A superb and rare photo, made from what we believe is the original
negative, of the magnificent Arthur
Wheeler , seen in action with his 250cc
Moto Guzzi Albatros s.o.h.c. production racer during the 1952 Isle
of Man 250cc Lightweight TT which was ridden on June 13, 1952.
This great photograph
of the Isle of Man TT was taken during the 250cc race of 1952. Arthur Wheeler finished
the race in ninth position,
which was a great achievement. The race was won by Fergus Anderson on the full
works version of the Albatros, which was the Moto Guzzi Gambalunghino with an
average race speed of 83.82
mph (134.9
km/h).
Arthur Wheeler, born in 1916, was
a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Wheeler gained a reputation as one of the
top privateer racers on the Grand Prix circuit. Born in Epsom, Surrey, Wheeler left school at the age of 15 to be an
apprentice electrician and engineer. He began his competitive motorcycling
career campaigning a Velocette in grass track racing. Opening a motorcycle shop
in 1937, he used his profits to enable his motorcycle racing career. When World
War II started, Wheeler's engineering skills led him to being chosen to work
alongside Barnes Wallis in developing the bouncing bomb. After the war, his
motorcycle business boomed, allowing him to undertake a racing career on the
Grand Prix racing circuit on the European continent. Wheeler won the 1954 250cc
Nations Grand Prix at Monza,
was a five-time winner of the North
West 200 race in Northern Ireland and won the Leinster 200 at least twice. His best season was aboard a
Moto Guzzi in 1962, when he won the 250cc Argentine Grand Prix and had a fourth
place finish in the Isle of Man Lightweight TT, finishing in third place in the
250cc world championship behind Jim Redman and Bob McIntyre. At the end of that
year he retired at the age of 46. Wheeler continued to develop the long
outdated Moto Guzzi (which ceased production around 1953) all through his
career, using home built streamlined "dustbin" and
"dolphin" fairings and along with Ken Sprayson at Renolds Frames he
developed an alloy spine frame with swinging arm rear suspension and oil
bearing top tube. Wheeler was a close friend with many of the Guzzi factory
riders, and it was through Fergus Anderson that he acquired his first Guzzi
from the factory, a pre-war Albatros 250cc, which was to be developed through
the 1950s to Gambalunghino spec and beyond. After his win at the Nations Grand
Prix it was Moto Guzzi factory rider Enrico Lorenzetti that gave Wheeler his
stock of factory spare parts, which enabled him to campaign the Guzzi's long
after the official factory team had disbanded.
Moto Guzzi, also known as Guzzi, is the oldest European manufacturer in continuous
motorcycle production. Established in 1921 in Mandello
del Lario, Italy,
Moto Guzzi has led Italy's
motorcycling manufacture, enjoyed prominence in worldwide motorcycle racing,
and led the industry in ground-breaking innovation – for the greater part of
its history. The company's history has been shaped by the importance of racing,
engineering innovation and a constant adaptation to the changes in the
motorcycle industry since its inception 1921. Moto Guzzi was conceived by two
aircraft pilots and their mechanic serving in the Corpo Aeronautico Militare
(the Italian Air Corp, CAM) during World War
I: Carlo Guzzi, Giovanni Ravelli and Giorgio Parodi. By happenstance assigned
to the same Miraglia Squadron based outside Venice, the three became close, despite
starkly different socio-economic backgrounds. The trio envisioned creating a
motorcycle company after the war. Guzzi would engineer the motor bikes, Parodi
(son of wealthy Genovese ship-owners) would finance the venture, and Ravelli
(already a famous pilot and motocycle racer) would promote the bikes with his
racing prowess. Guzzi and Parodi (along with Parodi's brother) formed Moto
Guzzi in 1921. Ravelli, ironically, had died just days after the war's end in
an aircraft crash and is commemorated by the eagle's wings that form the Moto
Guzzi logo. Carlo Guzzi and Giorgio Parodi, along with Giorgio's brother
Angelo, created a privately held silent partnership "Società Anonima Moto
Guzzi" on 15 March 1921,
for the purpose of (according to the original articles of incorporation)
"the manufacture and the sale of motor cycles and any other activity in
relation to or connected to metallurgical and mechanical industry". The
formation of the company hinged on an initial loan of two thousand Lira from
the Parodis' father, Emanuele Vittorio, which he gave on 3 January 1919,
offering the balance of the loan upon his review of the project's progress:
Dear Giorgio, you can let both your partners know that I will offer you for
your first 1,500 or 2,000 Lire. Although with the condition that the sum, under
no circumstances, shall be increased. Likewise, I reserve the right to
supervise your progress before giving my agreement to this project. The company
was legally based in Genoa,
Italy, with its
headquarters in Mandello. The very earliest motorcycle bore the name G.P.
