Jon Branch September 17, 2018
The BMW 2002 proved to be a major milestone for the company as it worked to build itself up again after the Second World War. To catch a glimpse of the process BMW had been through during the 1940’s and 1950’s we need to remember that two vehicles that had played a major role in the company’s fight for survival were the little Italian designed Issetta bubble car, and the Volkswagen like BMW 700. Small, inexpensive cars that BMW was able to produce and sell in sufficient numbers to keep the company afloat.
Read More
Jon Branch September 10, 2018
The Ariel Square Four is one of the most famous names among Britain’s original “big” bikes, standing side-by-side with the likes of Brough Superior and Vincent HRD.
Read More
Jon Branch September 3, 2018
Introduction: The Defender That Wasn’t The development process that would lead to the Land Rover Defender began four years before the new model that would later be named the Defender made its debut. The 1979…
Read More
Jon Branch August 27, 2018
When the Land Rover was first created it was only expected to be a stop-gap vehicle that would be in production for three years or so until war ravaged austerity Britain was “back on her feet” and Rover could go back to making nice luxury cars for doctors and other such professional people.
Read More
Jon Branch August 21, 2018
Written by Jon Branch The Land Rover, like the original Volkswagen, has been a car that defied the norms of automotive marketing. The motor industry has been in a mindset of wanting to constantly create…
Read More
Jon Branch January 13, 2018
Introduction The story of the Indian Chief is one that is not quite of the order of sadness of a Shakespearean tragedy but it is nonetheless one that evokes a number of “what if” questions…
Read More
Ben Branch February 27, 2017
In a roundabout way, we owe the existence of the Harley-Davidson XR-750 to the Brits. They didn’t design it or built it of course, but what they did do was complain – loudly and often…
Read More
Ben Branch December 20, 2016
The creation of the Japanese sword gives us an insight into the thinking behind the creation of the Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM). In the time prior to the Japanese creating their own sword design they used a variety of design concepts mostly borrowed from China. But there came a point at which they seem to have collectively decided that the two handed sabre was the best choice…
Read More
Ben Branch October 24, 2016
Back in 1978 when Yamaha first created the SR500 it was intended to be a Japanese replacement for British thumpers like the Manx Norton – yet Yamaha also made it a bike for entry level riders by building the SR series to be easy to ride and easy to maintain.
Read More
Jon Branch October 18, 2016
If the Brough Superior was the Rolls-Royce of motorcycles, then the Vincent Black Shadow was the Aston Martin. When Vincent began back in 1928 they started out the way they meant to keep going as “the makers of the world’s fastest motorcycles”.
Read More
Ben Branch September 12, 2016
Introduction The Norton Commando is a vintage British motorcycle whose name would become so iconic it’s still a household name decades after the originals left production. Most people with even a passing interest in motorcycles…
Read More
Ben Branch September 5, 2016
Motorcycles were a market that was to be a natural opening for Japanese industry. Although the British, Americans, Italians, and Germans were making motorcycles that sold well they were steeped in traditional ideas of what a motorcycle should and should not be. The Japanese were not. Japan had worked on creating a motorcycle industry especially in the post war period.
Read More
