AJS Silver Streak
Bright and shiny
When the very first Earls Court Motorcycle Exhibition in London was announced for September 1937, it was as if to broadcast that the austerity of the ‘thirties, which had begun with the Great Depression, was a thing of the past. Not that outrageous opulence was the official theme, but there was definitely an air of optimism and a touch of flamboyance here and there.
On display were the 1938 models from all major, and some minor manufacturers. Over on the AJS stand, standing out like a beacon in a sea of black, was the former Wolverhampton company’s offering; a cornucopia of chrome in three sizes: 250cc, 350cc and 500cc. What were quickly christened the Silver Streaks were actually special versions of the standard models 22, 26 and 18 respectively – with an SS after the number designation. The only difference between the 250 and 350 was the engine capacity and carburettor size. Halfway through the model year the HP lightweight Burman gearbox was upgraded from an exposed clutch lever version to an enclosed clutch lever version. The engine had an A stamped near the engine number. The 500cc version had a heavy weight frame and forks with check springs, a CP Burman gearbox and larger brake drums. AMC boasted, “an appearance which has never before been achieved in the motorcycle industry”.
Although the visual impact was the talking point, there were practical differences as well. Like the sister Matchless models in Super Clubman trim, the Silver Streaks sported what AMC described as “a highly tuned engine with polished single-port cylinder head and ports” with a choice of three different compression ratios from 6.6:1 to 11.0:1. A larger section 3.50 x 19 Dunlop Universal rear tyre, with a 3.00 x 20 ribbed front graced all three models, and customers could specify a high or low-level exhaust system. Lucas electric lighting was standard fitment and options included a Smiths speedometer, a stop light and an eight day clock to fit in the tank panel. There was also a pillion seat and passenger footrests, plus a rear luggage rack available at extra cost. Associated Motor Cycles, since 1931 the owners of AJS, had long prided themselves of the quality of their in-house chromium plating, stating that their product was the equal of stove-enamel in terms of durability, and here was the perfect chance to display it. The owner’s handbook however issues stern instructions for the care of same, stating, “Ordinary metal polishing liquids or paste must not be used on chromium plating, because these, without exception, contain oleic acid, and this attacks chromium. The plating may be polished with a soft duster, or better still, with a polisher of the Selvyt type (a raised cotton fabric favoured by jewellers).” The chrome plated parts that would ordinarily have been painted included the mudguards, headlight shell and brackets, rear chain guard, primary chain cases, tool box, battery carrier, oil tank, girder fork links (but not the blades), wheel rims, and saddle springs. The crowning glory was the fuel tank, substantially but not completely chromed, with silver and blue-lined black panels on the top and sides. The black-topped fuel tank was said to be a safety measure to protect the rider from glare. The inset instrument panel contained an ammeter, lighting switch and a bayonet-fitting inspection light. Magneto ignition was retained, unlike much of the standard range which had switched to battery and coil ignition.
Through the course of the Earls
Court Show there was to be much salivating and drooling over the sparkling Silver Streaks, but in reality, very few would find their way into the hands of buyers as the war effort rapidly escalated and all AMC production was switched to the production of the
350cc WD Matchless. The Silver
Streak was destined to be a shortterm wonder, lasting just 1938 and
1939, and even in 1938, deliveries were not abundant. The 1939 catalogue modesty described the Silver Streak as “Recognised as the aristocrats of the Motor Cycle world”. Six long years later, chromium plating of any kind was a rare and highly expensive luxury, and the Silver Streak was never reintroduced.
A colonial Streak
Given the push for export that existed in the period, quite a few of the small total of Silver Streaks found homes abroad. Still, such models in Australasia are rare in the extreme today, especially given that many 350cc and 500cc motorcycles were purloined by the Army for use in military work, with few surviving intact, if at all.
Now and again a curio arises, and the recently discovered photographs on these pages show a NSW registered 500cc Silver Streak that did manage to escape conscription and was in regular use in the late 1940s (when these photos were taken) and presumably thereafter. All these ‚
years later, the owner’s name is not known, nor the fate of the motorcycle, but this one appears unusual in that it has a twin exhaust port cylinder head, whereas all three models in the 1938 range had single port heads with enclosed valve gear. A possible explanation is that this motorcycle would have been “impressed” for military use during WW2, and the original engine worn out, and a twin-port version (or at least the cylinder head) substituted when it was returned to civilian ownership.
The owner of the NSW-registered bike appears to have undertaken a Christmas holiday tour over 1946/1947 as the photos show him and the bike at Orbost, Victoria and Haunted Hills (near Moe).
A survivor
Andrew Jeffrey is an AJS fan and an expert on the marque – and the owner of a 350 Silver Streak which has been the subject of an extended restoration. Although substantially complete, there are still small jobs to do, as Andrew explains. “I have had all the oil and petrol pipes dull zinc plated, and there is no wiring yet, but apart from these issues the bike is substantially complete”. When a finished runner, the 350SS will join Andrew’s 1937 Model 12 250, which he says can achieve the same top speed (70 mph) as the “tuned” 250SS.
Silver Streaks rarely come up for sale in Australia, but a 500cc version was auctioned by Shannons in Melbourne in 2007, achieving $17,000.00.