(Guzzi-Parodi), though when it started the marque had changed its name to Moto
Guzzi. As the only actual shareholders, the Parodi's wanted to shield their
shipping fortunes by avoiding confusion of name G.P. with Giorgio Parodi's
initials. Carlo Guzzi initially received royalties for each motorcycle
produced, holding no ownership in the company that bore his name. In 1946 Moto
Guzzi formally incorporated as Moto Guzzi S.p.A. with Giorgio Parodi as
chairman. Carlo Guzzi's first engine design was a horizontal single that
dominated the first 45 years of the company's history in various
configurations. Through 1934, each engine bore the signature of the mechanic
who built it. As originally envisioned, the company used racing to promote the
brand. In the 1935 Isle of Man TT, Moto Guzzi factory rider Stanley Woods
performed an impressive double victory with wins in the Lightweight TT as well
as the Senior TT. Until the mid 1940s, the traditional horizontal four-stroke
single cylinder 500 cc engines outfitted with one overhead and one side
valve (also known as: IOE, inlet over exhaust or F-head) were the highest
performance engines Moto Guzzi sold to the general public. By contrast, the
company supplied the official racing team and private racers with higher
performance racing machines with varying overhead cam, multi-valve
configurations and cylinder designs. In the 1950s, Moto Guzzi, along with the
Italian factories of Gilera and Mondial, led the world of Grand Prix motorcycle
racing. With durable and lightweight 250 cc and 350 cc bikes designed
by Giulio Carcano, the firm dominated the middleweight classes. The factory won
five consecutive 350 cc world championships between 1953 and 1957. In realizing that
low weight alone might not continue to win races for the company, Carcano
designed the V8 500 cc GP race bike—whose engine was to become one of the
most complex engines of its time. Despite the bike's having led many races and
frequently posted the fastest lap time, it often failed to complete races
because of mechanical problems. Ultimately, the V8 was not developed further as
Moto Guzzi withdrew (together with the main competitors Gilera and Mondial)
from racing after the 1957 season citing escalating costs and diminishing
motorcycle sales. By the time of its pull out from Grand Prix racing, Moto
Guzzi had won 3,329 official races, 8 World Championships, 6 Constructor's
Championships and 11 Isle of Man TT victories. The period after World War II
was as difficult in Mandello del Lario as it was elsewhere in post-war Europe. The solution was production of inexpensive,
lighter cycles. The 1946 "Motoleggera", a 65 cc lightweight
motorcycle became very popular in post-war Italy. A four-stroke 175 cc
scooter known as the "Galletto" also sold well. Though modest cycles
for the company, the lighter cycles continue to feature Guzzi's innovation and
commitment to quality. The step-through Galletto initially featured a manual,
foot-shifted three-speed (160 cc) configuration then later a four-speed
(175 cc) set-up by the end of 1952. The displacement was increased to
192 cc in 1954 and electric start was added in 1961. Moto Guzzi was
limited in its endeavors to penetrate the important scooter market as
motorcycle popularity waned after WWII. Italian scooter competitors would not
tolerate an incursion from Moto Guzzi. By innovating the first large-wheeled
scooter, Guzzi competed less directly with manufacturers of small-wheeled
scooters such as Piaggio (Vespa) and Lambretta. To illustrate the delicate
balance within the Italian post-war motorcycle and scooter markets, when Guzzi
developed their own prototype for a small-wheeled scooter, Lambretta retaliated
with a prototype for a small V-twin motorcycle threatening to directly compete
on Moto Guzzi's turf. The two companies compromised: Guzzi never produced their
small-wheeled scooter and Lambretta never manufactured the motorcycle. Notably,
the drive train that Lambretta made in their 1953 motorcycle prototype
remarkably resembles the V-twin + drive shaft arrangement that Guzzi developed
more than ten years later, ultimately to become iconic of the company. By 1964,
the company was in full financial crisis. Emanuele Parodi and his son Giorgio
had died, Carlo Guzzi had retired to private life, and direction passed to
Enrico Parodi, Giorgio's brother. Carlo Guzzi died on 3 November 1964, in Mandello, after a
brief hospital stay in Davos. In February 1967, SEIMM (Società Esercizio
Industrie Moto Meccaniche), a state controlled receiver, took ownership of Moto
Guzzi. The SEIMM oversight saw Moto Guzzi adapting to a cultural shift away
from motorcycles to automobiles. The company focused on popular lightweight
mopeds including the Dingo and Trotter — and the 125 cc Stornello
motorcycle. Also during the SEIMM years Guzzi developed the 90° V twin engine,
designed by Giulio Cesare Carcano, which would become iconic of Moto Guzzi.
Though Moto Guzzi has employed engines of myriad configurations, none has come
to symbolize the company more than the air-cooled 90° V-twin with a
longitudinal crankshaft orientation and the engine's transverse cylinder heads
projecting prominently on either side of the bike. The original V-twin was
designed in the early 1960s by engineer Giulio Cesare Carcano, designer of the
DOHC V8 Grand Prix racer. The air-cooled, longitudinal crankshaft, transverse
cylinder, pushrod V-twin began life with 700 cc displacement and
45 hp (34 kW) – designed to win a competition sponsored by the
Italian government for a new police bike. The sturdy shaft-drive, air-cooled
V-twin won, giving Moto Guzzi renewed competitiveness. This 1967 Moto Guzzi V7
with the original Carcano engine has been continuously developed into the
1200 cc, 80 hp (60 kW) versions offered today (2006). Lino Tonti
redesigned the motor for the 1971 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport. This engine is the basis
of the currently used 750 cc, 1100 cc and 1200 cc Guzzi engines.
Notably, the longitudinal crankshaft and orientation of the engine creates a
slight gyroscope effect, with a slightly asymmetrical behavior in turns. After
experiencing financial difficulties in the late 1960s, De Tomaso Industries
Inc. (D.T.I. Group or DTI), manufacturer of the De Tomaso sports and luxury
cars, owned by Argentinian industrialist Alejandro de Tomaso, purchased SEIMM
(and thereby Moto Guzzi) along with Benelli and Maserati in 1973. Under
Tomaso's stewardship, Moto Guzzi returned to profitability, though other
reports suggest a period of limited investment in Moto Guzzi followed
attributed to DTI using Moto Guzzi financially prioritizing their automotive
ventures. In 1976 Guzzi released the 850 Le
Mans, a cafe racer that was a stylistic masterpiece
and still today considered one of the most iconic and sought after of all
Guzzis. A marketing success that would compete with other Italian superbikes,
it spawned four later models from Mark II to its culmination in the 1990s, the
Mark V. The initial model is known widely but incorrectly as the Mark I.
