KTM Since 2012, KTM has been the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Europe for four consecutive years. Globally, the company is among the leading off-road motorcycle manufacturers. In 2016, KTM sold 203,423 motor vehicles worldwide. In 1934, an Austrian engineer Johann (Hans) Trunkenpolz set up a fitter's and car repair shop in Mattighofen. In 1937, he started selling DKW motorcycles, and Opel cars the following year. His shop was known as "Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen", but the name was unregistered. During the Second World War, his wife took care of the business which was thriving mainly on account of diesel engine repairs. After
Austrian SS Austrian SS members were regular SS personnel. It was technically under the command of the SS in Germany, but often acted independently concerning Austrian affairs. The Austrian SS was founded in 1930 and, by 1934, was acting as a covert force to bring about the "Anschluss" with Germany, which occurred in March 1938. Early Austrian SS leaders were Ernst Kaltenbrunner and Arthur Seyss-Inquart. Austrian SS men were organized under the same manner as the "Allgemeine-SS", but operated as an underground organization, in particular after 1936 when the Austrian government declared the SS an illegal organization. Kaltenbrunner, for example, repeatedly made