Circulates throughout the world Established 1903

Montgomery at Banbury

The Banbury Run took place on 20 June, starting and finishing at the Motor Heritage Centre, Gaydon. Around 600 riders took part, all on machines made before the dawn of 1931. There’s a full report on the event, including the experiences of two riders, one a vintage novice, with a number of pictures, included in the September issue of The Classic MotorCycle, which goes on sale 6 August.

The Montgomery Greyhound pictured is a 1930 model, with a twin-port 500cc JAP engine. Owner Mr Jackson, from Manchester, uses it regularly in Pennine and Lakeland VMCC events.

Montgomery was founded in the Suffolk town of Bury St Edmunds, by Bill Montgomery. By 1900 the company made trailers and forecars, then later sidecars, before making its first complete motorcycle in 1905. In 1909 the company left Suffolk, relocating to the industrial heartlands of Coventry. Pre-WWI sidecars and proprietary engined motorcycles formed the business core.

Post WWI, Montgomery went back into the same business as before, using engines including JAP, Villiers and Swiss MAGs, among others. A 1925 fire destroyed the works, though the company bounced back, again building proprietary engined machine, with the names taking on a canine theme – among them Greyhound, Terrier, Retriever and Bulldog.

During the early days of WWII, the Montgomery works were destroyed in a bombing attack. This time, the company didn’t recover from its premises being razed.