Technically, it is simply the 850 Le
Mans. It was named in homage to the 24-Hour endurance
race and circuit in France.
The Mark I had two production runs with slight modifications. The first run,
known as Series 1, used the roundish CEV stop/taillight used on many Italian
bikes of the decade. Less than 2,000 of the round taillight bikes were made and
they are the most desirable Guzzi of the era. The second production run, known
as the Series 2 and totaling around 4,000 bikes, used a De Tomaso-designed
rectangular taillight/reflector and modified rear guard. This was also used on
the Mark II and SP models. The taillight and guard was the biggest change
between Series 1 and 2 but other modifications included later inclusion of a
tripmeter, black fork lowers, a more generous dual seat that replaced the
split-proned original seat, exhaust pipe heel guards and inferior fuel taps.
The extra cost compared to the T3 model paid for performance items such as high
compression domed pistons, larger inlet and exhaust valves and Dell'Orto 36mm
pumper carbs with filterless grey plastic velocity stacks. Most Mk I bikes were
brilliant red although a very small number were painted in metallic ice blue.
An exceedingly small number of Series 2 bikes were white. In 1979 a small block version
of the air-cooled V-twin designed by engineer Lino Tonti was introduced as the
V35. Radical when introduced, the design featured horizontally split crankcases
and heron heads. The former was a common feature of contemporary Japanese
motorcycle design, whilst the latter was widely used in car engines. Both
features allow more efficient mass production and also the design of the engine
and associated components cut the weight from 548 lb (249 kg) of the
contemporary 850 T3 to the 385 lb
(175 kg)
of the V35. The power of the original V35 at 35 bhp (26 kW) was
competitive with engines of comparable displacement of the period — later
larger versions (V50, V65, V75) were rapidly outclassed by competing water
cooled engines. Notably, the Breva and Nevada
today feature a descendent of Tonti's V35 engine: the 750 cc V-twin, rated
at 48 bhp (36 kW). With its ease of maintenance, durability and even,
flat torque curve, the engine design remains suitable to everyday, real-world
situations. As Guzzi continued to develop the V-twin, power was increased in
the mid 1980s when Guzzi created 4 valve versions of the "small
block" series. Of these, the 650 and the 750 were rated at 60 bhp
(45 kW) and 65 bhp (48 kW) respectively. The production of the
4-valve "small block" engines ended in the later 1980s. Moto Guzzis
have used an hydraulic integrated brake system, where the right front disc
works off the handlebar lever, while the left front and the rear disc work off
the foot brake. The cartridge front fork used in Guzzi's motorcycles of the
later 1970s and 1980s is a Guzzi invention. Instead of containing the damping
oil in the fork it is in a cartridge. Oil in the fork is purely for
lubrication.
The International Isle
of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) Race is a motorcycle racing event held on
the Isle of Man and was for many years the
most prestigious motor-cycle race in the world. The event was part of the FIM
Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship during the period 1949-1976 before
being transferred to the United
Kingdom after safety concerns and run by the
FIM as the British Grand Prix for the 1977 season. The Isle of Man TT Races
became part of the TT Formula 1 Championship during the period 1977-1990 to
preserve the event's racing status. From 1989 the racing has been developed by the
Isle of Man Department of Tourism as the Isle of Man TT Festival. The race is
run in a time-trial format on public roads closed for racing by the provisions
of an Act of Tynwald (the parliament of the Isle of Man).
The first race was held on Tuesday
28 May 1907 and was called the International Auto-Cycle Tourist
Trophy. The event was organised by the Auto-Cycle Club over 10 laps of the St John's Short Course of 15 miles
1,470 yards for road-legal touring motor-cycles with exhaust silencers,
saddles, pedals and mud-guards. The winner of the single-cylinder class, and
overall winner of the first event in 1907, was Charlie Collier riding a
Matchless motor-cycle in a time of 4 hours, 8 minutes and 8 seconds
at an average race speed of 38.21 mph. The winner of the twin-cylinder
class was Rem Fowler riding a Peugeot engined Norton in a time of 4 hours
21 minutes and 52 seconds at an average race speed of 36.21 mph. The
trophy presented to Charlie Collier as the winner of the 1907 Isle of Man TT
Race, was donated by the Marquis
de Mouzilly St. Mars. It featured a stylised
version of Olympic God Hermes by Giovanni Da Bologna as a silver figurine
astride a winged wheel. The trophy was similar in design to the 18 carat gold
Montague Trophy presented to John Napier (Arrol-Johnston) as the inaugural
winner of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy car race in 1905 now known as the RAC
Tourist Trophy. The Marquis de
Mouzilly St. Mars Trophy is now presented annually
to the winner of the Isle of Man Senior TT Motor-Cycle Race. The 2007 Isle of
Man TT was the Centenary event which ran between 26 May and 8 June 2007 and featured a special
Re-enactment of the 1907 Isle of Man TT Race held on the village green next to
Tynwald Hill in St John's
on Monday 28 May 2007.
The vintage parade of 100 classic motor-cycles for the Centenary Re-enactment
on the original St John's
Short Course was flagged away by former World Motor-Cycle Champion Geoff Duke.
