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• Auction House:
  Donington Auctions
• Sale Name:
  Collectors' Motorcycles & Cars (New South Wales)
• Sale Date:
  12 Dec 2021 ~ 12noon (AEDT)
• Lot #:
  7
• Lot Description:
  1928 AJS K7 350 - Legendary rare racing AJS overhead camshaft single
  Two years after AJS (Albert John Stevens) began trading as a limited company in 1909, a pair of side-valve 350s was entered in the Junior TT at the Isle of Man. They finished 15th and 16th, following this in 1914 with their first Junior TT win. This success continued in 1920 when AJS won the Junior TT again, this time with an overhead valve 350, the ancestor of the Big Port. AJS's greatest triumph came a year later when the ohv 350 filled the first three places in the Junior TT and Howard R. Davies won the Senior TT on a Junior machine. This was the first and only time in TT history this was achieved. Davies later founded his own marque, HRD, which would eventually become Vincent-HRD. The AJS Big Port overhead valve 350 appeared in 1922 and was extremely popular, winning grass track races, sand races, road races, hill climbs, sprints, trials and long-distance cross-country rallies. But design was moving on and eventually the legendary Big Port was outclassed. In 1927 the works racing bikes appeared with a new overhead-camshaft engine. Instead of the customary shaft and bevel gears, the camshaft was chain driven, its distinctive cast-alloy case extending forwards to the front-mounted magneto. After initial lubrication problems were sorted, works rider Jimmy Simpson rode the 350cc version to victory in the 1927 Belgian, Swiss, Austrian and European Grands Prix. A catalogued model from 1928, the 'cammy' AJS was built in 350cc (K7) and 500cc (K10) capacities initially. Customer versions were equipped with three-speed gearboxes instead of the works bikes' four-speed units. They were all equipped with a Binks racing carburettor and featured dry sump lubrication. By the end of the 1929 season the improved factory 350cc model (the M7) took victories in Germany, Austria, and Ulster. On a 250cc version, Jimmy Guthrie won the 1930 Lightweight TT. By this time Freddie Hicks had been hired as AJS's No.1 works rider and his renowned development skills resulted in further improvements to the factory bikes, resulting in 350-class wins in Holland, Germany, Austria, France and Ulster. Production ceased in 1931 when Matchless took over the company. The K7 was resurrected after the War, eventually evolving into the very successful 7R Boy Racer. A 1928 model (as indicated by the 'K' prefix to the matching frame and engine numbers), this AJS K7 350 ohc was delivered new to New Zealand in 1928 and rediscovered many years later, in 1953, abandoned in a shed on a sheep farm. Largely complete and in very sound condition when found, the machine went on to have various owners in New Zealand before being purchased and restored to its former glory in 2020. Noteworthy features include inverted control levers; twistgrip carburettor control; John Bull handlebar rubbers; correct Lucas racing magneto (fully rebuilt); an André Hartford steering damper and larger capacity TT-type petrol tank. Major restoration work included rebuilding the engine, gearbox and wheels, and nickel plating the brightwork. This motorcycle is being sold unregistered
• Provenance:
  Bonhams Bicester Heritage, 15th August 2020, Lot 402, https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26111/lot/402/?category=list
• Estimate:
  A$36,000 - 46,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Automobiles & Accessories

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.