Belstaff Motorcycle Jacket

The Belstaff company was founded in 1924 in Staffordshire, England by Harry Groberg.  The company logo of the phoenix was chosen and proved to be an appropriate logo for a company that has gone through many ups and downs from its inception.  Belstaffs original product line was waterproof garments for men and women and with the development of their famous wax cotton there was a natural progression for the company to move into manufacturing the Belstaff motorcycle jacket.

The Belstaff company had it boom time during the 1930s when it had refined its ability to produce specialized wind an water proof jackets.  The company provided their jackets to a varied market including aviators and pilots, military personnel and of course motorcycle riders.

The Belstaff company continued to be successful through the 1940s mainly through the launch of the famous ‘Black Prince Motorcycle Jacket’.  These jackets where so popular that the company in its peak production was producing over 40,000 motorcycle jackets annually.  During the end of the 1940s the company launched a new motorcycle jacket the ‘Trailmaster’ which gained popularity when many celebrities and sports people started to wear this type of jacket.

The 1950s brought an increase in the styles of Belstaff jackets to capture more of the wind and water proof jacket market.  The jackets made during this time and also during the 1930s to 1940s are highly sort after by enthusiast and collectors due mainly to the style and high quality of the jackets and which have stood the test of time.

During the 1960s and the 1970s the Belstaff company had made a name for itself an the only company which produced high quality jackets using only natural materials.  The company also developed a nylon textile which was strong and hard wearing called Belflex. This Belflex material was used in the manufacture of one of Belstaffs famous jackets, the XL500.

As the company moved into the 1990s Belstaff was greatly affected buy a crisis in the textile industry which caused closers and layoffs of workers and reduced amounts of production.  Belstaff still managed to release a new range called ‘evolution’ but production was considerably less than past range launches.

Belstaff motorbike jackets are still available today with the company having great success in recent years through the popularity of Belstaff jackets with Hollywood movies stars and many successful movies featuring characters wearing jackets made by the Belstaff company.