The first of the participants to be flagged away was the recently restored
twin-cylinder Peugeot-Norton ridden by Rem Fowler during the first Isle of Man
TT Race in 1907. Also participating in the 2007 Re-enactment was TT race
competitor Guy Martin riding a 1938 Triumph Tiger 100 500cc and other former TT
competitors including Alan Cathcart, Sammy Miller, Nick Jefferies and Mick
Grant also completed the Re-enactment lap. Motor racing began on the Isle of Man in 1904 with the Gordon Bennett Eliminating
Trial and were originally restricted to touring automobiles. As the Motor Car
Act 1903 placed a speed restriction of 20 mph on automobiles in the UK,
Julian Orde, Secretary of the Automobile Car Club of Britain and Ireland
approached the authorities in the Isle of Man
for the permission to race automobiles on public roads. The Highways (Light
Locomotive) Act 1904 gave permission in the Isle of Man
for the 52.15 mile Highlands Course for the 1904 Gordon Bennett
Eliminating Trial which was won by Clifford Earl (Napier) in 7 hours 26.5
minutes for 5 laps (255.5
miles) of the Highlands Course. The 1905 Gordon Bennett
Trial was held on the 30th
May 1905 and was again won by Clifford Earl driving a Napier automobile
in 6 hours and 6 minutes for 6 laps of the Highland Course. This was followed
in September 1905 with the first Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Race for racing
automobiles, now known as the RAC Tourist Trophy and was won by John Napier
(Arrol-Johnston) in 6 hours and 9 minutes at an average speed of
33.90 mph. For the 1905 Gordon Bennett Eliminating Trial it was decided to
run an eliminating trial for motor-cycles the day after for a team to represent
Great Britain
in the International Motor-Cycle Cup Races. An accident at Ramsey Hairpin
forced-out one of the pre-race favourites and the inability of the motor-cycle
competitors to climb the steep Mountain Section of the course forced the
organisers to use a 25-mile section of the Gordon Bennett Trial course. This
ran from Douglas south to Castletown and then
north to Ballacraine along the primary A3 road and returned to the start at the
Quarterbridge in Douglas via Crosby and Glen
Vine along the current Snaefell Mountain Course in the reverse direction. The
1905 International Motor-Cycle Cup Race for 5 laps (125 miles) was won by
J.S. Campbell (Ariel) despite a fire during a pit-stop in 4 hours,
9 minutes and 36 seconds at an average race speed of 30.04 mph.
During the 1906 International Cup for Motor-Cycles held in Austria, the event was plagued by
accusations of cheating and sharp practices. A conversation on the train
journey home between the Secretary of the Auto-Cycle Club, Freddie Straight and
the brothers from the Matchless motor-cycle company, Charlie Collier and Harry
Collier and the Marquis de Mouzilly St Mars led to a suggestion for a race the
following year for road touring motor-cycles based on the automobile races to
be held in the Isle of Man on closed public roads. The new race was proposed by
the Editor of "The Motor-Cycle" Magazine at the annual dinner of the
Auto-Cycle Club held in London
on 17 January 1907.
It was proposed that the races would run in two classes with single-cylinder
machines to average 90 mpg-imp (0.031 l/km) and twin-cylinder
machines to average 75 mpg-imp (0.038 l/km) fuel consumption. To
emphasise the road touring nature of the motor-cycles, there were regulations
for the inclusion of saddles, pedals, mudguards and exhaust silencers and the
first event, the 1907 Isle of Man TT race, was won by Charlie Collier at an
average race speed of 38.21 mph and the winner of the twin-cylinder class
was Rem Fowler riding a Norton motor-cycle at an average race speed of
36.21 mph. For the 1908 race, the fuel consumption was raised to
100 mpg-imp (0.028 l/km) for single-cylinder machines and
80 mpg-imp (0.035 l/km) for twin-cylinder machines and the use of pedals
was banned. The race was won by Jack Marshall on a Triumph motor-cycle at an
average speed of 40.49 mph. For the 1909 Isle of Man TT races, the fuel
consumption regulations was abandoned along with the use of exhaust silencers.
The single-cylinder machines were limited to a capacity of 500 cc and the
twin-cylinder machines to a 750 cc engine capacity. Due to the concern
over increasing lap-speed, the 1910 Isle of Man TT the capacity of the
twin-cylinder machines were reduced to 670 cc. However, Harry Bowen riding
a BAT twin-cylinder motor-cycle increased the lap record to an average speed of
53.15 mph (85.54
km/h), later crashing-out of the 1910 event on the
wooden banking at Ballacraine corner. The first TT race over the Snaefell
Mountain Course or Mountain Course was the 1911 Isle of Man TT Races. This was
followed in 1923 with the introduction of the Manx Amateur Motorcycle Road
Races - a race originally reserved for amateurs and raced on the same Mountain
Course. In 1930 it changed its name to the Manx Grand Prix. For the 1911 event
two separate races were introduced. A four lap Junior TT Race for 300 cc
single-cylinder and 340 cc twin cylinder motor-cycles and was the first event
on the new course and was contested by 35 entrants. It was won by Percy J.
Evans riding a Humber motor-cycle in
3 hours, 37 minutes and 7 seconds at an average speed of
41.45 mph. The Senior TT Race was open for 500 cc single-cylinder and 585
cc twin-cylinder motor-cycles and was contested over 5 laps of the new
37.5 mile Snaefell Mountain Course. The new technical challenges of the
Mountain Course forced changes on entrants and motor-cycle manufacturers alike.
