Description
National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
26th March 2025 - 9:00AM
c. 1940s Excelsior Welbike
No Reserve
Registration No: Unregistered
Engine no: XXE 3923
MOT: Exempt
Offered from a deceased estate of long term ownership
Extremely rare 1940s MOD bike
Looks to be largely original
Perfect small project for someone to get back to use
The Welbike was a British single-seat folding motorcycle produced during World War II at the direction of Station IX, the Inter Services Research Bureau, based at Welwyn, UK, for use by Special Operations Executive (SOE). It has the distinction of being the smallest motorcycle ever used by the British Armed Forces. Between 1942 and 1943, 3, 641 units (plus a prototype and some pilot models) were built and, although not much used by the SOE, some were issued to the British 1st and 6th Airborne divisions and some were used by paratroops at Arnhem during ‘Operation Market Garden’.
Offered from a deceased estate and from long-term ownership, offered here is an extremely rare 1940s MOD bike. It appears to be largely original and the perfect, quite literally, 'small project' for someone to get back to use as something different, a talking point or for military collectors. Unfortunately, we don't expect there to be any paperwork with this motorcycle.
