A to Z Reference

Parilla 250cc ohc single, influenced by British design Parilla 1946-67 Italy Of Spanish parents, Giovanni Parilla was born in 1912 in Southern Italy. The family later moved north, to Mantova, and by his teens Giovanni found himself in Milan where he started his first business, a garage, which went on to specialise in diesel pump…

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1928 Magnat-Debon 350 Mabeco 1923-27 Germany Intrigue surrounds Max Bernhard and Co from Berlin, who began making near exact copies of 600 and 750cc Indian Scouts with engines built by Siemens and Halske. Following successful legal action by Indian, production stopped and Max Bernhard and Co folded to be reformed as Mabeco. Under this label,…

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Early Thirties Garelli lightweight two stroke Gadabout 1946-51 UK See Swallow, scooters built by famous sidecar maker. Gaia 1922-32 Italy Turin maker of lightweights with Moser, Rubinelli and Ladetto and Blatto engines. Rare. Galbusera 1934-55 Italy Production began with a range of ohv singles using Italian Miller engines (Rudge units built under licence). Galbusera sensationally…

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1949 Brockhouse Corgi Bohmerland 1925-39 Czechoslovakia Albin Liebisch designed the unconventional long wheelbase Bohmerland with its ohv single cylinder engine. Some had two fuel tanks and could seat two passengers as well as the rider. A short wheelbase racing version and, later, a two-stroke model, joined the range. Bond 1949-53 and 1958-62 UK Designed by…

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Vindec V-twin three wheeler Vindec 1902 -29 UK Parts and cycle suppliers to the trade and later motor and motorcycle parts and accessories factors, Brown Brothers Ltd of Great Eastern Street, London, entered the motorcycle world with the Vindec brand in 1902. Brown Bros also marketed machines under the Brown label during 1902-19. As Brown…

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Alfred Angas Scott checks the condition of Frank Philipp’s Scott Scott 1908-c1972 One of 12 children, Alfred Angas Scott was born at Manningham, Bradford in 1874. The son of a Bradford merchant and Scottish mother, Scott was educated in Scotland, then at a Staffordshire public school. He rapidly developed independence, self-reliance and confidence – attributes…

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During WWI, P&Ms were supplied to the military with many used by the Royal Flying Corps PA 1921-29 Belgium During the early Twenties a leading Belgian marque from Liege whose owner/designer Mons Praillet fitted a range of side-valve and ohv Blackburne engines. Later PA also used JAP and MAG units and built their own 250…

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Liberia mopeds line up at the Paris Show in 1956 Liberator 1902-c1928 France Pioneer firm who experimented with clip-on kits before making their first production machines, based on the Werner principle, with the engine mounted within the frame diamond. Used proprietary engines including Antoine, Sarolea and JAP. Very rare. Liberia Early Twenties and 1951-56 France…

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Straight frame tubes were the hallmark of pre-war Francis Barnetts FN 1901-62 Belgium Like BSA, FN (La Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Geurre) were weapon makers. Founded in 1889, the Herstal company began making cycle frames in 1895, then complete cycles and their first 133cc single cylinder motorcycle in 1901. With sound financial backing, development progressed…

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1938 250cc BMW R23 single BMW 1923-to date Germany Today BMW is Germany’s only large scale motorcycle manufacturer. Although portraying an image of dependable quality, the company itself has survived a close call with bankruptcy and kept afloat after WWII by manufacturing cooking pots, cycle parts and wood working tools. Their practice of building top…

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