Beschreibung:

Like most other pioneers of Britain’s motorcycle industry Excelsior fitted European manufacturers’ proprietary engines at first, before turning to home-produced powerplants - mainly Villiers, JAP and Blackburne. Acquired by R Walker & Sons in 1919, Excelsior moved from Coventry to Birmingham. The Walkers believed in the value of racing for development and publicity, and the revitalised company was soon making its mark in competition, early successes including a number of World Records set at Brooklands by Tony Worters on 250 and 350cc JAP-engined machines in 1926. Its relatively small size meant that Excelsior could not compete with the likes of Rudge and Norton in the Junior and Senior classes, but in the Lightweight division the marque was a force to be reckoned with throughout the 1930s. Excelsior’s first Isle of Man TT victory came in 1929, Syd Crabtree winning the Lightweight event, and the firm lost no time in marketing a range of TT Replica models in various capacities. Excelsior enjoyed considerable competition success in Austria, this 500cc JAP-engined example having been ridden in the Austrian Grand Prix by Walter Andrae Loyda. The machine then passed through a number of hands before being acquired by Professor Ehn in 1968. Restored in his workshops and repainted in its original livery, the Excelsior was placed on display in the Museum on its opening in 1980. The machine is offered with 1939 Austrian logbook (Kraftfahrzeugbrief) indicating matching frame/engine numbers) and assorted magazine articles.