A superb and rare photo of a BSA motorcycle with sidecar.
The Birmingham
Small Arms Company (BSA) was a British manufacturer
of vehicles, firearms, and military equipment, and still exists as an airgun
sport manufacturer and distributor. At its peak, BSA was the largest motorcycle
producer in the world. Loss of sales and poor investments in new products in
the motorcycle division, which included Triumph Motorcycles, led to problems
for the whole group.
BSA was founded in 1861 in the Gun
Quarter, Birmingham, England by fourteen gunsmiths of
the Birmingham Small Arms Trade Association, who had together supplied arms to
the British government during the Crimean War. The company branched out as the
gun trade declined; in the 1870s they manufactured the Otto Dicycle, in the
1880s the company began to manufacture bicycles and in 1903 the company's first
experimental motorcycle was constructed. Their first prototype automobile was
produced in 1907 and the next year the company sold 150 automobiles. By 1909
they were offering a number of motorcycles for sale and in 1910 BSA purchased
the British Daimler Company for its automobile engines. During World War I, the
company returned to arms manufacture and greatly expanded its operations. BSA
produced rifles, Lewis guns, shells, motorcycles and other vehicles for the war
effort. In 1920, it bought some of the assets of the Aircraft Manufacturing
Company (Airco), which had built many important aircraft during the war but had
become bankrupt due to the falloff in orders once hostilities ceased. BSA did
not go into aviation; the chief designer Geoffrey de Havilland of Airco founded
the de Havilland company. As well as the Daimler car range, BSA re-entered the
car market under their own name in 1921 with a V-twin engined light car
followed by four-cylinder models up to 1926 when the name was temporarily
dropped. In 1929 a new range of 3 and 4 wheel cars appeared and production of
these continued until 1936. In the 1930s the board of directors authorised
expenditure on bringing their arms-making equipment back to use - it had been
stored at company expense since the end of the Great War in the belief that BSA
might again be called upon to perform its patriotic duty. In 1931 the
Lanchester Motor Company was acquired and production of their cars transferred
to Daimler's Coventry
works. By World War II, BSA had 67 factories and was well positioned to meet
the demand for guns and ammunition. BSA operations were also dispersed to other
companies under licence. During the war it produced over a million Lee-Enfield
rifles, Sten sub machine guns and half a million Browning machine guns. Wartime
demands included motorcycle production. 126,000 BSA M20 motorcycles were
supplied to the armed forces, from 1937 (and later until 1950) plus military
bicycles including the folding paratrooper bicycle. At the same time, the
Daimler concern was producing armoured cars. Sir Bernard Docker was chairman of
BSA until 1951 with James Leek CBE
Managing Director from 1939, after which Jack Sangster became Managing
Director. Post-war, BSA continued to expand the range of metal goods it
produced. The BSA Group bought Triumph Motorcycles in 1951, making them the
largest producer of motorcycles in the world. The cycle and motor cycle
interests of Ariel, Sunbeam and New Hudson were also acquired. Most of these
had belonged to Sangster.
This is your rare chance to
own this non period photo that reflects the BSA history. Therefore it is printed
in a nice large format of ca. 8 x 10” (20 x 26 cm).
Shipping costs will only be $ 7.00 regardless of how many photos you
buy. For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!
All our photos are modern photos that are traditionally made from what we believe are the original negatives and are copyright protected.
(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.
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.