The Classic Motorcycle

Alexander’s of Edinburgh and Glasgow

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I have a 1935 Norton CS1 which I am rebuilding, which fortunatel­y has its original engine, gearbox and frame. Norton factory records confirm it was delivered to Alexander’s of Edinburgh, who had branches in Edinburgh and Glasgow and were known as J R Alexander & Co. They were taken over by Cowies in 1960 and subsequent­ly went out of business about 10 years later.

On the CS1’s rear mudguard outlined in the paint finish is the impression of a semi elliptical badge and two small holes, which I surmise could be the ghost of an Alexander’s dealer badge fixed by two screws. Do you know what this badge looked like? I’d like to fabricate a copy. Nigel Patch, via email.

Despite extensive research, I cannot find an image of an Alexander’s dealer badge, but I’m sure your surmising is correct. However, I have found plenty of Alexander’s advertisem­ents, as they were regular advertiser­s in The Motor Cycle. Adverts published in the 1920s give their shop addresses as 113-115 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, and 272-274 Great Western Road, Glasgow. As can be seen for the accompanyi­ng Motor Cycle advertisem­ent, published June 9, 1921, they were agents for a large range of factories which notably for us include Norton, Indian and Douglas.

Alexander’s founder was James Robert Alexander (1875-1958), a well known profession­al Scottish racing cyclist in the late Victorian and early Edwardian days and multiple Scottish champion. Initially, he endured a chequered business career and in c1902 was declared bankrupt, but he soon successful­ly bounced back.

He next appears to have been trading with a cycle business and in 1903 branched out into motorcycle­s under the name of JR Alexander & Co (Ltd).

This business flourished and gained motorcycle factory agencies including Indian by 1910, then was one of the first Douglas agents in Scotland. Aged 35, James entered the 1910 IoM TT races aboard an Indian to finish 14th in a race won by Charlie Collier (Matchless). A younger Alexander brother, Alfie (Alfred H, aged 19), finished 22nd in the same race, aboard a Rex.

Both James and Alfie continued to enter the IoM TT races until the First World War, with James gaining a best result of eighth aboard an Indian in the 1912 Senior race, at a race speed of 44.2mph. The following year, Alfie rode onto the IoM TT leaderboar­d with a third place finish on an Indian in the Senior at 47.67mph, in a race won by Tim Wood (Scott). At this time, Alfie began an associatio­n with Douglas of Bristol and was one of the first to race the new ohv Douglas – albeit unsuccessf­ully, due to gearbox failure – in the 1913 speed trials at Weston-SuperMare.

James’s last IoM TT race was in 1921 astride a Douglas with a 37th place finish in the Junior. Alfie continued his IoM career until 1924, recording a third place finish (Douglas) in the 1923 Junior, seventh in the 1924 Senior but a retirement in the Sidecar TT. James continued as MD of JR Alexander and Co until at least 1953 and the rest of the businesses history is as detailed by Nigel.

If anyone has an Alexander’s of Edinburgh dealer badge to hand or fixed to one of their machines, Nigel Patch would be delighted if you would photograph it for him. Please contact this column via TCM, so email jrobinson@mortons.co.uk

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 ??  ?? James Alexander, successful Scottish racer and dealer, posed with his daughter,
on the Francis-Barnett.
James Alexander, successful Scottish racer and dealer, posed with his daughter, on the Francis-Barnett.

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