Andrew Ritchie | |
---|---|
Born | 1947 (age 76–77) |
Nationality | British |
Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
Occupation(s) | Inventor, businessman |
Known for | Brompton Bicycle |
Andrew Ritchie MBE (born circa 1947)[1] is the inventor of the Brompton folding bicycle, and has guided the Brompton Bicycle company to become the largest bicycle manufacturer in the UK.[2]
In 1995 he received the Queen's Award for Export[3] and in 2009 the Prince Philip Designers Prize.[4][5] In the Queen's Birthday Honours of 21 April 2010, the company was awarded two Queen's Awards for Enterprise – in the Innovation and International Trade categories. [1] Brompton has now produced well over 1.100,000 bicycles and in 2008 achieved 25,000 units for export to markets such as the Netherlands, America, Germany, Japan and Scandinavia.[6] A Cambridge engineering graduate, Ritchie was working as a landscape gardener in London when, in 1976, he conceived the idea for a folding bike, which he subsequently named after the Brompton Oratory.[2][3] His design won the 'Best Product' award against an international field at the Cyclex exhibition in April 1987.[2] After devoting his life to the development and manufacture of the bike, he began to step back from the day-to-day running of the company in 2005, reduced his shareholding, and now acts as Technical Director.[6][7]
He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours for services to Business and to International Trade.[8]
(1947–), Inventor of the Brompton folding bicycle
Brompton History
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).Andrew Ritchie was named the winner of the 50th Prince Philip Design Award