Redditch is the original home of Royal Enfield and from 1932, the birthplace of its most iconic motorcycle model – the Bullet.
In tribute to the company’s roots in the town, a motorcycle sculpture was unveiled at Arrow Valley Country Park.
Park visitors have been reacting to the new art installation on social media.
On the Spotted Redditch Facebook group, Colin Smith said: “It’s a masterpiece”
Peter Clarke described it as a “great bit of artwork”.
Ant Stokes said it’s “wonderful to see the town’s heritage being celebrated and displayed.”
Judith Garfield described it as “stunning.”
Royal Enfield was one of Redditch’s largest employers between 1901 and 1967. The company originally operated from a 26-acre site off Hewell Road that housed factories, offices, a test track and a sports field.
A partnership agreement with its Indian importer, Madras Motors, was made in 1955, which led to the formation of Enfield India and the building of a factory at Thiruvottyur to assemble Bullets shipped from Redditch in kit form.
The closure of the Redditch plant in 1967 didn’t halt production of Royal Enfield motorcycles in India, with Bullets now exported to over seventy countries.
Royal Enfield has said the sculpture is a tribute to the Bullet and the bond that exists between Royal Enfield in Chennai and Redditch.
It was crafted from genuine 1950s Redditch Bullet components by Prashant Kumar, an Indian upcycling artist and Ben Reid-Howells, a Canadian-Scot educator and community organiser.
Together, Prashant and Ben set out from India on the Vasudhaiva Ride in 2017, a three-year project-based overland journey on two Royal Enfield Bullets across India, Nepal, China, Central Asia and Europe before stopping at Redditch to pay homage to Royal Enfield’s origins.
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