Description
H&H Classic Auction @ National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
30th Oct, 2024 13:00
c. 1916 Douglas 2¾HP
Registration No: Unregistered
Frame No: Not visible
MOT: Exempt
First owned and raced by the vendor, the late Ray Harris, in 1936 when he was sixteen
Reacquired by Mr Harris some fifty years later when it was discovered in a Herefordhsire shed
Extensively restored thereafter and the subject of a magazine article in Motorcycle News during 1990
In need of re-commissioning and re-registering with the DVLA
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 with Barter coming to work for them. Having two cylinders, horizontally opposed to each other made for a lower centre of gravity and was neater than various vertical twins of the period. Douglas mounted the ‘boxer’ longitudinally to begin with before switching to a transverse layout.
First purchased by the vendor, the late Ray Harris, for the princely sum of 7s 6d way back in 1936 when he was just sixteen years old, this wonderful machine enabled him to win his maiden race; the first of many victories the pairing achieved together. Losing touch thereafter, Ray Harris jumped at the chance to reacquire the Douglas when it was found languishing in a Herefordshire shed during 1986. Undeterred by its forlorn state, he set about restoring the 2¾hp to its former glory. Remaining in Ray Harris’ possession until his recent passing, the Douglas has been stood for a few years and so will require recommissioning. Despite the two of them being the subject of an article in Motorcycle News during 1990 (copy on file), it appears that the late vendor never re-registered his beloved bike with the DVLA.
