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MATCHLESS
motorcycle
manufacturers of
the time, they
had started as
bicycle
manufacturers.[3]
They produced a
JAP V-twin
powered bike in
Matchless is one of the oldest 1905, with one of
marques of British motorcycles, the earliest swing-
manufactured in Plumstead, London, arm rear
between 1899 and 1966. A wide suspensions, Hawk was designed by youngest
range of models were produced coupled with leading-link front forks. brother Bert, who was now active in
under the Matchless name, ranging Charlie won the inaugural TT singles the company, and he was
from small two-strokes to 750 cc four- race in 1907 at an average speed of responsible for design right up to the
stroke twins. Matchless had a long 38.21 mph in a time of 4 hours 8 War. In 1931 Matchless bought AJS
history of racing success; a Matchless minutes 8 seconds. Harry did not finish from the Stevens brothers. Matchless
ridden by Charlie Collier won the first in 1907, but won in 1909, and Charlie bought Sunbeam in the late thirties,
single-cylinder race in the first Isle of won again in 1910, bringing but Sunbeam was sold to BSA in 1943.
Man TT in 1907. Matchless motorcycles to the
attention of the public. Matchless After that the only “true” AJS models,
In 1938, Matchless and AJS became made mostly singles, but they also as far as AJS enthusiasts were
part of Associated Motorcycles made V-twins from 496 cc to 998 cc. concerned, were the racing 7Rs,
(AMC), both companies producing They made their own engines from Porcupines and the pre-war AJS Four.
models under their own marques. 1912 on. The shared models were considered
During the amalgamations that Matchless was not given a contract by some AJS fans to be only badge
occurred in the British motorcycle to make motorcycles for the army engineered Matchless models. In
industry in the 1960s, the Matchless during the First World War. Peacetime 1935 the Matchless/AJS hairpin valve
four-stroke twin was replaced with production resumed in 1919, springs made their first appearance.
the Norton twin, ending a long history concentrating at first on V-twins for Matchless supplied engines for the V-
sidecar use, leaving singles until twin versions of the Morgan three-
1923. In 1926 Henry Collier died, wheeler from 1933 until Morgan
and by 1928 Matchless was a production was halted by the
limited company. In 1930 they outbreak of World War II in 1939. From
launched a narrow-angle 400 cc 1935 on they were Morgan’s
V-twin called the Silver Arrow, exclusive supplier of V-twin engines. A
designed by Charlie. The Silver dozen surviving unused engines were
Arrow, launched in 1929, was a still in storage at the Morgan works in
side valve v-twin with 54 x 86mm 1946 and were used to build a final
dimensions and 394 cc. The two batch of V-Twin trikes for a Morgan
cylinders were set at 18 degrees dealer in Australia. Matchless also
within a single casting under a supplied engines after 1935 to 1940 to
of independent production. By 1967, single head. The result looked odd, the Brough Superior works. These
the Matchless singles had ceased rather like a single that was too long, engines were made to the
production. and with the exhaust emerging from specifications of Brough Superior and
the manifold at its right corner and are not identical to similar engines
The first Matchless motorcycle was the carburettor in the middle of the used in Matchless motorcycles. The
made in 1899, and production began block on the left, the odd Brough Superior engines used a fork
in 1901. Matchless was the trading appearance was accentuated,[4] and blade rod configuration, cams
name of Collier & Sons, the father and in 1930 they launched an ground to different specification, and
Henry Herbert Collier and his sons (advanced for the time) 593 cc OHC larger ports in the cylinders or heads.
Charlie and Harry. The Matchless tank V-four, the Silver Hawk.[5] About 60 End
badge was a winged “M”. Like many out of the 500 made survive, The
