THE METAMORPHOSIS OF A LEGEND.
NAME & HISTORY OBLIGE.
Franz Kneissl III bears one of the most famous names in Austrian sports and corporate history, the passion for speed and innovation was literally born into the cradle of the double world champion in offshore powerboat. Ski manufacturing has not been in the family since the 80s. With his Franz Kneissl Design GmbH, he holds patents for sports equipment and naming rights - and is now the licensor for Kneissl Bikes. Fitstore24 GmbH, Austria's largest bike and fitness online retailer, is now exclusively distributing Kneissl brand e-bikes, which were developed in cooperation between Fitstore24 and Kneissl Design. The high-quality electric bikes are manufactured in Italy.
MADE IN ITALY.
Only Italy - where passion for cycling, manufacturing and design have a long tradition - can be the production site for the Franz Kneissl III e-bikes. This is where the brand's mountain, trekking, city and children's e-bikes are manufactured. "A brand is not just a written word, but rather the result of presence, a life of its own and uniqueness, which always allows it to live on."
Franz Kneissl III.
THE KNEISSL VERVE.
The product development of the Kneissl Design e-bikes benefited from the cooperation between our two companies: Fitstore24 CEO Werner Zanier, as a personal as well as professional pioneer in the e-bike segment, contributed his many years of experience regarding components and technology, complementing Franz Kneissl III's clearly defined visions on geometry and construction. The Italian design team was inspired by Franz Kneissl III's past as an extreme athlete and his offshore racing motorboat, with which he became a double world champion in the 80s. Together, the Kneissl design and Fitstore24 team put the e-bikes through numerous tests in the mountains of Tyrol to match the traditional character traits of the Kneissl name: innovative, reliable and zeitgeisty.
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" A brand is not just a written word, but much more
the result of presence, life of its own and uniqueness,
that keeps you alive "
Franz Kneissl III -
" In a fast-moving time, we rely on stability and values
of intergenerational family businesses. It pleases
us extraordinarily, together with Franz Kneissl III, one over
100 year family tradition of innovation and zeitgeist
to continue and bring new products to market "
Mario Zanier
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HISTORY & EMOTION.
As one of the world's most successful and innovative ski brands, Kneissl is part of Austria's sports and corporate history, which goes back to the first wooden ski made by hand by Franz Kneissl I in 1910. The spirit of the brand remains inextricably linked to the family name, even though Kneissl ski production has not been family-owned since the 1980s. A generation of world champions, Olympic champions and ski legends - and the international jet-set loved the traditional brand from Tyrol. Through innovative technologies, Kneissl was always one step ahead of the ski industry. Closely linked to Austrian ski racing and with a strong, decades-long market presence, the brand became highly emotionally charged - and has remained so to this day. "A ski that moves you doesn't just leave tracks in the snow." Franz Kneissl III
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SPEED, TECHNOLOGY & LIFESTYLE.
Franz Kneissl III took a different, completely individual approach to shaping his own brand image. He did not forget his roots in the process: The passion for technology and speed was literally laid in his cradle. He was crowned double off shore powerboat world champion in 1982 and 1983 and lived for many years in the USA as a consultant and organizer of first-class sporting events such as the Americans Cup, the Ralph Lauren Polo Derby and more. He was the owner of Newport is Sports Ltd, opened the first Race Boat Training Center in the US in 1984 and trained special forces of the US Department of Defense, the US Marines. Andy Warhol photographed him for his Interview magazine, he received numerous international awards for his extreme sporting achievements and the US publisher Simon & Schuster chose him as one of the most successful athletes of 1983. Back in Europe, the entrepreneur developed innovative sports equipment and is the owner of numerous patents & naming rights.
FRANZ KNEISSL III E-BIKES.
With his Franz Kneissl Design GmbH, founded in 2016, and the e-bikes of the same name, Franz Kneissl III once again reinvented himself and the Kneissl product world. The constant is the brand name, which still arouses emotions and memories and stands for speed, technology and lifestyle.
The offshore motorboat world championship trophy was used as the logo for Franz Kneissl Design GmbH and, like it was on the racing boat, is also represented on the bikes. The lettering "Franz Kneissl III" can also be found prominently on every bike.
