Category: History

Town plans weekend of celebrations to honour prominent inventors (From This Is Wiltshire)

A weekend of celebration is planned to honour two distinguished Bradford on Avon engineers on their landmark birthdays.

Dr Alex Moulton, inventor of the Moulton bicycle and designer of the suspension for the original Mini, will be 90 on April 9, while on April 15 Jem Marsh, co-founder of sports car manufacturer Marcos, will turn 80.

Bradford on Avon Town Council, the preservation trust and the town’s museum have joined forces to put on an exhibition celebrating Dr Moulton’s engineering career at the West Barn from April 25-28.

Dr Moulton said: “I am deeply honoured and delighted. I feel very privileged that they have taken the trouble to do this.

Continue reading at Town plans weekend of celebrations to honour prominent inventors (From This Is Wiltshire).

Alex Moulton’s Autobiography

Alex Moulton's Autobiography - Alex Moulton: from Bristol to Bradford-on-Avon - is now available for purchase from Alex Moulton Books.

In this new book, Dr. Alex Moulton recounts, in his own words, his lifetime in engineering. The whole story – from building steam cars as a teenager, and working under Roy Fedden at Bristol Aeroplane, through the development of rubber suspension systems that led to collaboration with BMC, Dunlop and Sir Alec Issigonis in the creation of Hydrolastic and Hydragas, to the revolutionary Moulton bicycle that, together with the Mini, became an icon of the swinging sixties – is told in Dr. Moulton’s characteristic direct style.

The book promises

Hundreds of illustrations – sketches, photographs and calculations, many in colour – accompany the text as this fascinating memoir unfolds, giving the reader an insight into the mind of one of Britain’s most innovative engineers. For those who know little of Dr. Moulton’s work, this is a comprehensive account; and for those who have prior knowledge this book contains a wealth of previously unpublished details and illustrations.

New Moulton Mk4 in the Moulton Museum

At the Moulton Bicycle Club weekend in Bradford on Avon in September, a newly built Moulton Mark 4 was shown, which is now in the Moulton Museum.

The Mark 4 was an evolution of the Mark 3 which had been produced by Raleigh from 1970 to 1974. The Mark 4 nearly went into production, before Raleigh pulled the plug on the Moulton line altogether.

There were previously only 3 known examples of the Mark 4 in existence, and each has a different spec. This new Mark 4 was built by Arthur Smith, using a frameset found at Bradford on Avon. This new Mark 4 also has a unique spec, but does boast authentic components from the relevant era.

Also featured in the pictures is another of the Mark 4 models in purple.

The Mark 4 was similar to the Mark 3, with additional features such as a stowaway joint for separability, and a swan neck stem.

Moulton / Land Rover APB

Saturday marks the 14th anniversary of the launch of the Land Rover APB in September 1995. The Land Rover APB was a Pashley Moulton APB, using the Land Rover name under licence. Thanks to Ken Butterfield for the brochure scans and original press release.

Also, have a look at this interview by Carlton Reid with AA President, Edmund King. During his time with the RAC, King launched an RAC branded APB, introducing...

...RAC members to the concept of “mobility, not just motoring”, spearheading a ’smart travel’ campaign by selling RAC-branded bicycles. These were re-badged Moulton APBs, produced by Pashley. “We sold a few,” said King, ” but it was more to make a statement than make money.”

Colin Martin’s Green Bicycle Site

The website of Colin Martin, the legendary Moultoneer, who cycled from England to Australia in 1970, is back online at http://www.moultonbicycle.com.

Colin left England in 1970 on a custom built Moulton Marathon, with the intention of cycling round the world. While in Australia, his bike was stolen and he abandoned the trip and settled there.

Colin Martin's 1970 Ride From England To Australia

In 2002, he continued the trip on a green Moulton New Series, travelling across North America, and visiting England and Japan.

Colin Martin's 2002 Ride Across North America

Finally, in 2008, Colin travelled across Australia from the point where his Moulton Marathon had been stolen, to his home in Queensland, thus completing the round the world trip.

Colin's website, greenbicycle.com, which previously documented the 1970 and 2002 rides, was taken offline in 2009, to facilitate construction of a new site. However, Colin has made the original material available again at the new domain moultonbicycle.com. Read about the 1970 trip from England to Australia and the 2002 Trip Across America.

Colin Martin's Moulton Marathon in Afghanistan

I look forward to reading about the 2008 ride in due course!