Austrian or US?

[skiracer]

So I was talking to some non motorcycle people over the holiday and explained to them the history of the Penton brand. So the question came up is the bike considered a US or an Austrian brand?  Due to the complexity of the transfer I didn't have a solid answer. It is easy to say the KTM labeled bikes are Austrian but the Penton's?  Thoughts?

[Daniel P. McEntee]

 Well, the original bikes were produced to the design and specs that John Penton ( a US citizen) presented to the KTM factory for distribution in the US only, so that , in my mind makes it a US brand. Kind of just as Hercules were branded and distributed in the US only. What happened later on in it's history made them an Austrian brand when John decided to cease production as Pentons. As it sits today, I think it's an Austrian brand still. But, would they be where they are if John had not steered them in the right direction?
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee