Vintage Motor Cycle Club

Vintage Motor Cycle Club
Name	Vintage Motor Cycle Club
Formation	1946
Type	Club
Headquarters	England
Region served	United Kingdom
Membership	motorcycling enthusiasts
Leader title	President

Vintage Motor Cycle Club The Vintage Motor Cycle Club is a United Kingdom-based organisation dedicated to the preservation, restoration, study and enjoyment of historic motorcycles. Founded shortly after World War II by enthusiasts of pre-1930 machinery, the Club promotes events, publications and technical expertise for collectors, restorers and riders associated with marques, makers and racing scenes from the Belle Époque through the interwar period. Its activities intersect with heritage bodies, museums and international rallies that celebrate motor sport, transport history and industrial design.

History

The Club was formed in the aftermath of World War II when founders sought to preserve machines from the Edwardian era and the Interwar period. Early involvement included connections with collectors linked to the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, the Science Museum, London and enthusiasts from regional centres such as Coventry and Birmingham. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the Club interacted with contemporaneous organisations including the Motorcycle Museum (Bickenhill), the Brooklands Museum, and international counterparts in France, Germany and the United States. Landmark developments aligned the Club with events at venues like Silverstone Circuit, Donington Park, and heritage rallies at Goodwood Circuit. The Club’s archives and meeting minutes document ties to marque-specific societies for Triumph Motorcycles, BSA, Norton, AJS, Matchless, and continental manufacturers such as BMW and Moto Guzzi.

Organisation and Membership

The Club’s governance follows a committee structure with national officers, regional sections and specialist registers for marques such as Royal Enfield, Hanomag, Puch and Excelsior. Membership categories encompass riders, restorers, technical advisers and institutional affiliates including registrars tied to the Heritage Lottery Fund-supported projects and museum partners like the Brooklands Trust. The Club liaises with regulatory bodies concerned with historic vehicle taxation and registration such as agencies in Westminster and engages with insurance underwriters familiar with veteran machine valuation. International links extend to federations in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and continental federations that organise veteran rallies.

Activities and Events

The Club organises trials, reliability runs, hill climbs and display shows at venues including Shelsley Walsh, Prescott Hill Climb, Kempton Park and regional race circuits. Annual fixtures range from road runs across historic routes used in Isle of Man TT trials to static concours that echo traditions at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and heritage festivals at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. The Club supports competitive classes at vintage meetings at Cadwell Park, Snetterton Circuit and events affiliated with the FIM’s historic commissions. Educational seminars, technical workshops and archives open days are held at hubs such as Brooklands Museum and local halls in counties like Surrey and Yorkshire.

Preservation and Restoration

Members maintain expertise in period-correct restoration of marques including Velocette, Sunbeam, James, Royal Scott, and continental marques like Francis-Barnett and CZ. The Club collaborates with conservation specialists from the Science Museum Group and independent restorer networks to preserve original components, chassis frames and period paint finishes. Technical resources address carburation, magneto systems such as Lucas and ignition equipment used by Villiers Engineering and magneto suppliers. The Club’s registers document provenance, matching frame and engine numbers to surviving factory records and auction catalogues at houses connected to RM Sotheby's and other specialist salerooms.

Publications and Media

The Club produces periodicals, handbooks and register supplements that detail authenticity, provenance and technical specifications for marques including Norton, Royal Enfield, BSA, Triumph, AJS and more obscure makers such as Ner-a-Car. Its magazine features event reports from runs at Isle of Man, technical columns referencing suppliers like Binks and paint matches aligned with historical standards used by restoration workshops. The Club’s archive materials are consulted by museum curators from institutions such as the National Motorcycle Museum (Birmingham) and authors publishing histories of motorcycle racing and industrial manufacturing in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Notable Members and Vehicles

Prominent members historically included competitors, engineers and collectors active in scenes connected to Isle of Man TT racers, workshop foremen from Wolseley Motors Limited-era plants, and journalists who contributed to periodicals alongside figures associated with Motor Cycle (magazine). Notable preserved machines appearing in Club events include factory racing models from Norton’s works teams, early twin-cylinder Velocette prototypes, and rare production examples from Douglas and P&M. Club-connected collections have loaned exhibits to institutions such as Brooklands Museum, the Science Museum, London and the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu for thematic displays on early motor sport, industrial heritage and design evolution.

Category:Motorcycle clubs in the United Kingdom Category:Historic vehicle organisations