Monday, July 4, 2011

The Velocette Model O.... "one off", "600" experimental twin motorcycle...lets have a brief look through some of the items on it in my archive....

During the late 1930's the directors of Veloce Ltd pondered an answer to the supercharged BMW twins that had appeared in the IOM TT races in 1937.
Percy Goodman the managing director was no fool and surely saw "the writing on the wall" for the single cylinder in the premier class, the Senior TT.
Harold Willis a director and technical boffin at Veloce with Chas.Udall were set the task to provide an answer and hopefully for a Velocette, success in the Senior TT, something that had eluded them since 1929.
At the same time Phil Irving the Australian engineer who was employed at Veloce in their drawing office was given the task of making a road version of the twin that those in the racing department had embarked on, although they did not actively collaborate in the task according to PEI in his autobiography.
Left click on the images to enlarge....
Pictured at Stanford Hall in the early 1970's...Midlands editor of "The MotorCycle", Bob Currie astride the model O with its then owner ex "Motorcycling" staff-member John Griffiths. It was rumoured, unsubstantiated, on Veloce's demise that JG acquired the "O" and the "Roarer" for a selection of vintage furniture from Bertie Goodman.
C.E."Titch" Allen acquired the "O" from John Griffiths estate following his tragic death in a motorway accident and  eventually it passed into the hand of Ivan Rhodes who recently completed its refurbishment, likely the first since it was assembled at Veloce.
Lets have a look into some of PEI's little notebooks where he made notes on the machines development.


The description on the above LH side page refers to the special rear suspension unit made up by PEI






As mentioned Ivan Rhodes dismantled the "O"...lets have a look at some photos he sent me....


































Around Easter 2006 Carl Drees, president of the Dutch Velocette Owners Club lead a group of membes of the Club on a visit to Ivan Rohodes place at "Fellside" in Derby. They took several photos of the "O", below...


Following are two photos taken by "The Motorcycle"...likely in the 1970's...


The extension on the bottom of the forks was done during its development and presumably to alter handling...
Finally, Australian VOC member David Royston poses with the "O" at a UK VOC event at Stanford Hall in 2006.

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