Wanderer
German company Wanderer produced bicycles, motorbikes, cars, trailers, and other gear. Johann Baptist Winklhofer and Richard Adolf Jaenicke founded Winklhofer & Jaenicke in 1896. Beginning in 1911, the business adopted the Wanderer brand name and produced automobiles for both civilian and military usage until 1945. The company now belongs to Zweirad Einkaufs Genossenschaft (ZEG)
In 1913, the "Puppchen" tiny automobile entered serial production and quickly gained popularity. Before the introduction of the Wanderer Type W 10 with a 1.5-liter engine and 30 horsepower in 1926, there was no successor with a higher level of performance. This vehicle utilized all of the most recent advancements in automotive engineering, including a four-wheel braking system, a unitary engine block and gearbox, a multiple dry-plate clutch, left-hand drive, and a central gear lever. This automobile had a great market response.
In the Chemnitz suburb of Siegmar, a new manufacturing facility was constructed to meet the enormous demand.
The current factory continued to produce parts, which were then transported by rail to the second factory. At the end of the 1920s, individual components and assemblies were immediately unloaded from rail cars into the assembly line: just-in-time techniques!
Only 25 vehicles' worth of components could fit in Siegmar's buffer storage, which is the maximum number that could be constructed in a single day.
The reputation of Wanderer as a marque was based on its very dependable vehicles and exceptional manufacturing quality. Such perfection came at a cost, too, and Wanderer made an effort to avert the impending problem by introducing more contemporary body styles and powerful engines by the end of the 1920s. Even with these advancements, output numbers fell. Wanderer's vehicle production activities slid into the red.
The Czech companies Janecek and NSU had previously purchased the whole motorbike division. As a result, Dresdner Bank, Wanderer's largest shareholder, announced intentions to sell off the company's automobile segment and grow its lucrative machine tool and office equipment businesses.