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Dr Alex Moulton is probably best known for his novel, lightweight bicycle designs, but his career in engineering started long before his success in manufacturing the exclusive range of Moulton cyles. Moulton was born in 1920 into a family which was closely involved with the early days of manufacturing vulcanised rubber in the idyllic Wiltshire town of Bradford-on-Avon. His memoirs paint a picture of between the wars Britain and as he passed through the public school system the seeds of his future career in engineering were firmly planted. He was a keen cyclist and loved all things mechanical, designing a steam powered car while in his early teens. On leaving school at eighteen, he applied for an apprenticeship at Sentinel in Shrewsbury where steam lorries were manufactured, before passing the entrance exam for Cambridge University. The start of World War II, however, interrupted his studies, but thanks to a family member being acquainted with Roy Fedden at the Bristol Aeroplane Engine Division, he was able to join the Research Department at Bristol where he became involved in sleeve-valve engine design. Moulton returned to Cambridge after the war and his interest in vehicle design became his specialism, leading him to work with the father of the Mini, Alec Issigonis. It was Moulton's revolutionary Hydrolastic and Hydrogas suspension systems that would help the Mini, among others, become a popular favourite for decades to come. But it was his early passion for two-wheeled vehicles that drew him to designing his own distinctive small-wheeled bicycle designs, going public for the first time at the Cycle Show in November 1962. The lightweight, foldable concept with suspension for comfort was derided by the classic bicycle manufacturers, but with help from BMC (the makers of the Mini) he was able to sell almost 100,000 Moulton cycles by 1967. Moulton went from strength to strength; his designs selling across the globe in great numbers. He maintained an engineering consultancy in parallel and was a prolific sketcher of design concepts, many of which are reproduced in the book. Alex Moulton passed away peacefully on 9th December 2012 at the age of 92. This book is testament to his achievements and should be an inspiration to any wishing to pursue engineering as a career.First published in 2009 by the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust (320 pages and over 300 colour and b/w photographs and illustrations) as a special title in our series of historical and technical publications. In paperback A4 format.
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