Find Lots

• Auction House:
  Mossgreen
• Sale Name:
  Collectors’ Cars, Motorcycles & Automobilia
• Sale Date:
  30 Apr 2017 ~ 2.30pm
• Lot #:
  25
• Lot Description:
  1930/31 AJS R7
  Held in the single ownership of a lady for 49 yearsFrame no: R S 145114Engine no: R S 145114. This motorcycle will be sold unregistered.
• Provenance:
  From the Estate of the Late Ian Donaldson, ex-President of the Vintage Motorcycle Club of Victoria
• Notes:
  The first AJS machines, produced in Wolverhampton, England, were sidevalve-engined lightweights offered with belt-drive transmission or optional all-chain drive with a two-speed countershaft gearbox. They proved to be highly competitive in the Isle of Man TT’s new Junior Class for 350cc machines. Ultimately, AJS would dominate this class with its famous Big Port racers. By 1927, AJS’s works race bikes appeared with a new overhead-camshaft engine as the Big Port was nearing the end of its development. The shaft and bevel gears superseded with a chain-driven camshaft created a beautiful and distinctive cast-alloy casing extending forwards to the front-mounted magneto. The factory works rider, Jimmy Simpson, rode the 350cc version to multiple Grand Prix victories in 1927 across Europe. From 1928, the famous Cammy engine AJS was built in 350cc (K7) and 500cc (K10) capacity with four-speed gearboxes with customer versions following equipped with three-speed gearboxes. Along with the success of these models, more technical advances were made for 1929 including redesigned frames, Webb forks, stronger crankcasing, different camshaft, bigger brakes, a four-speed gearbox and the up to the minute saddle tank. By the end of the season the M7 350cc model had achieved race wins in the German TT and the Grands Prix of Austria, Ulster and Europe. Freddie Hicks was appointed as AJS’s No.1 works rider and his formidable technical skills saw further progress to the factory bikes with 350 class wins at the Dutch TT and the Grands Prix of Germany, Austria, France and Ulster. By this time, the financial troubles at AJS stalled further development, and although it was hoped for a 1931 Cammy S7 and S10, model production ceased later that year when AJS was absorbed by Matchless. This motorcycle for auction is a late 1930-1931 model as indicated by the R over-stamped S matching frame and engine number prefixes. This delightful Cammy AJS R7 was acquired from an elderly gentleman in the Geelong district in late October 1968 and has been held in its current ownership ever since by a lady rider. No earlier history has been obtainable from the AJS archives at this point in time. A thorough and exacting full back to bare metal restoration and engine rebuild was undertaken in 2012. The bike is fitted with new tyres and renewed chrome work and polished alloy. Both front and rear wheel rims have been re-laced with stainless steel spokes along with new axles and wheel bearings. This rare and exquisite matching-numbers motorcycle is presented in running condition and in its original roll-start set up. It offers a connoisseur of the genuine vintage AJS racing era a rare opportunity to acquire one of the last R7s built, also believed to be possibly the only one of its kind in the region as far as the AJS club is aware.
• Estimate:
  A$28,000 - 32,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

  Can't see the realised price? Upgrade your subscription now!

• Category:
  Automobiles & Accessories

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