1939 (see text) Excelsior Autobyk, 98 cc. Registration numbe...

Hammer

£900

1939 (see text) Excelsior Autobyk, 98 cc. Registration number LXS 791 (non transferrable). Frame number AX/2522. Engine number 2520.
Like most other pioneers of Britain's motorcycle industry Excelsior fitted European manufacturers' proprietary engines at first before turning to home-produced power plants - mainly Villiers, JAP and Blackburne. Acquired by R Walker & Sons in 1919, Excelsior moved from Coventry to Birmingham. The Walkers believed in the value of racing for development and publicity, and the revitalised company was soon making its mark in competition, early successes including a number of World Records set at Brooklands by Tony Worters on 250cc and 350cc JAP-engined machines in 1926. Excelsior offered an extensive range of machines in numerous different capacities throughout the 1920's and 1930's, the 98cc Villiers-powered Autobyk being the smallest in the range on its introduction for 1938. The model resumed production after WW2 in 1946 and was originally offered with the 98cc Villiers Junior De Luxe. For 1947 it was joined by a version using the 98cc Excelsior Goblin which was quickly joined by a second Excelsior powered 98cc machine fitted with the single speed Sprite engine.
LXS has lived in the South Sheffield area all of its life and was bought by our vendors father in the 1960's when he bought a car off an elderly couple. Used occasionally it was stored at the back of the garage until a tidy up brought it out and he put the registration number on retention, recommissioning it at the same time.
Sold with the V5C which states manufactured 1939, the cataloguer, from his research on the frame number, suggests this should be mid 1940's.