80-year-old motorcycles among remarkable Staffordshire barn find
A collection of historic motorcycles and parts dating back to the 1940s has been uncovered during a Lichfield house clearance
Motorcycles dating back to the 1940s are among a collection of historic vehicles uncovered in a barn find during a house clearance in Lichfield.
The discovery includes a number of complete motorcycles alongside a large collection of old British motorbike parts, including engines, tanks, seats, frames, wheels, headlights and mudguards.
Among the bikes is a 1940s Scott Flying Squirrel, featuring a Scott twin-cylinder water-cooled engine, which has been described as being in ‘true barn-find condition’.
Other motorcycles include a 1950s Francis-Barnett Falcon with a Villiers 200cc single-cylinder engine, a 1940s BSA C11 and a late 1940s Douglas T35 Mk 3, fitted with a twin-cylinder boxer engine and two Amal carburettors.
The Douglas has a particularly interesting history.
Stuart Hay, a valuer, said its boxer engine began life during the Second World War as a fan-cooled generator unit built for the war effort.
After the war, Douglas engineers adapted the engine for use in a motorcycle, creating the T35 and turning the engine 90 degrees so it could be mounted transversely across the frame.
The collection also includes a rare Matchless engine believed to date from the Second World War, although it is stamped 1946. This suggests it may have been manufactured during the war but sold afterwards.
Two cars were also discovered in the barn find – a 1984 seafoam green Nissan (Datsun) Sunny, an early example carrying both brand badges on its rear, and a 1930s Morris Minor tourer in need of restoration.
The vehicles and parts are due to be offered at an auction in Fradley on Monday, September 14.
A separate 1977 MG B Roadster, recovered from another local house clearance, will also feature in the sale.
The discovery provides a glimpse into the history of British motorcycling, with many of the machines and components having survived for around 80 years.