125cc national championship.[20] In 1956, KTM made its appearance at the International Six Days Trials, where Egon Dornauer won a gold medal on a KTM machine.[21] In 1957, KTM built its first sports motorcycle, the Trophy 125cc.[22] KTM's first moped, named Mecky, was launched in 1957, followed by Ponny I in 1960 and Ponny II in 1962 and Comet in 1963.[23] The 1960s also saw the beginning of bicycle production in Mattighofen. Ernst Kronreif died in 1960.[24] Two years later in 1962,[25] Hans Trunkenpolz also died of a heart attack. His son Erich Trunkenpolz took charge of the company's management. As the company continued to expand, the workforce totalled 400 in 1971, and forty years after it was founded, KTM was offering 42 different models. Additionally, KTM was able to produce motorcycles for the racing industry. During the 1970s and 80s, KTM also started to develop and produce engines and radiators. Radiators sold to European car manufacturers constituted a sizable part of the company's business in the 1980s.[26] In 1978,[27] US subsidiary KTM North America Inc. was founded in Lorain, Ohio. In 1980, the company was renamed KTM Motor-Fahrzeugbau KG.[26] One year later, KTM had about 700 employees and a turnover of 750m. Schilling (about 54.5m. euros). International business then amounted to 76% of the company's turnover.[26] However, scooter and moped turnover sank rapidly, and production had to be halted in 1988.[26] Erich Trunkenpolz died in 1989. Takeover of a 51% interest in the company by the Austrian investment trust GIT Trust Holding controlled by Austrian politician Josef Taus in 1989 was followed by unsuccessful attempts to turn the indebted company around,[28] and in 1991, management of KTM was transferred to a consortium of creditor banks. KTM after 1991[edit] In 1992, the company was split into four new entities: KTM Sportmotorcycle GmbH (motorcycles division), KTM Fahrrad GmbH (bicycles division), KTM Kühler GmbH (radiators division) and KTM Werkzeugbau GmbH (tooling division). Now owned by KTM Motorradholding GmbH, which was formed by Cross Holding (a Cross Industries daughter), and other investors, KTM Sportmotorcycle GmbH started operation in 1992 and later took over the sibling tooling division KTM Werkzeugbau. In the following years, while steadily increasing production and turnover, investing in new production and R&D facilities,[6][29][30] introducing new models and successfully sponsoring and taking part in various sports racing events, the company underwent a series of restructurings and stakeholder changes guided by KTM's managing director and Cross Industries owner Stefan Pierer. In 1994, KTM started production of the Duke series of road motorcycles, in 1996, KTM motocross machines were first decked out in KTM's signature orange color,[31] and 1997 saw the introduction of liquid-cooled two-cylinder Supermoto and Adventure motorcycles. In 2007, the company debuted the KTM X-Bow sports car.[32] In 1995, KTM Motorradholding GmbH acquired Swedish motorcycle maker Husaberg AB and took control of the Dutch company White Power Suspension. In 2007, Indian motorcycle manufacturer Bajaj Auto bought a 14.5% stake in KTM Power Sports AG. By 2013, Bajaj Auto held a 47.97% interest in the company. In 2013, KTM acquired the formerly Swedish motorcycle maker Husqvarna Motorcycles from its prior owner BMW Motorrad AG.[6] The same year, KTM re-integrated the brand Husaberg into Husqvarna Motorcycles from which it had spun off in the 1990s when Husqvarna was sold to the Italian company Cagiva. As the final result of the restructuring process, KTM Motorradholding GmbH had become KTM AG in 2012. In 2015, KTM generated a turnover of over 1 billion Euro and employed 2515 people by the end of that year.[6] Of the four separate companies left after the 1992 split, three were now again part of the KTM Group: KTM Sportmotorcycle GmbH, KTM Werkzeugbau GmbH and KTM Kühler GmbH (today WP Radiators). KTM Fahrrad GmbH (KTM Bike Industries) remains an independent company and is owned by Chinese investors. KTM-Group today contains

