A TRUE ENDURANCE MACHINE

This is a photo of my late grandmother sitting on her partner’s motorcycle, taken while they were courting before they were married. I’ve been told the photo was taken in the late 1930s, probably on one of their many trips from London to Newcastle, where my grandfather came from. How on earth they managed that trip ‘two’s up’ back in those days without motorways amazes me – especially on that pillion seat (or rather that cushion). It’s a long enough trip on a modern motorcycle on modern roads! I’d like to know what model this bike is; I’ve worked out that it’s a Phelon & Moore Panther, but I’m not sure of the exact model. Most images I’ve found that seem to match the style of engine have twin exhausts, whereas this one is quite clearly a single exhaust. I’m after this info because I’d like to add one of these to my collection for nostalgic reasons. May be this very bike is still out there somewhere? Rick’s help identifying the model would be greatly appreciated.

Oliver Beacham

Hi Oliver, you’re right – it is a Panther, Londonregistered in June 1935. It is a Model 10 250cc Red Panther, which is the bike that saved Panther’s fortunes in the troubled times of the economic depression. Many other smaller motorcycle manufacturers folded, but they managed to pare down the cost of building the Red Panther so it could be retailed through London dealer Pride and Clarke for the knockdown price of £29-17-6d, making it (famously) the cheapest fullyequipped motorcycle you could buy at the time – they even threw in a chrome tank! After that, Panther just about managed to keep afloat until the late ’60s. All the best, Rick