CCM celebrate 50th anniversary with plans for series of events
Bolton’s finest notch up half century of motorcycle making
British bike brand CCM are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year with a series of events and special bikes with activities kicking off with the CCM Golden Jubilee Scramble on June 27. The Bolton-based firm, recently best known for the Spitfire family of stylish, handbuilt singles, was founded in 1971 by up-and-coming scrambles rider Alan Clews as Clews Competition Machines (CCM). In the 1970s and 80s CCMs competed at the highest level in motocross, trials and even road racing. From the 1990s the firm began focusing more on dirtinspired road bikes such as the R30 supermoto and later the GP450 adventure bike. But CCM’s greatest success has arguably been the Spitfire. The lightweight, tubular steelframed, 600cc street single was launched in 2018 and its minimal style and punchy, raw performance quickly proved so popular it spawned a whole family of café racers, scramblers, bobbers and even flattrack variants – some endorsed by homegrown bikesport royalty including Carl Fogarty and Dougie Lampkin.
Now, to mark both the golden anniversary and the rich heritage, the firm – now run by
Alan’s son Austin – are planning a series of celebrations – and it all kicks off at the Golden Jubilee Scramble on June 27. Preceded by two CCMthemed tours of the Lakes and Yorkshire Dales on June 23 and 25, the Scramble takes place at Westmoreland County Showground near Kendal. It will feature an historic line-up of classic CCM scramblers and crossers being ridden in anger and be attended by former CCM greats including Bob Wright, Vic Allan, Jimmy Aird, Perry Leask and Steve Tonkin. CCM-riding spectators also get free entry. But that’s just the start of a year-long series of celebrations which starting to take shape.
“CCM are planning a number of celebratory events when guidelines allow and we’ll be sharing these in the coming weeks,” said CCM Marketing Manager John Drogan, adding: “There are a host of new machines ready to be revealed throughout the golden anniversary year, too.” CCMs are also set to star in two upcoming Hollywood blockbuster movies – Marvel’s Black Widow starring Scarlett Johanssen aboard the modified Scrambler which inspired CCM’s recent Blackout model, and a second, still secret, A-lister action movie which also features another CCM motorcycle in a chase sequence.