A tale of two factories
In 1962 John Stevenson took the opportunity to visit two of the British motorcycle industry’s most famous factories and here he recollects his impressions. It’s also given us a grand excuse to dive into one of our favourite places, the Mortons photo archive!
sixty years ago I was a junior journalist and wanted to assess the British motorcycle industry. Although not technically minded, I was an experienced motorcyclist who had read the right magazines, i.e. I’d done my homework.
Rumours were flying around that some manufacturers were struggling financially and what was fact was that the Lambretta motor scooter was making great inroads into British two-wheeler sales. A recent sports version, the TV175 Slimstyle was new to the market. So, as the song goes, ‘You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows’.
I managed to obtain permission for two official visits, one to the James Motorcycle Company at Greet in Birmingham and the second to Triumph Engineering at Meriden in the Midlands. I travelled northward to Birmingham in my Ford 100E Anglia and was met at James Motorcycles by Bob Bignell, the sales manager. He was a very pleasant man and made me welcome. However, I could see from the outset that he had an uphill job on his hands. There was little manufacturing in evidence.
In the 1950s James (and its sister brand, Francis-Barnett) had an enviable reputation for well-made lightweight motorcycles powered by the excellent Villiers engine, notably the 30C, 8E and the superb 225cc
1H. For reasons unbeknown, AMC motorcycles, the parent company, decided to manufacture its own twostroke engines. It was not a good idea. They shot themselves in the foot and sales plummeted at the James factory.
In the corner of the assembly area were a handful of strange looking frames. I was told they were for the James scooter. Lambretta were importing machines from Italy by the thousands – and this was the response.
At the Francis-Barnett factory a curious motorcycle had just been built, a 150cc which was called the Fulmar. It would find few buyers. So James and Francis-Barnett were making engines, a scooter and a new 150cc motorbike that nobody wanted. Down the road at Small Heath, BSA had modernised and upgraded the Bantam to 175cc while the C15 250cc was a good selling lightweight. James and Francis-Barnett lasted until 1966, a great shame but not surprising.
The following day I drove to Triumph Engineering at Meriden where I was greeted by Ivor Davies, the publicity manager. Again, Mr Davis was friendly and welcoming; he was also a dedicated Triumph man. I was shown around the factory which was buzzing, I could feel the enthusiasm everywhere. Every worker it seemed, from the managing director down, rode a Triumph. Whilst on my guided tour I made a few mental notes. The beautiful T110s and Thunderbirds of the late 1950s were now enclosed in 3TA cowlings and front mudguards. They looked like ungainly 650cc scooter/ motorbikes. Likewise, the Speed Twin was now a red 3TA with an upgraded engine. I made no comment. However, under the same roof were the last of the pre-unit Bonnevilles and Trophies, stunning machines. I was unsure what to think. The Tiger Cubs were popular and selling well and the company was obviously making money.
Mr Davis was more than kind enough to invite me to lunch in the executive dining room. Here I sat with many prominent key Triumph personnel. Unfortunately, I was without knowledge or experience and so none of them were known to me! And that ended my tour.
I did, however, once again rub shoulders a few months later with
Triumph. It was the launch of the Tina scooter. It was held, if my memory serves me correctly, on the South Bank, near the Royal Festival Hall. It was walking distance from my base in Fleet Street.
The Tina was to be the big opportunity to make some money from the scooter market. By chance I was able to speak to Edward Turner who was in a particularly good mood and was enthusiastic about his 100cc automatic and he expected to make inroads into the female market.
As is now known, the initial sales collapsed. It was then revamped in a different colour and called the T10. Again, it just faded away for British manufacturers just could not make a scooter that sold in any quantity. A couple of years later, I jumped ship and left Fleet Street … and I opened a shop selling Lambrettas!