MAKE & MODEL: Excelsior Deluxe

REGISTRATION: BF8870

YEAR: 1929

COLOUR: Silver/Black

ENGINE SIZE: 349cc JAP

FRAME NO: DG2628

ENGINE NO: 10Y/S54073/H/J

DOCUMENTS: V5C, Handbooks, Old DVLAPaperwork, Old Photos

Excelsior,based in Coventry, was a British bicycle, motorcycle and car maker. They were Britain’s first motorcycle manufacturer, starting production of their own ‘motor-bicycle’ in 1896. Initially they had premises at Lower Ford Street,Coventry, and 287-295 Stoney Stanton Road, Hillfields, Coventry, Warwickshire before moving to Kings Road, Tyseley, Birmingham in 1921. Originally a bicycle company making penny-farthings in 1874 under their original name: Bayliss,Thomas and Co, they later sold bicycles under the names of Excelsior and Eurekaand changed the company name to Excelsior Motor Co. in 1910. In 1914, they offered a JAP-powered twin. A deal to supply the Russian Imperial government with motorcycles ended with the Revolution and Excelsior wound up with an excess inventory as a result. The Walker family (father Reginald and son Eric) took over after World War I. R Walker & Sons of Tyseley, Birmingham had started as makers of ships lamps but in 1919 the company was re-registered as the Excelsior Motor Company Ltd, production moved to Birmingham and the Lower Ford Street factory in Coventry sold to Francis-Barnett. They made a range of motorcycles from 98 to 1,000 cc, mostly powered by JAP, Blackburne and Villiers engines.

Our JAP powered Excelsior was purchased new in 1929 by a Mr Holden who sold it to Mr Round in 1931 and it has remained in the same family since and was fully restored between 2016 and 2019. It starts and runs very nicely.

Pretty as a picture it remains a very usable machine for many vintage and classic events including the infamous Banbury run.

E & O E