The American Indian Motor-Cycle factory fitted a two-speed gearbox and
chain-drive. This proved to be the winning combination when Oliver Godfrey won
the 1911 Isle of Man Senior TT race riding an Indian in 3 hours,
56 minutes and 10 seconds at an average speed of 47.63 mph. In
contrast the Matchless motor-cycles were fitted with a six-speed belt drive and
Charlie Collier riding a Matchless motor-cycle finished second in the 1911
Senior TT race but was later disqualified for illegal refuelling. During
practice for the 1911 race Victor Surridge died after crashing his Rudge
motor-cycle at Glen Helen. For the 1912 event the single and twin cylinder classes
were combined with a 350 cc capacity limit for the Junior TT and a 500 cc
capacity for motor-cycles for the Senior TT race. In 1913 Major Tommy
Loughborough replaced Freddie Straight as secretary of the Auto-Cycle Club and
promptly decided to make the races more difficult. The Junior and Senior races
were to be run in sections. The Junior TT race was divided into two races of
two and four laps and the Senior TT race consisted of a three lap race followed
by a four lap race combined with the Junior TT event. In 1914 the Junior TT was
reduced to 5 laps and the start-line moved to the top of Bray Hill to increase
paddock space of the competitors. The use of crash-helmets was made compulsory.
The 1914 Junior TT was held in heavy rain and mist on the Mountain Section of
the course and was won by Eric Williams riding an AJS motor-cycle in
4 hours, 6 minutes and 50 seconds at an average speed of
45.58 mph. The race was marred by the death of Frank Walker riding a Royal
Enfield motor-cycle who had been leading until a puncture on the third-lap. In
the following pursuit of the leaders he fell twice and on the last-lap
over-shot the finish line in Ballanard Road and crashed into a wooden barrier
placed across the road and posthumously declared a third place finisher by the
ACU race committee. Motor-cycle racing in the Isle of Man
did not restart after the end of the First World War until 1920. Changes were
made to the Mountain Course and competitors now turned left at Cronk-ny-Mona
and followed the primary A18 Mountain Road to Governor's Bridge with a new
start/finish line on Glencrutchery Road which lengthened the course to 37 ¾
miles. The 1920 Junior TT Race included for the first time a new Lightweight
class for motor-cycles of 250 cc engine capacity. The Lightweight class of
the 1920 Junior TT race was won by Ronald Clarke riding a Levis and he may have won the event overall
but crashed at the 33rd Milestone on the last lap, finishing fourth overall.
The 1921 Senior TT race was won by Howard Davies riding a 350 cc Junior TT
AJS by a margin of 2 minutes and 3 seconds from Freddie Dixon and Hubert
Le Vack. For 1922 the ACU introduced for 250 cc motor-cycle a Lightweight TT
race and the first winner was Geoff S Davison riding a Levis motor-cycle at an average race speed of
49.89. The 1922 Junior TT Race was won by local Isle of
Man competitor Tom Sheard riding an AJS motor-cycle at an average
race speed of 54.75 mph. Despite crashing twice, a broken exhaust and a
fire in the pits, Stanley Woods riding a Cotton managed to finish in 5th place
in the 1922 Junior TT Race. In the 1922 Senior TT Race, Alex Bennett riding a
Sunbeam motor-cycle led all 6 laps from start to finish to win from Walter
Brandish riding a Triumph. More changes to the course followed in 1923 with the
adoption of a private road between Parliament
Square and May Hill in Ramsey. The course had
previously had negotiated Albert Road and Tower Road in Ramsey and the new
course length was now 37.739 miles (revised to 37.733 miles in 1938).
Part of the Mountain Course was named 'Brandish' after Walter Brandish crashed
at a corner between Creg-ny-Baa and Hillberry and broke a leg. The first
Sidecar TT race was held in 1923 over 3 laps (113 miles) and was
won by Freddie Dixon and passenger Walter Denny with a special Douglas banking-sidecar average race speed of
53.15 mph. The Senior TT Race of 1923 was held in poor weather and local
course knowledge allowed local Isle of Man
competitor Tom Sheard riding a Douglas
motor-cycle to win his second TT Race to add to his first win in the 1922
Junior TT Race on an AJS motor-cycle. Another first-time winner of a TT race in
1923 was Stanley Woods riding to victory in the Junior TT Race on a Cotton. In
1924, an Ultra-Lightweight TT Race was introduced for motor-cycles of 175 cc
engine capacity following the introduction of a Lightweight TT Race in 1922.
The 1924 Ultra-Lightweight TT was allowed to begin with a massed-start for
competitors rather than pairs for the normal time-trial format of the Isle of
Man TT Races. The first winner of the Ultra-Lightweight TT in 1924 was Jock
Porter riding a New Gerrard motor-cycle at average speed of 51.20 mph. The
Lightweight TT and the Senior TT Races of 1924 were run in conjunction and
Eddie Twemlow (the brother to Ken Twemlow) riding a New Imperial motor-cycle
won at an average race speed of 55.44 mph. The Senior TT Race of 1924 like
the Junior TT Race of the same year was also run at record breaking pace and
was the first with a race average speed over 60 mph and was won by
Alec Bennett riding a Norton motor-cycle. After numerous retirements in 1924,
Wal L. Handley won the 1925 Junior TT Race over 6 laps of the Mountain Course
for Rex-Acme motor-cycles at an average speed of 65.02 mph. Later in the
week Wal L. Handley became the first TT rider to win two races in a week when
he won the Ultra-Lightweight TT Race again on a Rex-Acme motor-cycle. The 1925
Senior TT Race was sensationally won by Howard Davis while competing against
the works teams with a motor-cycle of his own manufacture a HRD Motorcycles at
an average speed of 66.13 mph. Further changes occurred in 1926 with the
scrapping of the Side-Car and Ultra-Lightweight TT Races from the lack of
