Rotax is an Austrian engine manufacturer, founded in 1920 in Dresden, Germany. Operations were moved to Wels, Austria in 1943 and finally to Gunskirchen in 1947. In 1959, Rotax merged with the Vienna-based Lohner-Werke, a manufacturer of car and railway wagon bodies.

In 1970 Lohner-Rotax was bought by Bombardier, thus allowing Rotax to further develop its motorcycle motor section.

The company constructed only two-stroke engines until 1982, when it started building four-stroke engines and aircraft engines. Other important dates include 1962, when a Rotax engine was first installed in a snowmobile and 1989, when Rotax received Type Certification for its 912 A aircraft engine.

Rotax:

• Sells engines to Italian Motorcycle Manufacturer Aprilia.
• Sold engines to Canadian Can-Am (Both Rotax and Can-Am's parent company are/was Bombardier).
• Makes the Rotax Max range of kart engines.
• Makes the five-valve, single-cylinder, water-cooled engines used in the BMW F650 series motorcycle.
• Produces the Rotax 912 and Rotax 914 light aircraft engines.
• The Rotax 122 & Rotax 123 two stroke 125cc engines are used in the Aprilia RS125 motorcycle.
• Produces the Rotax 494 and 493 two stroke engines used in Sports Car Club of America F500 race cars.

External link

• Rotax Aircraft Engines

Aircraft engine manufacturers | Companies of Austria | Bombardier

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