Archivephotograph

This year, it’s 100 years since a 350cc machine won the 500cc Senior TT, in one of the – if not the – most remarkable motorcycling race results ever.

This wonderful evocative picture is of the AJS team at the 1921 Isle of Man TT races, the scene of the marque’s greatest ever racing triumph – Howard R Davies’ win in the Senior, 500cc race, on his 350cc Junior machine.

In the presented image, that’s Davies on the right, posed with AJS registration number DA 5737; he appears elsewhere in period reports with the machine, so registered. It would seem to be the one on which he finished second to team-mate

Eric Williams in the Junior race; Davies would’ve most likely won the Junior, but for a puncture which allowed Williams (winner of the 1914 Junior TT) through to take the win. Not only did the puncture cost Davies victory, but also the not inconsiderable sum of £20; the winner received £40, second

£20 and third place, which was taken by another AJS, that of Manxman Tom Sheard, a £10 purse. To underline AJS dominance, examples of the model also finished in fourth (George Kelly), sixth (Ossie Wade) and eighth (HF ‘Curly’ Harris), the last of the sextet, Harris – father of 1950s and 60s sidecar ace, Pip Harris – ran at the front until a disastrously slow third lap put paid to his progress. All over, though, it was quite the display of AJS dominance, although Jim Whalley’s fifth-placed Massey-Arran had given them a scare early on.

Why, though, was the AJS so good? Quite simply, it was down to its engine, a power unit a step ahead of the opposition, despite there being nothing too revolutionary about it, as it was a relatively simple, 349cc two-valve, pushrod single. Indeed, in an article entitled “A remarkable 350cc engine” and published on July 7, 1921, The Motor Cycle stated: “It may be said that the overhead valve AJS engine contains very few startling features,” though what AJS had done, had been done well, and with much time and care.

Good as the little AJS was, an article in Motor Cycling, “Who will win the Senior race?” didn’t pick it out as among its nine reckoned most likely winners, the tipster’s prediction being a George Dance (Sunbeam) win, from Duggie Brown (Norton) and Bert Le Vack, Indian, third. One of those three choices was indeed proved correct, as Le Vack did come third (for £15), following home his team-mate Freddie Dixon (£25), though neither of the two American-made machines were able to best the Wolverhampton-built ‘Junior.’

Interesting to note that several who rode AJS in the 350cc race elected to ride a Sunbeam in the Senior, though Eric Williams, despite being slated to ride a 500cc Beam, was a non-starter. Vivien Olsson – who crashed in the Junior race when his Ajay’s front brake (a cycle-type stirrup, remarkable on these otherwise ‘modern’ machines) jammed – and Tom Sheard were among those who swapped from AJS to Sunbeam, both of the firms being based in Birmingham.

Davies (himself a former Sunbeam man) and Harris (in for original entrant Wade) stuck to their 350s. Though Howard made a good start, he trailed Dixon at the end of lap one, by just a second. Others in contention seemed to be the fancied Dance and Le Vack and Triumph’s Freddie Edmond, not on one of the new four-valve ohv Triumph Ricardos, but a side-valve job; and on lap two, Edmond actually was ahead of Davies, though a broken petrol pipe forced Edmond back to eighth. Dance now led Davies at the end of lap three, then at the end of lap four it was Alec Bennett (Sunbeam) in front, but Davies was still second. The end of lap five, Davies was finally in front, a position he held over the last – sixth – lap. After 226½ miles, at an average speed of 54.49mph, Davies was the winner. Remarkably, his engine (but not cycle parts; Harry Stevens insisted the motors went in new frames) had also endured the 188¾ miles of the fivelap Junior race too. It was impressive stuff, and put an extra £50 in Davies’ pocket, as well as another gold medal.

In our picture, second from right is Harry Stevens, with another brother (perhaps George?) sitting in front of what looks to be leather-clad Eric Williams. Second from left is HF Harris though who is the man centre, in the waistcoat? For some reason, on the original image, behind his head had been ‘whited out’ for a portrait to used, but, infuriatingly, it has proved impossible to find where it was printed. Any ideas anyone?