entries. Most of the Snaefell Mountain Course had now been completely tarmaced
including the narrow sections on the A18
Mountain Road. Another change in 1926 was the ban
on alcohol based fuels forcing competitors to use road petrol. Despite these
changes the prestige of the Isle of Man TT Races had encouraged the Italian
motor-cycle manufacturers Bianchi, Garelli and Moto Guzzi to enter. The 1926
Lightweight TT Race produced one of the most notorious events in the history of
the Isle of Man TT Races described by the magazine "The Motor-Cycle"
as the "Guzzi Incident." The Italian rider Pietro Ghersi was excluded
from second place for using a different sparking-plug in the engine of his Moto
Guzzi. The 1926 Senior TT Race produced the first 70 mph lap and was
again set by Jimmy Simpson on an AJS motor-cycle in 32 minutes and 9
seconds an average speed of 70.43 mph. More changes occurred in 1927 with
a fatal accident during practice to Archie Birkin a brother to Tim Birkin of
the Bentley Boys fame. The corner in Kirk Michael where the accident occurred
was renamed Birkin's Bend
and from 1928 practice sessions were held on closed-roads. The newly developed
'positive-stop' foot gear-change by Velocette gave Alex Bennett his fifth TT
Race win in the 1928 Junior TT Race at an average race speed of 68.65 mph
from his team-mate Harold Willis. The 1929 Lightweight TT Race was led for 5
laps by Pietro Ghersi on a Motor Guzzi competing in his first TT race since the
disqualification in the 'Guzzi Incident' of 1926. Despite Pietro Ghersi setting the fastest lap
at an average speed of 66.63 mph, engine failure gave the win to Syd
Crabtree. During the 1929 Senior TT Race a number of riders crashed at Greeba Castle
after Wal L. Handley clipped the hedge and crashed. This included Jimmy
Simpson, Jack Amott riding for Rudge and Doug Lamb who later died of his
injuries on the way to Nobles
Hospital. Charlie Dodson
completed a Senior TT double by winning the 1929 Senior TT Race at an average
race speed of 72.05 mph. The 1930s were a decade in which the Isle of Man
TT races became the predominant motor-cycling event in the racing calendar, and
are seen as the classic era of racing in the Isle of Man. A number of changes
occurred to the Mountain Course during the 1930s, with extensive road widening
on the A18 Mountain Road
and the removal of the hump-back bridge at Ballig for the 1935 racing season in
the Isle of Man. The 1930s produced a number of changes for the Isle of Man TT
Races in which the event became more commercialised. The George Formby film No
Limit (1936 film) used the 1935 Isle of Man TT races as a backdrop for filming.
Also, the 1930s saw increasing use of the TT races by motor-cycle manufacturers
to show-case their products. As a result, the 1930s produced an increased pace
of motor-cycle development, with the introduction of supercharging and
over-head camshaft engines, plunger rear suspension, and telescopic front
forks. These technological improvements were played out by the different
British motor-cycle manufacturers such as AJS, Rudge, Sunbeam, and Velocette
gradually being eclipsed by the pre-eminence of the works Nortons. Increasing
interest by foreign manufacturers in the 1930s produced works entries from BMW,
DKW, NSU, Bianchi and Moto Guzzi at the Isle of Man TT races. The increased
competition produced a frantic search for more engine power and better
handling. At first, better handling was the best way to produce faster lap
times, but as the power advantage of supercharged machines increased, their lap
speeds began to match and finally overtook the others. Consequently, by 1938,
most British manufacturers had a supercharged machine under test. Increased
professionalism by the TT riders during the 1930s was the reason for Stanley
Woods parting with Norton motor-cycles, despite the winning of four TT races in
2 years, over the issue of prize money. Woods joined Husqvarna, and later
rode for Moto Guzzi and Velocette. The 1930 Senior TT Race was won by Rudge
with Wal L. Handley becoming the first TT rider to win in all three major TT
Race classes and the first lap under 30 minutes of the Mountain Course. The
1931 TT Race meeting was again dominated by the battle between Rudge and Norton
motor-cycles. The 1931 Senior TT Race provided Tim Hunt with a popular
Junior/Senior double win and also produced the first 80 mph lap by Jimmy
Simpson on a Norton motor-cycle. The 1932 TT Race meeting was watched by Prince George, Duke of
Kent the first royal visitor to the Isle of Man TT Races. The 1932 Senior TT
Race provided Stanley Woods with the Norton Habit and another Junior/Senior
double win. Also on the first lap, Wal L. Handley, riding for Rudge, crashed at
the 11th Milestone sustaining a back injury and retired. The place on the TT
course where the incident occurred was renamed Handley's Corner. The 1933
Senior TT Race gave Stanley Woods another Junior/Senior double win, with works
Nortons taking the first four places, ridden by Jimmy Simpson, Tim Hunt and
Jimmie Guthrie. The 1934 TT Races was another double Junior/Senior win for
Jimmie Guthrie and the last TT race for Jimmy Simpson. For the 1935 TT Races,
Stanley Woods provided another surprise by moving to Moto Guzzi and was a debut
event for the Italian Omobono Tenni. The 1935 Senior TT Race produced one of
the most dramatic TT races, as the Moto Guzzi pit attendants made preparations
for Stanley Woods to refuel on the last lap, but Woods went straight through
the TT grandstand area without stopping and went on to win by 4 seconds from
Jimmie Guthrie. Despite disqualification during the 1936 Junior TT Race, Jimmie
Guthrie won the 1936 Senior TT Race, avenging his dramatic defeat the previous
year. The 1937 TT Races produced the first foreign winner, when the Italian TT
rider, Omobono Tenni won the Lightweight race. Jimmie Guthrie was killed a few
weeks later while riding for the Norton team during the 1937 German Grand Prix.
