Classic Components
After the First World War,JAP, although eager to return to the regular day job of building engines,was hampered by shortages of materials and skilled engineering, staff like so many businesses.
n 1918, the Franklin Institute of America presented John
Prestwich with a silver medal for his invention of the accurate, easy to use and rapid fluid gauge. Reaching the required age, Vivian Prestwich (John's eldest son) signed up for flying duties with the Royal Naval Air Service, which then amalgamated with the Royal Flying Corps, creating the RAF.Later in the same year, the Prestwich business was restructured as JA Prestwich and Co Ltd (JAP).
During the later stages of the war, JAPremained engaged in making huge numbers of shell components and aircraft parts, including wings and ailerons, involving up to 1200 assembly line workers, spread over three shifts. Many were women who doubled up as first aiders and ambulance crew after hours.
The first motorcycle engines back in civilian production were the faithful side-valve 2¾hp single and 8hp V-twin engines. EB (Eddie) Ware, whose association with JAP dated back to 1910, was working for them as a development engineer, including on a water-cooled 8hp side-valve V-twin engine with its induction manifold system heated from the engine's water jacket, envisaged for threewheeler/light car applications. Ware also returned to
Brooklands racing with a 350cc NUT-JAPand by 1921 hit the headlines racing Morgans at the Weybridge track, beginning with a class win at the April 16,
1921, Speed Trials (flying kilometre at 70.34mph, flying mile 69.50 mph).
Val Page returned to JAP in 1920 and almost simultaneously John Prestwich became involved in a new line - pencil manufacture. A pencil maker asked Prestwich to develop and refine pencil manufacture, which he did. Then the maker became strapped for cash, so John founded Pencils Ltd, to manufacture them at the Northumberland works as a subsidiary business. His development of a method of sandwiching the pencil lead in cedar proved successful, so much so that production levels later hit 1,000,000 and more per annum.
From a near standing start after the First World War, JAP expanded their engine range to include side-valve and ohv engines, from 250cc singles to 1100cc V-twins. And soon Tommy Eve, Vivian Prestwich, Eddie Ware and others flew the JAP flag again at Brooklands and elsewhere. Perhaps even more significantly, Cambridge born Ted (aka Barry or ECE) Baragwaneth started earning headlines with his home-built machines, including a ZenithJAPL.ater, he was to famously build and race with huge success a Brough Superior-JAP.
A great postwar start, but soon the world was heading into depression and JAP were to gain a tough rival both on the track and on the road in the form of Blackburne, a firm established initially as a partnership at Northchurch, Berkbampstead, which, with restructuring, moved first to Tongham, Surrey, then cl922 to the Atlas Works, Bookbam, Surrey.
Some observers comment JAP and Blackburne spent heavily trying to outdo and out-promote each other with serious negative financial impact for both.
However, it wasn't all doom and gloom, exampled by the announcement on December 23, 1921, by George Brough (son of established motorcycle maker William E Brough - George built his first Brough Superiors in 1919) launching a stylish ohv machine powered by the proven 90 bore (986cc so 90x77.5mm*) V-twin. Never shy on the promotional front, George stated his new sporting motorcycle was good 8-80mph in top gear. And while at times there was friction, there is no doubting JAP benefited from its association with Brough Superior - not that the firm fitted JAP engines exclusively.
Arguably, 1921 was the start of a new era for the Tottenham maker.
* Some sources state
90x77mm, giving 980cc.