CIRCA 1919 HENDERSON MODEL 2Z FOUR
Henderson may not have been the longest-lived American motorcycle manufacturer, but they were certainly one of the most revered during the early years of motorcycling. Producing nothing but fourcylinder machines during a period when anything more complex than a single was regarded as exotic, the firm was founded by brothers Tom and William Henderson in Detroit. By 1917, the firm had been taken over by Chicago-based cycle manufacturer and owner of the Excelsior brand, Ignaz Schwinn.
From the Adrian Reed collection, this older restoration features a Berling magneto, electric lighting and a siren driven off the rear tyre. The 1147cc machine was state of the art for its day, with a folding kickstart and three-speed transmission. With old and new style logbooks and last taxed in 2015, its estimate is £25,000-30,000.