PJ Oakley SX200 Mk III Lambretta

Love at first sight Love at first sight was exactly what Vince Roberts experienced the first time he saw a PJ Oakley Mark III SX200 dealer special in the late 60s. He did have a 1963 Li150 at the time, but when one of the older lads in Barrow turned up on

It wasn’t just any Oakley Mark III he wanted, it was the very one that he first saw; to Vince it truly was a thing of beauty. During the 60s there were a handful of outlets that went a little bit further than most by offering their customers an enhanced version of a standard scooter. The Grimstead Hurricane, Rafferty Newman Wildcat, Ron Moss Supertune and Arthur Francis S-Type are well known and renowned. Not as well-known as the aforementioned, yet equally as significant as all of them, was the dealer special offered by Leicester dealer PJ Oakley. These are arguably the rarest of all the 60s dealer specials to find, now nearly 50 years on from their first introduction. Based at 227a Melton Road, Oakley offered the basic version of his SX200 Mark III, which retailed at £249. The following extras constituted a standard Oakley Mark III: restyled two-tone paintwork to the customer’s specification, engine tuned to stage 1, high compression cylinder head, 12v conversion with 9 amp charge rate and switchable 6v magneto, Lucas 55W 12v quartz iodine spot-lamp, headlamp flasher and warning lamp on the headset, legshield glove-box, electronic rev counter, reverse pull front disc brake, ball end levers, front damper gaiters, side panel locks and

Avon cling tyres. Reliability was something that the modified Oakley Mark III was renowned for, something that PJ Oakley himself was justifiably proud of. In addition to the standard Mark III specifications there were several additional extras the more affluent customers could choose. This list included a Nanucci dual racing seat, a choice of Amal carburettor 1.25in (32mm) or a Wal Phillips injector, an Ancillotti exhaust, suspension bush modifications, 120mph speedometer, alternative gear ratios and engine heat dissipation. The latter being a black coating to the engine casing, reference to which was Scooter World’s headline for its feature on the Oakley Mark III test day at Silverstone circuit.

Vince recalls: “When that Oakley Mark III first turned up in town, it was like a scooter equivalent of a rare Ferrari arriving with all the scooter lads. It was the first dealer special in our town. I tried a few times to buy that Oakley off the owner, he always declined my offers. Then I was tipped off by a friend that it had gone to the tip! As soon as I heard, I went down there and managed to rescue as many trick bits as I could. That set me on the road to tracking down a genuine Oakley Mark III, which I found in a shed in Leicester.

Some of the Oakley parts were no longer on the scooter, and the shed was not damp-proof; the rear end was pretty much rusted away. Off it went to Chiselspeed to have a new frame loop and fork tube, and all trued up on the frame jig they have there. A local paint sprayer, using old photographs,

recreated the distinctive PJ Oakley design. Using the Oakley parts, as Vince calls them, trick bits, rescued from his local tip, marrying them up with his now resurrected Oakley SX; in effect building one complete Oakley dealer special out of the two.

When it came to rebuilding the engine though, Vince had a tough call to make. First off it was completely checked over, all the necessary items such as bearings, studs and where required essential running items were replaced. Next it was a choice of option A: utilise the currently available items such as a tuned Mugello top end, an up to date ignition system, upgraded crankshaft and ’rod, a six-plate clutch and five-speed box, plus other new items to suit the demands of today’s roads, or… option B: retain the original Oakley stage one tuned barrel and head complete with Amal Mk 1 concentric carb, standard SX crankshaft and clutch, and keep the original Oakley 12v conversion. As with all of his scooters Vince builds them to be used and mildly abused, so he went (albeit reluctantly) with option A. He has of course kept to one side the original Oakley tuned top end, with Amal manifold and carb, along with the Oakley 12v conversion set up and Lucas rectifier.

During his quest of bringing back to life a genuine Oakley Mark III, Vince’s extensive research and detective work resulted in him tracking down Paul Chambers, Oakley’s own mechanic and test rider. “Paul Chambers did take some finding to start with. Once I had been in touch with him to

start with I communicated with him a few times. When I’d finished my Oakley I took it up to see him. He was very impressed, telling me I’d done a really good job. He said he’d be interested in getting another SX himself. When I told him the sort of money they go for, he winced, and that put paid to that idea!

Recently Vince, along with fellow Ready Steady Go SC members, rode over to the Isle of Man. While over on the island he encountered a group of scooterists from Team S Equipe, with their early S type Lammies. One of their number, Lee Geary from Leicester, was chatting to Vince who told him about his genuine Oakley Mk III. Lee ran the 100 yards or so to where Vince’s scooter was parked up to have a closer look, and was suitably impressed with Vince’s handiwork. So far one Oakley trick part has eluded Vince – an original flasher unit for the headlight. If there’s one out there, I’m certain Vince will track it down too. After all, lavishing hard earned cash on a present is something most will do for a loved one. Vince’s love affair with his Oakley dealer special is a love that will last.