Description
H&H Classic Auction @ National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
30th Oct, 2024 13:00
1914 Douglas
No Reserve
Registration No: CF 1089
Frame No: 16200
MOT Expiry Date: Exempt
Owned on and off for the last 41 years
Pioneer certificated machine 843
Refurbished in 2008
Current V5c on file
The Douglas Bros, who started up in 1906, acquired the design of a flat twin-cylinder engine from J. Barter's defunct Light Motor Company enterprise, Barter coming to work for Douglas. Having two cylinders horizontally opposed 180 degrees to each other was much the same elegant solution to twin-cylinder engine design as adopted by over fifty other motorcycle manufacturers, although Douglas chose a longitudinal layout for their early twins. By 1910, a clearly dedicated Eli Clarke had ridden a Douglas with 35mph top speed 900 miles down the length of the UK in 39 hours 40 minutes!
On offer is a 1914 Douglas 2 3/ 4 was purchased new by a Mr Diederichs who owned the Douglas until he sold it to a Mr Clare in 1957, it was then sold to Brian Verrall in 1964 who in turn sold it to a Mr Merod, it was then sold in 1978 back to Brian Verrall when the current owner purchased it. The current owner then sold it back to Verralls in 1999 who then sold it to Mr Peter Lancaster, again it was sold back to Verralls and resold back to the current owner. During the different ownerships, the engine had a mechanical failure, and a 1914 replacement engine was found and is still in the machine to this day. The original engine comes with the machine. It comes complete with a current V5c, 2 pioneer certificates (old style and new) some lovely old pictures of the machine, an Old RF60 logbook, and various literature.
