Stealing speed, the prequel

Aircooled MZ 125

Most of us will be familiar with the racer Ernst Degner and MZ story, when in September of 1961, he and his family defected from East Germany. He had the assistance of Suzuki and brought with him some critical parts of the 2 stroke MZ which allowed Suzuki to improve their racers, thus winning the 50cc title the next year. That story is told in the Mat Oxley book, Stealing Speed.

 This post is about another earlier (1960 episode) in the MZ saga. Dr. Josef Erlich, an Austrian emigrant to Britain, had formed EMC, his own motorcycle company, after WW2 (previous post here). The company produced some split single two stroke motorcycles- slow sales saw him close it down in 1953. By 1960 he was employed by deHavilland in their small engine development where he was, in his spare time, restarting EMC.  As the article below states, EMC hired Philip Irving to copy some MZ parts that Joe Erlich provided, the story being that MZ had given them to him, Walter Kaaden of MZ denies he had provided them, so was MZ the victim of another theft of their proprietary knowledge? 

Take a look at the pictures, above is the aircooled MV engine Philip Irving "copied" to make the watercooled EMC shown below. I'd take issue with Irving's claim that it "didn't noticeably betray its origins". Mike Hailwood rode an EMC to 5th place in the 125 class in 1961.

EMC water cooled racer

From Classic Racer Magazine

Later MZ water cooled racer

More here.  Motorcyclespecs

Exploded view; aircooled MZ 125