NMM winter prizewinner

Winner of the National Motorcycle Museum’s winter raffle, to win a brand new/old stock 1979 Triumph Bonneville T140D Special, was Ian Milford, from Perthshire.

Due to ongoing restrictions, the raffle was drawn by racing legend John Cooper and his wife Rosie at their home in Derbyshire on Sunday, April 25.

First prize in the next raffle is a brand new Norton 961 Commando, with the runner-up prize a 1993 Norton Commander. Tickets cost £2 and can be purchased at www.thenmm. co.uk BSA was once the world’s most successful motorcycle company, manufacturing more machines than any other in the world by the mid-1950s. However, after winning the Queen’s Award to Industry for exports in 1967/1968, it collapsed into bankruptcy in 1973. This is an epic story of rise and fall, even by the precarious standards of the British motorcycle industry.

With over 170 illustrations, this book recalls – in over 13 chapters (plus an Appendix covering all the production models year by year) – the founding of the company BSA (Birmingham Small Arms) by a group of gunsmiths in 1861 and its foray into bicycle, car and then motorcycle production, as well as the front-wheel drive three-wheeler that outsold the Morgan.

The book describes the evolution of the various models of motorcycles, including specification tables and discusses the diversification into cars, commercial vehicles and Browning machine guns for Second World War

Spitfires. The successes are recounted – two Maudes Trophies, two world motocross championships and numerous racing victories; finally documenting the fall from grace into bankruptcy and beyond.

Former BSA employee and twice world motocross champion Jeff Smith recalls: “At the 100-year mark, under the chairmanship of Jack Sangster, who retired that year (1961), BSA had earned a record £3.5 million. The chairmanship was then handed over to Eric Turner

(no relation to Edward), an accountant who came from the aircraft industry. Over the course of the next 10 years Turner would oversee the downfall and eventual bankruptcy of this great enterprise. He was ably assisted by a management group, who, except for a few standouts, lacked business sense, motorcycle engineering knowledge and imagination.”

Pullen relates that despite investment, many of the problems related to things like unreliability, empty showrooms (when production failed to chime in with the American selling season), as well as questionable management.

He also looks to the future. BSA is now owned by Indian giants Mahindra, so there is a possibility that BSA-badged machines will again be on the road sometime.

Pat Slinn, a former

BSA apprentice who later worked in the experimental department, makes many contributions to this book and comments by Gerald Davidson (former CEO of Honda UK), give food for thought.

An interesting read, unfortunately let down by poor quality photographs and inaccurate captions.