From The Archive

1906 ad extols the virtues of the Riley: ‘… the machine for the night or all-weather rider.’ Riley 1901(1899)-1908 UK Aged just 20, William Riley took over the family weaving business in Coventry in 1870, just as the city’s weavers were beginning to reel from the impact of cheaper imports – all sounds very familiar…

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Rex’s tricar was popular between 1903 and 1906 Rex and Rex Acme 1900-33 UK Modern history books tell us Rex began with tricar and car production at Birmingham in 1899 then acquired new premises at Osborne Road, Earlsdon, Coventry in 1900 and first exhibited a motorcycle at the year’s National Show at Crystal Palace, London.…

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1920 10hp Reading Standard – with electric lights! Ravat 1900 (1898)-1954 France Established business whose enterprises included cycles from Usines de Monthieux, Saint-Etienne. Entered the motorcycle market by fitting pioneer clip-on kits to its sturdy cycles, although exact production start-date is unclear. Progressed to earn a sound reputation for well-made, quality machines in the 100…

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The new-for-1911 budget Premier 246cc sidevalve Premier 1908-1915/1933 UK, Germany and Czechoslovakia As Hillman, Herbert and Cooper, the forebears of Premier had been involved in the formative years of the cycle as opposed to the ‘Ordinary’ (Penny-Farthing). Their early offering, a front wheel drive high wheeler wasn’t that successful, but significantly it was given the…

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Vespa was launched onto a transport-starved Italian market in 1946 Piaggio 1945-present Italy Rapidly became, first, a national then world leader in terms of production. By 1978 they’d sold over 6,000,000 machines and 15 years later hit 10,000,000. A true international player, Piaggio remain among the world’s leading motorised two-wheel makers by volume, on occasions…

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Late Fifties Peugeot moped Peugeot 1899-Present France Today a renowned car and commercial vehicle maker, and also leaders in the twist and go scooter/moped marketplace. Considering their world standing, it seems impossible to believe the founder Jean-Frederic Peugeot opened his tiny business in 1811 at d’Herimoncourt making stays for ladies’ corsets. Much later, due to…

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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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1901 Astor-powered Orient single Olmo 1951-c1961 Italy Production began using Mosquito clip-on units mounted under the pedal crank of suitable cycle frames and then moved into moped production using 50cc proprietary units. Olympic 1903-05 and 1919-23 UK Wolverhampton cycle-maker Frank Parkyn, who displayed MMC-powered motorcycles at the 1903 Crystal Palace Show, restarted production of lightweights…

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The early Zedel-engined NSU with the inclined engine suspended from frame tube NSU 1900-1965 Germany Heinrich Stoll and Christian Schmidt started their knitting machine (Strickmaschinen) repair and manufacture business in 1873 at Riedlingen, a Danube island town. A year later the flourishing enterprise moved to larger premises at Reutlingen though Christian and Heinrich dissolved their…

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New Imperial 146cc Unit Minor New Imperial 1901-03 and 1911-39 UK Myths, myths and even more myths form part of the history of many marques, including one of my favoured brands, New Imperial. Thanks to Australian enthusiast Chas Lipscombe’s excellent and extensive book, New Imperial Motorcycles, the myths have been laid to rest. In promotional…

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