COMMANDER
One of the most attention-grabbing displays at the Earls Court show in 1952 was the Commander, built by the General Steel Group of Hayes. Although the 98cc Villiers engine was familiar to virtually all showgoers (many of whom may well have owned a James or a Norman or a Francis Barnett, among others), the Commander was futuristic and looked as if it belonged to the Space Age that was years in the future. The engine was suspended from a spine frame and then enclosed by a grille – despite this, the manufacturers assured riders that access to the engine was simple and could be performed with that most uncomplicated of tools, the sixpence piece.
The leading link front suspensions used rubber bands while the rear suspension was a single coil spring which allowed 4½ inches of travel. The rear brake was applied by back pedalling which, even with the small Villiers motor, must have been exciting at times. The Commander would be available in three versions, all of which claimed ‘modern low cost motoring in armchair comfort’ while the ‘car body beauty’ with its twotone metallic paint boasted a vast amount of chrome. Prices started at £74 19s 6d and rose to £95 16s 8d and the range could be viewed at March Arch Motor Supplies in the Edgeware Road, London. Sadly, view was all people could do and not even the motorcycling press was allowed to ride one. No one seemed to know if it even worked. For whatever reason, the Commander was quietly dropped in April 1953, having never gone into production. Dan Dare would have to look elsewhere for his motorcycle.