"...the new Nimbus Two Thousand - fastest ever -"
-- unknown wizard boy in Diagon Alley (PS5)
The Nimbus Racing Broom Company was formed in 1967 by Devlin Whitehorn. It is is known for its superb racing brooms (QA9).
Nimbus changed the business of racing brooms, with the arrival of its Nimbus 1000. It was a revolutionary design, and it quickly became a Quidditch team favourite. Since its inception, Nimbus has released many more series.
Nimbus brooms
Nimbus 1000
The first broomstick of the Nimbus series, this model was revolutionary in its day for reaching speeds of up to 100 miles per hour and being capable of turning 360 degrees at a fixed point in mid-air (QA9). This broom put the Nimbus Racing Broom Company at the top of the broom manufacturing field, a title it boasted for some time.
Nimbus 1700
Brooms which followed the release of the Nimbus 1000 between 1967 and 1990 and ensured the company stayed atop the field of sport brooms.
Nimbus 2000
Harry’s first broom, ordered for him by Professor McGonagall in his first year (PS10). At the time he received it, it was the best broom available; he used it until it blew into the Whomping Willow during his third year (PA9).
Nimbus 2001
Released just before the start of Harry’s second year in 1992, a year after the Nimbus 2000. Lucius Malfoy bought seven of these to outfit the Slytherin Quidditch Team; there’s some evidence that this was why his son Draco was made the team’s Seeker, as he really isn’t a particularly good player.
Commentary
Etymology
From the 17th century, "nimbus" means "bright cloud surrounding a god."
Notes
Related images:
Madam Hooch, however, does have this comment about the longevity of the Nimbus brooms:
"If the Nimbus series has a fault, it’s a slight list to the tail-end – you often find they develop a drag after a few years." (PA13)
Lexicon timeline of Quidditch
Lexicon list of Broom Manufacturers