1928 New Hudson Motorcycle (Birmingham)

New Hudson Motorcycles was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1903 by George Patterson in Birmingham, having produced their first motorcycle in 1902. The New Hudson range expanded between 1910 and 1915 using JAP engines, then the factory joined the war effort, not resuming motorcycle production until 1919. As well as side-valve and OHV single-cylinder engines of 350 to 600 cc, they also built a 211 cc two-stroke and a number of three-wheelers with MAG engines. In 1927 Bert le Vack broke the 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) record at Brooklands on a 500 cc New Hudson.

The firm stopped building motorbikes in 1932 and changed their name to Girling Ltd., a well-known company today who still manufacture vehicle brakes and associated parts. Some bikes were made under the New Hudson name after the Second World War, but they later became part of the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) and the name was used for a range of Autocycles until 1957.

We have very little information about this rare, late 1920s, British motorcycle apart from the fact that it was found in a barn by the son of a recently deceased gentleman, and he now wants to sell it. It's a single cylinder 500cc (possibly 350) with a rigid frame and girder forks, and it looks to have been fully restored at some point. We don't know if it runs or not but it wouldn't take much to get it going, and this lovely early example of a New Hudson would be a welcome classic at any rally, anywhere.