Motorcycles - Great Britain: books - history (1/2)

British Motorcycles 1945-1965 : From Aberdale to Wooler

Rinsey Mills provides A-Z coverage of British motorcycle manufacturers and their products during the 20 years following World War II. This was a time when the British industry was at the top of its game, exporting all round the world and producing everything from humble ride-to-work two-strokes, to fire-breathing projectiles like the magnificent 1000cc Vincent Black Shadow.

From the forgotten Aberdale, of Llwynypia, Wales, to the ingeniously eccentric Wooler, of north-west London, here is alphabetical coverage - in no less than 600 pages - of British motorcycle makes of the period 1945-1965, among them great names such as AJS, BSA, Matchless, Norton, Royal Enfield, Triumph and Vincent.

There is a brief history of each maker, and detailed coverage of the various models they produced, using the original manufacturers' publicity material for the illustrations.

Product details

Author:	Rinsey Mills
Details:	600 pages, 27.5 x 22 x 4.4 cm / 10.8 x 8.7 x 1.73 in, hardback
Illustrations:	1500+ b&w and colour photos, drawings
Publisher:	Herridge & Sons Ltd (GB, 2018)
ISBN:	9781906133610

The British Motorcycle Directory - Over 1,100 Marques from 1888

The authors have been involved in the old bike hobby for decades and have been collecting information on every British marque over all that time.

This book is a culmination of their efforts and is a comprehensive directory of British motorcycle manufacturers and their products. Each entry contains a summary history of the manufacturer and its most important machines, and where possible entries are illustrated. There are over 850 illustrations in total.

Product details

Author:	Roy H. Bacon, Ken Hallworth
Details:	288 pages, 29 x 23 x 2.2 cm / 11.4 x 9.1 x 0.87 in, hardback
Illustrations:	850 b&w photos
Publisher:	The Crowood Press Ltd (GB, 2004)
ISBN:	9781861266743

British Motorcycles of the 1940s and 50s

After VE Day in 1945 the British population returned enthusiastically to the road. But the cost and availability of both vehicles and fuel led to the post-war scene being dominated by motorcycles, most of them ex-military machines, eagerly snapped up for everyday use in an age when a family car remained just a dream for many. The British industry, meanwhile, was exhorted to 'export or die', and until well into the 1950s the majority of new British bikes were sold abroad.

During this period, the industry - the largest and most important in the world - continued to develop new and exciting machines. Mick Walker tells the story of the British post-war motorcycle during this golden age of the industry. With the help of archive photographs and advertising material, this book conjures up a lost age of the British bike, of journeys to work by popping two-strokes, and trips to the seaside in the family motorcycle combination.

Product details

Author:	Mick Walker
Details:	56 pages, 21 x 15 x 0.5 cm / 8.25 x 5.9 x 0.2 in, paperback
Illustrations:	b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Shire Publications Ltd (GB, 2010)
ISBN:	9780747808053

Catalog of British Motorcycles (1951)

Published in the USA under the same title in 1951 by Floyd Clymer, the original publication was a pocket sized landscape format book and it is often criticized as difficult to read due to its small print size. Consequently, this edition was re-formatted into a larger and more conventional portrait size which has increased the text size by almost 40%.

This publication provides the reader with an insight into the country, and the manufacturers, that were ultimately destined to succumb to the dominance of the Japanese motorcycle industry. A total of 33 different British motorcycle manufacturers and their various models are included and sadly, less than a handful of those 33 manufacturers survive today.

A 'must have' resource for any motorcycle enthusiast and an invaluable reference for anyone interested in British 'iron'. Many of the motorcycles featured within are highly collectible today and the predominance of these early manufacturers no longer exist.
This truly historical documentation of the glory years of British motorcycle manufacturing has been out-of-print and unavailable for many years. We are pleased to be able to offer this reproduction as a service to all motorcycle enthusiasts worldwide.

Product details

Author:	Floyd Clymer
Details:	84 pages, 28 x 21 x 0.5 cm / 11 x 8.25 x 0.2 in, paperback
Illustrations:	83 photos and drawings
Publisher:	Veloce Press (USA, 2014)
ISBN:	9781588502223

Classic British Motorcycles

Classic British motorcycles were more than simple machines, they were a cultural phenomenon that lasted half a century. From the early days of motoring, British innovators led the way, building some of the world's most famous motorcycles, as well as some of the best performers.
At one point, the rest of the motorcycle world followed Britain's lead, and by the late 1950s, the British were by far the largest producers of motorcycles in the world. However, barely a decade later, the British motorcycle industry was almost bankrupt and in utter disarray.

Illustrated with over 150 photographs, this book explores the rise and fall of the British motorcycle industry, looking at its history through the years and then at the motorcycles themselves by brand, giving the complete story of these amazing machines.

Product details

Author:	Andy Tallone
Details:	96 pages, 24.5 x 17 x 1.3 cm / 9.7 x 6.7 x 0.51 in, paperback
Illustrations:	150+ b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Key Publishing Ltd (GB, 2022)
Series:	Classic Vehicles
ISBN:	9781913870577