Vintage British Motorcycles
Choice of Champions
Devoid of Trouble
Birdwood Mill
The Great Unwashed
Phil Irving's Masterpiece
Birmingham Small Arms
Notes on some of the rarer British marques
This page lists brands for which we currently have only an historical precis.
For a more complete listing visit the British Index.
Baddeley
Manufactured in Glasgow by Lionel Ashley Baddeley (1879-1953)
A report reads:
1907 Auto-Cycle Club 24-hours Run - London-Plymouth-London
Held 26th July 1907. Friday-Saturday. London-Plymouth-London - 423 miles.
L. A. Baddeley, 3 h.p. Baddeley; (Gold Medal)
Baldet Bluebird
Created by Frenchman Andre Baldet in the mid-1950s*, it was based upon a 3-wheel Isetta chassis fitted with an Iso 236cc two-stroke engine, and used bodywork from a Renault Dauphine. The steering wheel was on the left.
The Baldet 3-wheeler had an MVV registration plate - issued in Northampton.
Andre Baldet came to Northampton at the age of 20 to train as an pilot at RAF Sywell. After leaving the armed forces he had a spell working at his father's Toulouse motorcycle business before returning to Northampton in 1948 for a three-month working holiday.
He began working at Stokes & Glazebrook. After being left in charge for a week with six motorcycles and no money he bought and sold 33 bikes. After this he set up a business himself selling Vespas and motorcycles, and rapidly became the largest Vespa dealer in the UK with several branches, the main one being in Northampton.
Baldet returned to France but then came back to Northampton in 1998, and died there.
N.B. One source mentions 1962 as the possible date of construction.
Sources: Graham Clayton, et al.
Bamby 1983-1985
Barko
Built by Arthur Barker, the 1915 Barko is quite similar to the 1915 Calthorpe Junior.
Source: Graeme Robert Wilson
Berkeley Microcars 1956-1960
Blackjack 1996-2025
Blacknell Sidecars Nottingham 1950s
Border Bandit
Built by Rob North and a partner in the early 1970s, possibly in California.
B.R.A. (Beribo)
Formerly Beribo Replica Automobiles, the firm has undergone a number of ownership and name changes. Models include a variety of Morgan-style three-wheelers powered by Honda CX500 and CX650 V-twins and Citroen 600cc 2CV flat twins.
Sources: 3-wheelers.com, bra-cars.com, et al
Brenda c.1920
Britannic
The Britannic Coachbuilt Sidecar was manufactured by J.Harrison & Sons (B'ham) Ltd. These were available in 1916 and likely in other years.
Browning Sidecars 1912
BTS Credette
B.T.S. (Beauship Trading & Shipping Co Ltd) was the UK agent for mopeds made by the German firm Waggonfabrik Gebrueder Credé & Co. (Sitta)
Buckland
Dick Buckland of Newport, South Wales, built 12 Buckland B3 sports 3-wheelers powered by 1300cc Fork Kent engines and had fibreglass bodywork. These were styled along the lines of the Morgan F-type.
Source: 3-wheelers.com
Burbury Sidecars 1919
Burlington
Manufactured by Burlington Motor Cycle Co., Ltd, 7, South Side, Clapham Common, S.W.4.
A two-seater with second windscreen was offered in 1922, along with two sports models and a semi-sports.
"Zenith Motors, Ltd., with a Burlington tradesman's box sidecar." Commercial Motor Magazine, 1926.
Bushbury 1897
Butler & Jordan
90 Bore Brooklands Special 1911
This JAP OHV V-Twin is a unique machine of which little is known apart from the owner's name on documents from the 1920s, Lawrence Butler.
The motorcycle is active in vintage motorcycle events.
Busy Bee
These were cycle attachment engines from the 1950s which were home-built using instructions published in Model Engineer in 1951.
Source: BuyVintage
Rarer British Marques
