The division of Germany after World War II brings to the pre-war very successful company DKW loss of factories in Eastern Germany, and thus the birth of a new brand, later completely profane is called VEB Motorradfabrik Zschopau. Sometimes it's not so good when plants are taken over relatively intact. In this case it leads to almost unchanged production of prewar machines at first with outdated production methods. The MZ is during GDR times an individual means of transport, one do not need to wait for so long, almost the only one for young people. It has there, unlike the West, a good reputation and one comes almost to the 100,000 annual production. But this figure is based particularly also on the export. Precondition for this development was the relocation of production to a new factory in 1951 and an associated change of the production process. But the winning streak ends abruptly with the fall of the Iron Curtain and during the subsequent "Treuhand" periods. After several plant closures MZ comes finally to the Hong Leong Group from Malaysia. It is created the RT 125 and the above pictured MZ-1000 with sister model. However, with the expiring year 2008 the fate of the company seems to be sealed. The invested money has not reappeared with partly only 500 machines sold per year. Hong Leong gives up. For € 5 million is sought another investor. As they always say, success in motor sport affects on the sale. Not so in the case of MZ. Even prizes in design not really help. The sales figures remain low despite three model series. The bike riding has become a hobby. In the East there are too little interested and the in the West buy another machines. Also the motorcycle market shrinks all in all. 12/08