The 1938 TT Races produced the first German winner when Ewald Kluge won the
1938 Lightweight TT Race and became the first overall European Motor-Cycle
Champion for the works DKW team. In the 1939 Isle of Man TT Races, the works
Norton team did not compete, as the Norton factory were changing over to war
production. Although the 1938 model Norton was provided to Harold Daniell and
Freddie Frith to race, the 1939 TT Races provided Stanley Woods with a tenth TT
win, aboard a Velocette in the Junior TT Race and a well judged first win for E
A (Ted) Mellors riding a Benelli in the 1939 Lightweight TT Race. The Blue
Riband race of the Isle of Man TT Races was won for the first time by a foreign
competitor when Georg 'Schorsch' Meier won the 1939 Senior TT Race riding for
the factory BMW motor-cycle team. In the 1930s, TT winners were allowed to keep
the trophies for a year. The 1939 factory BMW motor-cycle that won the 1939
Senior TT Race spent the war years buried in a field, and the Senior TT trophy
was discovered displayed in a shop in Vienna
at the end of the war. Motorcycle racing did not return to the Isle of Man and the Mountain Course until September 1946
with the first post-war event the 1946 Manx Grand Prix. For the 1947 Isle of
Man TT Races a number of changes occurred to the race schedule and the rules
governing the races. First, the inclusion of a Clubmans TT Races for
Lightweight, Junior and Senior production motor-cycles. Second, and more
important the rules governing all international road racing were changed to
effectively ban all forms of supercharging. The 1949 Isle of Man TT Races was
the first event of the inaugural Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship and
Les Graham the first 500 cc World Champion finished 10th in the 1949 Senior
TT Race. For the 1951 Isle of Man TT the Ultra-Lightweight TT Race was
re-introduced that was won by Cromie McCandless riding a Mondial motor-cycle at
an average race speed of 74.84 mph. From 1947 to 1959 there occurred a
number of course changes and improvements. Road widening occurred between the
33rd Milestone and Keppel Gate for the 1947 season and further major changes
for the 1954 Isle of Man TT Races with significant alterations to Ballaugh Bridge, Creg-ny-Baa, Signpost Corner and
Governor's Bridge. Also the 1954 Isle of Man TT Races was the first year of the
Clypse Course, the re-introduction of the Sidecar TT Race and the first ever
female competitor, Inge Stoll, to enter an Isle of Man TT Race. The 1950s may
be seen as a decade when the course and race changes the Isle of Man TT Races
evolved into the motor-cycle event that occurs today. Perhaps seen as the
golden-era, the 1950s for the Isle of Man TT Races mirrored changes in the
motor-cycling industry and motor-cycling technology and the increasing globalisation
of not only of motor-cycle racing, but also of the motor-cycle industry. As
with the 1930s, the period from 1947 to 1959 the dominance of the British
motor-cycle industry was gradually eroded by increased European competition.
Again throughout the 1950s this was played-out through increased technological
change. The introduction of the Featherbed frame and the abortive Norton
Kneeler concept by the works Norton team it was not sufficient to challenge the
multi-cylinder European motor-cycles from Gilera and Moto Guzzi. Financial
problems led to the demise of the Norton team and along with other traditional
British motor-cycle manufacturers AJS, BSA, Matchless and Velocette and were
replaced by European competition from CZ, DKW, Ducati, Mondial, MV Agusta and
NSU at the Isle of Man TT Races. By the end of the 1950s, the East Germany motor-cycle firm MZ
used the Isle of Man TT Races to improve their Walter Kaaden designed two-stoke
technology. The 1959 Isle of Man TT Race was the first race for the fledgling
Japanese Honda team when Naomi Taniguchi finished in 6th place in the 1959
125 cc Ultra-Lightweight TT Race on the Clypse Course at an average race
speed of 68.29 mph. Pre-war, the Isle of Man TT Races was seen as the preserve
of British, Irish and Commonwealth competitors. This stranglehold was first
broken by Omobono Tenni as the first foreign winner in 1937. As the Isle of Man
TT Races became a World Championship event in 1949, the post-war period
produced race wins from European competitors such as Carlo Ubbiali and
Tarquinio Provini. The first New
Zealand winner was Rod Coleman in 1954 and
first competitor from Southern Rhodesia was
Ray Amm when he raced at the 1951 Isle of Man TT Races. Despite a win by Eric
Oliver at the first post war Sidecar TT race, this also became dominated by
German and Swiss competitors such as Walter Schneider, Fritz Hillebrand, Fritz
Scheidegger and Helmut Fath. For the Senior TT Race this was still dominated by
new British TT competitors, Geoff Duke winning the 1955 Senior TT Race, John
Surtees riding for MV Agusta and Bob McIntyre in the 1957 Isle of Man TT races
were headlined when he recorded the first 100 mph (160 km/h) lap, riding for
Gilera motor-cycles. The 1958 Isle of Man TT Races was the debut event for another
British rider with the 18 year old Mike Hailwood who would dominate the next
decade. For the 1960 Isle of Man TT races the Sidecar TT Race returned to the
Snaefell Mountain Course for the first-time since 1925, along with the
Ultra-Lightweight and Lightweight classes with the abandonment of TT racing on
the Clypse Course. A number of changes occurred to the Mountain Course during
the 1960s with further road widening at Ballig Bridge
and at Greeba Bridge. Other safety features included
the introduction of a safety helicopter for the 1963 Isle of Man TT races and
was used for the first-time when Tony Godfrey crashed at the exit to Milntown
Cottages during the 1963 Lightweight TT race. Despite problems with the sidecar
class, the winner of the 1960 Sidecar TT race was Helmut Fath riding a BMW
outfit at an average speed of 84.40 mph. The 1962 Isle of Man TT races produced
the first winner of the newly introduced 50 cc Ultra-Lightweight race when
Ernst Degner won the 2-lap race (75.46 miles) for Suzuki at an average
speed of 75.12 mph. This was followed with Mitsuo Itoh becoming the first
Japanese winner of an Isle of Man TT Race winning the 50 cc
Ultra-Lightweight TT race again for Suzuki in 1963. For the Diamond Jubilee
race in 1967 the Production TT races were introduced consisting of three races;
a 250 cc, a 500 cc, and a 750 cc run at the same time but each
having a separate "Le Mans" start at 5 minutes after each other.
