A
superb and rare photo of 57 year old Frank
Cope, the oldest ever competitor in the Ulster Grand Prix ! , seen in
action with his 350cc AJS 7R racer
during the 1953 350cc Ulster Grand Prix which was ridden on August 15, 1953.
This picturesque
photograph of the Grand Prix of Ulster was taken during the 350cc race of 1953.
The race was won by Ken Mulford (NZ) on a Norton with an average race speed of 84.01 mph (135,2 km/h).
The 350cc AJS 7R
was produced from 1948 to 1963 by Associated Motor Cycles (AMC). It quickly
became known as the “Boy Racer”. At first it was a factory racer, but soon it
went on to win races for privateers when made generally available from 1954.
A new design by Phil Walker, the chain-driven
overhead camshaft 7R had the history of the pre-war AJS ‘cammy’ singles behind
it. Initially, the 7R was not as powerful as its competitors, producing
32 bhp (24 kW) at 7500 rpm. The duplex frame and Teledraulic
front forks remained relatively unchanged during production, while the engine
had a number of changes. The included valve angle was progressively narrowed,
and the crankshaft strengthened. In 1956 the engine dimensions changed from the
original long-stroke 74 x 90 mm to the
‘squarer’ 75.5 x 78 mm. The AMC
gearbox replaced the older Burman in 1958.
In 1951 AJS development engineer Ike Hatch
developed a 75.5 mm bore x 78 mm stroke,
three valve head version of the 7R making 36 bhp (27 kW). It was
called the AJS 7R3, and was Ike's response to the Italian multi-cylinder
racers. They did well enough in their first year, not as well the second. For
1954 Jack Williams, the works team manager, developed the bike further,
lowering the engine in the frame, and making some tuning changes that gave
40 bhp (30 kW) at 7800 rpm. It immediately won the first two
rounds of the World Championship and took first at the Isle of Man TT. AJS 7Rs
won the 1961, 62 and 63 Junior Manx TT races and came second in 1966. The 1957
AJS 7R 350 cc, with 75.5 mm bore and 78 mm stroke, gave
38.5 bhp (28.7 kW) at 7600-7800 rpm, and weighed 285 lb (129 kg). The top
speed was 180-190 km/h (115-120 mph). AMC
withdrew from the world of works, and one-off, road racing at the end of the
1954, with the death of Ike Hatch, and in the face of fierce competition from
the other European bikes. After this AJS made a production version of the
standard two valve AJS 7R, for privateers and a 500 cc version, badged as
a Matchless G50 was also sold. By the end of production in 1963 the two valve
OHC AJS 7R engine made over 40 bhp (30 kW).
The
Ulster Grand Prix is a
motorcycle road race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération
Internationale de Motocyclisme gave it the title Grand Prix d'Europe. The
Ulster Grand Prix was included as one of the races in the inaugural 1949 Grand
Prix motorcycle racing season, a place it held until 1971. It also counted for
the TT Championship between 1979 and 1990. According to the race organisers, it
is the fastest road race in the world. Thomas Moles, motorcycle enthusiast and
Member of Parliament, helped to push through parliament the first Road
Races Act, which made it legal for the Clady Course to be closed for the first
Ulster Grand Prix on 14 October 1922. That first race
had 75 entries in four classes (250cc, 350cc, 600cc and over 600cc). The race
has been held on three different circuits. The 20.5 mile Old Clady circuit was used from 1922 until 1939 and included a
notoriously bumpy 7-mile straight. It also ran across part of the grass runway
at RAF Aldergrove and for the first two years of its existence the pits were on
the Seven Mile Straight, by Loanends Primary School. In 1926 the 500cc race was won by Graham Walker on a Sunbeam. He also
won the 1928 Senior race on a Rudge. In the 1936 Lightweight (250cc) event,
Ginger Wood and Bob Foster, both on New Imperials, crossed the line so close,
that after over 200 miles
of racing, it took the judges an hour to decide that Wood was the winner by
one-fifth of a second. Foster was, however, adjudged to have achieved the
fastest lap. The 1939 Grand Prix was almost called off, but went ahead in spite
of an entry of only 60 riders. After World War II the new Clady circuit was
used that, due to road improvements, was now 16.5 miles in length and in use between 1947 and 1952. In 1953 the race was moved to the 7.401 mile Dundrod Circuit where it is still held. The event was cancelled in 1972
because of the political situation in Northern Ireland and in 2001, during the Foot-and-mouth crisis, when the North West
200 and Isle of Man TT were cancelled, the race was held. The 2007 Grand Prix
attracted an entry of 162 riders, including 38 new riders, and took place on 18 August 2007, sponsored by The Belfast Telegraph. Joey Dunlop won twenty four Ulster
Grand Prix races during his career with Phillip McCallen winning fourteen races
and Brian Reid nine wins. Some of the famous riders include: Stanley Woods (7
wins), Jimmie Guthrie, Jimmie Simpson, Artie Bell, Les Graham, Freddie Frith (3
wins), Geoff Duke (3 wins), John Surtees (6 wins), Ray Amm, Carlo Ubbiali (5
wins), Bill Lomas (3 wins), Mike Hailwood (7 wins), Giacomo Agostini (7 wins),
Phil Read (3 wins), Bill Ivy (3 wins), Bob McIntyre, Gary Hocking (3 wins), Tom
Herron (5 wins), Ron Haslam (5 wins), Jon Ekerold, and more recently Mick
Grant, Wayne Gardner, Steve Hislop, Robert Dunlop (9 wins) and Carl Fogarty.
The most recent rider to join the famous riders group is Guy Martin (5 wins).
This
is a very nice and very rare non period photo that reflects a wonderful era of 1950s
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!
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No copyright expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our archives that we have gathered from various sources.
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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!
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