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Orange County Choppers
Established as a business
in 1999, Orange County Choppers grew out of Orange County Ironworks, a
steel fabrication enterprise founded nearly 30 years ago by custom-chopper
builder and rider Paul Teutul Sr. Orange County Choppers jumped on the
custom-bike scene at Daytona Biketoberfest in 1999 with "True
Blue," a classic chopper built in the basement of Paul Sr.'s
house.
Other
Orange County Choppers signature bikes soon followed, including the Spider
Bike, purchased by musician Wyclef Jean of the Fugees, and the Jet Bike.
Built to honor U.S. military forces in Afghanistan, the Jet Bike was
featured in the original American Chopper that aired on Discovery
Channel in
September 2002.
Orange County Choppers has garnered worldwide praise and recognition for their
custom motorcycles. In 2002, for example, Orange County Choppers was
recognized by American Iron as one of the world's top 12 builders;
likewise, Orange County Choppers will be among 19 other top builders profiled in the
forthcoming book Haute Motor: The Art of the Chopper (November
2003). Orange County Chopper bikes have also been featured on numerous
magazine covers including American Iron, Freeway (France), Norsk
Biker Journal (Norway) and Street Chopper. And the Spider Bike
was one of three bikes chosen in the world-class competition at the Rats
Hole Custom Show in Daytona, Fla., to receive an "all expenses
paid" trip to Germany, the site of one of the biggest auto/bike shows
in the world.
Today, Orange County
Choppers produces 150 choppers annually, with a staff of eight employees
located in their Rock Tavern, N.Y. garage. With the popularity of their
Discovery Channel series and a merchandise market that is growing
exponentially, the Orange County Choppers crew has won the hearts of
millions.
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