John Hartle was the winner of the first 750 cc production class at an
average race speed of 91.40 mph riding a Triumph Thruxton Bonneville. The
250 cc class was controversial due to the use of racing exhausts by the
Bultaco team. In the 1968 Isle of Man TT races the Production race rules were
changed. But the changes the winner, and 2nd placed man, of 250 cc
Production race were under protest and were excluded for the same offence
(using a racing exhaust) but later reinstated on appeal by the R.A.C.because of
the lack of an official translation of the law in Spain on the subject of silencing.
1968 was also the last year of the 50 cc Ultra-Lightweight class with
Australian Barry Smith winning for Derbi at an average speed of 72.90 mph.
The first non-championship event for sidecars not exceeding 750 cc was
introduced in 1968 and won by Terry Vinicombe riding a BSA sidecar outfit. The
1969 Production TT races were honoured by the presence of the Duke of Edinburgh
as starter. The race went off without any controversy with a new set of rules
being strictly enforced and were therefore probably the first really fair
production races. The result was a 750 cc race in which Malcolm Uphill
twice topped the 100-mph lap on the works Triumph Bonneville and set an average
race speed of 99.99 mph. The 500 cc and 250 cc classes provided
their own dramas with Graham Penny bringing his 450 cc Honda home first
after the leader Tony Dunnell on a three cylinder Kawasaki crashed. The 250 race had a fresh
leader on each lap ending with Mike Rogers taking the laurels on his
250 cc Ducati Mach 1 giving Ducati their very first Isle
of Man win. From 1949 to 1976 the race was part of the Motorcycle
Grand Prix World Championship and was the home of the British Grand Prix. The
event came under increasing scrutiny due to safety concerns despite efforts by
the ACU to retain its world championship status. When Italian rider Gilberto
Parlotti was killed during the 1972 TT, his close friend and the reigning world
champion Giacomo Agostini, announced that he would never again race on the Isle
of Man. More riders joined Agostini's boycott and by the 1976 season, only a
handful of serious Grand Prix riders were among the entrants. Shortly after the
1976 TT, the FIM made the long-anticipated announcement that the TT, once the
most prestigious race on the Grand Prix calendar, was stripped of its world
championship status. The Grand Prix action was moved to the UK with the 1977 British Grand Prix
being held at Silverstone. In the early 21st century, the premier TT racing
bikes complete the Snaefell course at an average speed exceeding 120 mph (193 km/h). Record
holders include David Jefferies who set a lap record of 127.29 mph
(204.81 km/h) in 2002. This was surpassed by John McGuinness during the
2004 TT on a Yamaha R1 setting a time of 17 min 43.8 s; an average lap
speed of 127.68 mph (205.43 km/h). McGuinness lowered this even
further at the 2007 TT, setting a time of 17:21.99 for an average speed of
130.354 mph (209.35 km/h) becoming the first rider to break the 130 mph limit on the
Snaefell Mountain circuit. The most successful rider was Joey Dunlop who won 26
times in various classes from 1977 to 2000. For 2009, the Manx government added
a new event to the June race schedule. The Time Trial eXtreme Grand Prix
(TTXGP) was billed as the first zero-emissions motorcycle race. While any technology
could enter, as a practical matter zero emissions means electric. The oldest
motor-cycle racing circuit still in use is the Snaefell Mountain Course over
which the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races are run. Starting at the town of
Douglas on the south-east coast, the course takes a wide sweep to the west and
north to enter the town of Ramsey on the north-east coast and thence return to
the starting point, each lap measuring 37 3/4 miles (60.7 km) and
taking in over 200 bends while climbing from sea level to an altitude of over
1,300 ft (396 m).
This circuit is the epitome of the natural road course, all the roads used
being ordinary public highways closed for the racing and practice sessions.
Traditionally held in the last week of May and the first week of June, the TT
races create a carnival atmosphere. Picnicking crowds flanking the circuit are
reminiscent of the community festivals that are part of another form of cycle
racing in a different country - Le Tour de France. During the TT Festival it is
difficult to travel across or around the island because of the road closures.
There is a TT access road in Douglas that
gives access to the centre of the Mountain Course during the event.
This is a very nice and very rare photo that reflects a wonderful era of
Moto Guzzi ‘s rich motorcycle history in a wonderful way. This is your rare
chance to own this photo, therefore it is printed in a nice large format
of ca. 8" x 12" (ca. 20 x 30 cm). It makes it perfectly suitable for
framing!
Shipping costs will only be $ 7.00 regardless of how many photos you
buy. For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!
(Note: A. Herl, Inc. does not appear on
photo, for ebay purposes only)
No copyright
expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our
archives that we have gathered from various sources.
All items always sent well
protected in PVC clear files and board backed
envelopes.
We have
photographs that came from professional collections and/or were bought from the
original photographer or press studio! They are all of professional and
excellent quality.
After many decades
of professionally collecting photographs and posters we are clearing out our
archives. They make the perfect gift and are perfectly suited for framing. They
will look gorgeous unframed and will be a true asset nicely framed with a
border. They are a gorgeous and great asset in every home, workshop, workplace,
restaurant, bar or club!
First come -
first served. And you can always contact us for your requests. Please ask any
questions before the auction ends.