T E Lawrence (of Arabia)

On May 19, 1935, a Brough Superior SS100 achieved what the entire Turkish Army of World War 1 couldn’t – one killed Lawrence of Arabia. Riding without a helmet (racers used them but they were unheard of for road riders at the time), Lawrence swerved to avoid two errand boys on pushbikes and was thrown from his Brough and died. It was the seventh Brough he had owned and, thanks to his friendship with George Brough, they were no ordinary bikes – more like factory racers, custom-built for Lawrence’s 100mph needs. And he DID have a need. Lawrence was addicted to speed. As his friend, the famous novelist George Bernard Shaw, once said of Lawrence: “‘He drank no alcohol but, alas, he had a drug. His drug was speed and it cost him his life.”

Due to his exploits in World War 1, where he successfully led the Arab Revolt against the Turks, Lawrence was the most famous man in Britain at the time of his death, and one of the first figures in history to be hounded by the press everywhere he went. He became even more famous after the release of David Lean’s 1962 epic ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ starring Peter O’Toole.

The 1000cc Brough Superior SS100 that Lawrence was killed on has been called ‘the most romantic motorcycle in the world’. It’s also likely to be the most expensive. The bike still exists, in private hands, and is estimated to be worth £1 million.

Lawrence’s greatest legacy to motorcyclists is the number of lives he has indirectly saved since his own death. Such was the public outcry at losing such a national hero, crash helmets began to be used for the first time on the recommendation of the surgeon who treated Lawrence. Sir Hugh Cairns was of the belief that, had he been wearing a crash helmet, Lawrence would have survived the crash.