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.
Neall
Manufactured in 1910-1914 by Neall Brothers, Ltd.
Western Motor Works, Daventry.
Fitted 2½ and 3h.p. Precision engines.
Sources: period advertising, Tragatsch p.225.
N.B. There was a Neal (one L) of Sparkbrook in the same period, unrelated.
Neval
Neval Motorcycle Imports, New Holland, S. Humberside (near Hull).
1981 Model Intruder 340cc single cylinder twostroke, Hella 12v electrics, optional mag wheels. Drum brakes front and rear. Possibly a modified IZH, and appears to be a twin despite advertising literature stating that it's a single.
1990 Neval Jupiter 5 was an IZH two-stroke twin.
Their trials bikes are thought to be derived from Montesa.
Source: period advertising.
New Eagle
Designed by Ralph Jackson of Jackson & Kinnings, the 4-cylinder, 16 HP "New Eagle Racer" three-wheeler had a claimed top speed of 80 mph. Machines were manufactured from 1901 to 1905.
Source: autopuzzles.com
Nobel
The Nobel 200 Fuldamobil was manufactured by York Noble Industries Ltd, (N. Ireland) between 1958 and 1962 under licence from Elektromaschinenbau Fulda GmbH.
The Nobel name may also have been used in Turkey and Chile.
Text from Italian article:
La Nobel 200 prodotta da una fabbrica britannica che offre il veicolo sia come unità completa sia come parti staccate da montarsi privatamente. La Nobel 200 è azionata da un motore Sachs 200 della potenza di 10 cavalli, raffreddato ad aria. Il cambio è a quattro marce. E' la nuova versione della tedesca Fuldamobil di cui sono state costruite 12.000 unita.
The Nobel 200 produced by a British factory that offers the vehicle both as a complete unit and as separate parts to be assembled privately. The Nobel 200 is powered by a Sachs 200 engine with a power of 10 horsepower, air-cooled. The gearbox is four-speed. It is the new version of the German Fuldamobil of which 12,000 units were built.
See also Fuldamobil Microcars
Sources: Wikipedia EN, et al.
Norman Engineering Company
Founded in 1919, the firm built motorcycle and industrial engines. Initially based in Leamington Spa, they moved to Warwick in 1936.
Norman 143cc four-stroke engines were fitted to the Kenilworth scooter.
They were also fitted to Italian motorcycles of the 1920s such Alfa and Doglioli & Civardi.
Motorcycle engine types included types E, EC, ECR (170cc) and MC (175cc). Production of motorcycle engines ended in 1936.
Sources: Wikipedia, et al.
North British Machine Company (NBMC)
Located at 24 Carlton Place, Glasgow, the company bought several Barr & Stroud engines, so it seems likely that they produced motorcycles, possibly between 1903 and 1909.
In the 1950s they sold motoring accessories, tools and equipment to the motor trade with customers throughout Scotland, and were agents for Elswick-Hopper bicycles
They may well have been related to The North British Motor Company of 310a St Vincent Street, agents for Clement, De-Dion and Lanchester Cars.
Sources: talkingscot.com, classicmotorcycleforum.com
Rarer British Marques