Tidlige år[redigér] I 1934 oprettede en østrigsk ingeniør Johann (Hans) Trunkenpolz[12] et montør- og autoværksted[13] i Mattighofen. I 1937 begyndte han at sælge DKW-motorcykler og Opel-biler året efter. Hans butik var kendt som Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, men navnet var uregistreret. Under Anden Verdenskrig tog hans kone sig af forretningen, som hovedsagelig blomstrede på grund af reparationer af dieselmotorer.[14] Efter krigen faldt efterspørgslen efter reparationsarbejder kraftigt, og Trunkenpolz begyndte at tænke på at producere sine egne motorcykler. Prototypen på hans første motorcykel, R100, blev bygget i 1951.[15] Motorcyklens komponenter blev produceret i egen regi, bortset fra Rotax-motorerne, som blev fremstillet af Fichtel & Sachs. Serieproduktion af R100 startede i 1953. Med kun 20 ansatte blev motorcykler bygget med en hastighed på tre om dagen.[16] KTM 1953–1991[redigér] I 1953 blev forretningsmanden Ernst Kronreif storaktionær i virksomheden, som blev omdøbt og registreret som Kronreif & Trunkenpolz Mattighofen. I 1954 blev R125 Tourist introduceret,[17] efterfulgt af Grand Tourist[18] og scooteren Mirabell[19] i 1955.Virksomheden sikrede sig sin første racertitel i det østrigske 125cc nationale mesterskab i 1954.[20] I 1956 optrådte KTM ved International Six Days Trials, hvor Egon Dornauer vandt en guldmedalje på en KTM-maskine.[21] I 1957 byggede KTM sin første sportsmotorcykel, Trophy 125cc.[22] KTM's første knallert, ved navn Mecky, blev lanceret i 1957, efterfulgt af Ponny I i 1960 og Ponny II i 1962 og Comet i 1963.[23] 1960'erne så også begyndelsen til cykelproduktion i Mattighofen. Ernst Kronreif døde i 1960.[24] To år senere i 1962[25] døde Hans Trunkenpolz også af et hjerteanfald. Hans søn Erich Trunkenpolz tog ansvaret for virksomhedens ledelse. Da virksomheden fortsatte med at ekspandere, udgjorde arbejdsstyrken i alt 400 i 1971, og fyrre år efter den blev grundlagt, tilbød KTM 42 forskellige modeller. Derudover var KTM i stand til at producere motorcykler til racerindustrien. I løbet af 1970'erne og 80'erne begyndte KTM også at udvikle og producere motorer og radiatorer. Radiatorer solgt til europæiske bilproducenter udgjorde en betydelig del af virksomhedens forretning i 1980'erne.[26] I 1978[27] blev det amerikanske datterselskab KTM North America Inc. grundlagt i Lorain, Ohio. I 1980 blev virksomheden omdøbt til KTM Motor-Fahrzeugbau KG.[26] Et år senere havde KTM omkring 700 ansatte og en omsætning på 750 mio. Schilling (ca. 54,5 mio. euro).International forretning udgjorde derefter 76% af virksomhedens omsætning.[26] Omsætningen af ​​scooter og knallert sank dog hurtigt, og produktionen måtte indstilles i 1988.[26] Erich Trunkenpolz døde i 1989. Overtagelsen af ​​en 51% andel i virksomheden af ​​den østrigske investeringsfond GIT Trust Holding kontrolleret af den østrigske politiker Josef Taus i 1989 blev efterfulgt af mislykkede forsøg på at vende det forgældede selskab,[28] og i 1991, ledelsen af ​​KTM blev overført til et konsortium af kreditorbanker. KTM efter 1991[redigér] I 1992 blev virksomheden opdelt i fire nye enheder: KTM Sportmotorcycle GmbH (motorcykeldivision), KTM Fahrrad GmbH (cykeldivision), KTM Kühler GmbH (radiatorafdeling) og KTM Werkzeugbau GmbH (værktøjsafdeling). Nu ejet af KTM Motorradholding GmbH, som blev dannet af Cross Holding (en Cross Industries-datter) og andre investorer, startede KTM Sportmotorcycle GmbH driften i 1992 og overtog senere søskendeværktøjsafdelingen KTM Werkzeugbau. I de følgende år, mens den støt øgede produktionen og omsætningen, investerede i nye produktions- og R&D-faciliteter,[6][29][30] introducerede nye modeller og med succes sponsorerede og deltog i forskellige sportsracerbegivenheder, gennemgik virksomheden en række omstruktureringer og interessentændringer styret af KTMs administrerende direktør og Cross Industries-ejer Stefan Pierer.I 1994 startede KTM produktionen af ​​Duke-serien af ​​landevejsmotorcykler, i 1996 blev KTM motocross-maskiner først pyntet i KTM's karakteristiske orange farve,[31] og i 1997 blev der introduceret væskekølede to-cylindrede Supermoto- og Adventure-motorcykler. I 2007 lancerede virksomheden KTM X-Bow sportsvogn.[32] I 1995 købte KTM Motorradholding GmbH den svenske motorcykelproducent Husaberg AB og overtog kontrollen over det hollandske selskab White Power Suspension. I 2007 købte den indiske motorcykelproducent Bajaj Auto en andel på 14,5 % i KTM Power Sports AG. I 2013 havde Bajaj Auto en andel på 47,97 % i virksomheden. I 2013 købte KTM den tidligere svenske motorcykelproducent Husqvarna Motorcycles fra sin tidligere ejer BMW Motorrad AG.[6] Samme år genintegrerede KTM mærket Husaberg i Husqvarna Motorcycles, som det var udskilt fra i 1990'erne, da Husqvarna blev solgt til det italienske firma Cagiva. Som det endelige resultat af omstruktureringsprocessen var KTM Motorradholding GmbH blevet til KTM AG i 2012. I 2015 genererede KTM en omsætning på over 1 milliard Euro og beskæftigede 2515 personer ved udgangen af ​​det år.[6] Af de fire separate selskaber tilbage efter opdelingen i 1992, var tre nu igen en del af KTM Group: KTM Sportmotorcycle GmbH, KTM Werkzeugbau GmbH og KTM Kühler GmbH (i dag WP Radiatorer). KTM Fahrrad GmbH (KTM Bike Industries) forbliver et uafhængigt selskab og ejes af kinesiske investorer.KTM-Group i dag indeholder