Brooks started in business as a contractor for Joseph Bugeleisen aka "Buco"
The initial development of the leather motorcycle jacket began with companies like Schott who opened in 1913, and began producing motorcycle jackets during the 1920's. In Detroit, the Joseph Buegeleisen Co. started business in 1933 providing motorcycle accessories & saddlebags, and began producing motorcycle jackets in the 1940's. Other early jacket makers/retailers include Indian Motorcycles with only one model jacket, the "Ranger" for men, and the "Rangerette" for women. The woman's model had the pocket and zipper opposite of the man's model. Both jackets were produced during the 1940's until the bankruptcy of Indian in 1953.

Brooks started in business in Detroit in 1959 as a subcontractor for the Joseph Bugleisen Company (Buco). Brooks was founded by Sandor Weiss, a Hungarian immigrant and shoe maker, who fled the Russian invasion of Hungary in 1956. Sandor's entrepreneurial drive created an enduring legacy spanning 55 years of a family run motorcycle leather company. Their first release was the style 511 "Road Warrior" jacket with two outside top pockets...still manufactured by Brooks today, a venerable classic!

In 1963, Sandor's son, Leslie joined the company. His younger brother Steven, graduated high school in 1964 at a time when Brooks was in full swing. Steve subsequently joined the company in 1972 and went to work with his brother at the fast growing Brooks. The boys took over the day to day running of the company when Sandor retired in 1977.

Brooks customers included Harley Davidson, Penton, Chrysler Corp. (Viper Jacket), The Detroit Red Wings, and The American Quarter Horse Association, to name a few. Jackets made for Harley Davidson were labeled Harley Davidson, not Brooks. Styles included the 500, a 511 without the zip out liner, the 502 pants that could be worn over a normal pair of jeans and padded MX pants for the Aermacchi-Harley Davidson dirt bike riders.

Brooks created a new marketing campaign by hiring Stone & Simon of Detroit as their adverting agency in 1977. The result was the famous "We'll Take On Anybody In Leather" campaign. This effectively cinched their market recognition for American made leather in the domestic market during the 80's. With full page print ads in national publications, including Playboy, Brooks Leather helped define iconic American leather images from "Easy Rider" to "Captain America"…. all dressed in trend-setting leather. In 1978 the famous Brooks gold and black label changed to a new logo still used today. The two sons as partners operated production facilities in Detroit. Production hovered around 5,000 Brooks jackets a year (1982) with it's trademarks, Brooks, Riders Only and Club Elite.

Upon the death of Leslie and Steve's subsequent retirement, production relocated to Brockton, Massachusetts. The factory was managed by Jamie Goodson with production manager Jay Winter. Accomplishing a seamless transition, Brooks subsequently sold ownership interest to Jamie, arguably "The Dean" of America's Motorcycle Apparel Industry. Jamie's career has spanned nearly 40 years creating hallmark brands such as Protech, Raider, Texport, and Vanson Leathers, as well as private label programs for many nationally recognized proprietary brands.