This is an extremely rare Van Veen OCR 1000 from 1978, it’s a Wankel rotary-powered motorcycle with a 1.0 liter displacement and 100 bhp – a heady figure for a motorcycle in the 1970s.
Just 38 examples of the OCR 1000 were made, and today they’re rare as hen’s teeth, and considered highly collectible by those in the vintage motorcycle world.
Fast Facts: The Van Veen OCR 1000
- The Van Veen OCR1000 was an ambitious 1970s Dutch superbike powered by a 996cc twin-rotor Wankel engine from Comotor S.A., producing 100 bhp at 6,500 rpm. Built for speed rather than mass-market affordability, it had a Porsche-derived four-speed transmission, shaft drive, and twin front disc brakes, delivering 135 mph performance despite its hefty 642 lbs dry weight.
- Conceived by Henk van Veen, a Kreidler importer, the project began in the early 1970s with prototypes using a Mazda rotary in a Moto Guzzi frame. It was unveiled at the 1974 Cologne Show and drew considerable attention for its innovative design and for its relatively high asking price. The tubular frame was designed by Jaap Voskamp, with suspension by Koni and other high-end European suppliers.
- Despite technical excellence, only 38 examples were built between 1976 and 1981 due to high production costs, limited market appeal, and Comotor’s closure. Originally priced around $15,000 – comparable to $90,000 today – the OCR1000’s exclusivity and uniqueness have now made it a rare collector’s item. A final run of ten bikes was completed in 2011 using original factory parts by Andries Wielinga.
- Among rotary motorcycles of its era, including the Hercules W-2000, Suzuki RE-5, and Norton’s later Wankel models, the OCR1000 remains the most advanced and the most powerful of the early examples. The 1978 model shown here, once part of Sam Costanzo’s Rotary Recycle collection, remains original and it’s finished in green and black. It’s now set for auction through Mecum, showing 8,853 kilometers on the odometer.
History Speedrun: The Van Veen OCR 1000
When you look back at the wild era of 1970s motorcycle experimentation, the Van Veen OCR 1000 stands out as something altogether unique. It was developed by Dutch entrepreneur and Kreidler importer Henk van Veen as an ambitious bid to bring rotary-engine technology into the superbike arena and take the fight to the Japanese and their all-conquering UJMs.
The Van Veen OCR 1000 was conceived by Dutch entrepreneur and Kreidler importer Henk van Veen as an ambitious bid to bring rotary-engine technology into the superbike arena and take the fight to the Japanese and their all-conquering UJMs. Image courtesy of Henk van Veen.
Henk van Veen made his name in the Netherlands as the importer and team owner for Kreidler. At some point in the early 1970s he turned his attention to something much bigger – producing a high-end superbike powered by a Wankel rotary engine.
The first prototype was built between 1972 and 1974, reportedly using a Mazda rotary engine mounted in a Moto Guzzi frame. Van Veen’s ambition was to create “the world’s finest motorcycle” (as he called it) rather than a budget sportbike.
Development led to a partnership with Luxembourg-based Comotor S.A. (a venture of NSU/Audi and Citroën) which had developed a compact twin-rotor power unit originally for the Citroën GS Birotor. At the 1974 Cologne Show the prototype drew in a huge amount of attention.
Van Veen OCR1000 Specifications
The production OCR 1000 was powered by a liquid-cooled twin-rotor Wankel engine displacing 996cc (498cc for each rotor chamber) and rated at about 100 bhp at 6,500 rpm – a remarkably high power output for the time. Drive was via a 4-speed gearbox and shaft final drive and interestingly, the transmission included a number of unique Porsche-designed parts.
The chassis consisted of a tubular steel frame (designed by Jaap Voskamp) with front forks and rear suspension from established suppliers (Koni among them). Brakes were high-spec for the time, with twin front discs and a single rear disc. The machine weighed in at around 292 to 294 kgs dry or around 642 lbs, undeniably heavy for a sporting motorcycle, and it had a claimed top speed of 135 mph (217 km/h).
Despite its obvious technical promise, the OCR 1000’s production life was short. Very short in fact. The prototype appeared at the 1974 Cologne Show, with first customer bikes sold in 1976. Limited production continued roughly through to 1981 before ending due to the high cost of the bike limiting its market appeal and the fact that Comotor ceased production of its Wankel engine in the late 1970s.
The production OCR 1000 was powered by a liquid-cooled twin-rotor Wankel engine displacing 996cc (498cc for each rotor chamber) and rated at about 100 bhp at 6,500 rpm – a remarkably high power level for the time.
Van Veen had originally (and optimistically) projected an annual output of 2,000 units, but only 38 examples are believed to have been completed, not including prototypes. The high price (around $15,000 USD in the late 1970s, or about $90,557 USD in 2025) and the heavy curb weight were often mentioned in period reviews as obstacles to the bike’s broader success.
The story didn’t quite end there though, as in 2011 a Dutch enthusiast named Andries Wielinga produced a final batch of ten OCR 1000s using leftover factory parts and original tooling, effectively closing the circle for collectors.
The OCR 1000 occupied a key place in the rotary-engined motorcycle epoch. The earliest mass-production Wankel‐equipped bike was the German Hercules W-2000 with a single-rotor engine of 294cc. Then there was the Suzuki RE-5 with a larger 497cc single-rotor engine and styling by Giugiaro – it made around 62 bhp but suffered from reliability, complexity, and weight-related issues.
Later still, the British company Norton produced twin-rotor Wankel models like the Norton Classic and Commander in the late 1980s and into the 1990s. Among these production rotary bikes, the Van Veen OCR 1000 is generally regarded as the highest-spec rotary motorcycle of the 1970s – with its twin-rotor engine, superbike-levels of performance, and its full touring potential thanks to the use of what was essentially a car engine.
The 1978 Van Veen OCR 1000 Shown Here
This is a Van Veen OCR 1000 from 1978, with its original engine, transmission, frame, and bodywork all in place. The listing doesn’t say if it’s in running and rideable condition, though the fact that it’s powered by a version of the Comotor S.A. Wankel engine means that spares are still available.
This is a Van Veen OCR 1000 from 1978, with its original engine, transmission, frame, and bodywork all in place. The listing doesn’t say if it’s in running and rideable condition, though the fact that it’s powered by a version of the Comotor S.A. Wankel engine means that spares are still available.
This bike was formerly part of Sam Costanzo’s Rotary Recycle collection in Cleveland, Ohio. It’s finished in a two-tone Green and Black paint scheme, it has a two-person seat, and a dual exhaust. The bike appears to be complete, with all major parts present and accounted for.
It’s now due to roll across the auction block with Mecum at the end of January, it has 8,853 kilometers showing on the odometer, and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.
Images courtesy of Mecum
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
