Peckett and Mcnab, a brief history
Most famous for its race chassis kits of the 70s and 80s, Peckett and Mcnab is still busy crafting its tubular finery for road and race bikes a whole 40 years after it all started – though now only with Richard Peckett. Formed in 1975 by him and Peter Mcnab, who’d both worked together at Dresda Autos, P&M began designing and building bike frames as well as modifying existing ones. Their very first frame was constructed and raced by Richard in 1976. Housing a Honda CB750 sohc engine, Peckett started winning regularly on it the following year. He also campaigned a P&M framed BMW R90S in endurance races the same season gaining credible finishes. As well as good race results, the reputation of P&M chassis grew, especially in the F1 and endurance classes. The company had a great year in 1978 with John Cowie winning the F1 championship on a P&M Kawasaki Z1000. Ian Richards, on another P&M Kwacker, finished third to Hailwood in his famous 1978 TT comeback victory. Cowie beat Hailwood at the Silverstone round, and Honda asked P&M for a chassis for its up and coming rider Ron Haslam to race in the final round at Brands – which he won. The-then unknown rider Graeme Crosby also made an impression that weekend riding a P&M bike as a replacement for an injured rider. By this time Peckett and Mcnab were on a roll with results providing the very best advert for its products. Plenty of privateer racers started ordering its chassis. George Beale used P&MS for his riders Roger Marshall and Graham Mcgregor in 1979, with Peter Mcnab working for the team. The firm’s first road bike came along in 1980 in the shape of a Kawasaki Z1-r-engined machine, which found much favour with the British bike press. Unfortunately it was written off in a crash by a P&M employee soon after. In 1981 the firm produced its first monoshock chassis, raced by Jim Wells, which also became very popular with customers. Road and race success continued with Wells also racing a P&M Gpz550engined F2 machine in 1983. In 1985 the firm introduced frames with quickly adjustable head angles. With manufacturers starting to produce bikes with more credible chassis, P&M found good business making frames for Meriden-built Triumph triples, which continues to form the bulk of its work today. “I must be still enjoying it,” says Peckett. “I work six days a week supplying customers, many of whom have become friends, worldwide. As well as the Triumph stuff we do a lot of stuff for Japanese engines like GS and Z1000s,” adds the 67-year-old.