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Moulton Automatic: the best stead in the vintage stable
- This topic has 13 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 3 months ago by
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IMHO the Moulton Automatic is an underrated machine. It comes with what most Moultoneers consider the more attractive Series 1 rear and front forks but the rear forks have extra reinforcement like the Moulton S models.
Uniquely you have looks and robustness and of course rarity.
It’s also more responsive than my other vintage models, a Mini Super 4, a Deluxe and a Major.
It’s most desirable feature however is the F&S Duomatic rear hub. This is a delight to use and great fun, offering a quick gear change and responsiveness. Alex Moulton rated this hub.
Added to the package is a bike made at BoA and, for a vintage Moulton, lightness.
It even has an advantage over the Stowaway: it doesn’t separate so there’s no potential problem with the joint.
A great package.
My advice for Moultoneers in 2016 is If you haven’t tried one and you know someone who has one ask them if you can try it.
By the way they were only made in 1966 so 2016 is their 50th anniversary.The same specification machine, strengthened rear forks, prop stand, front fork lock and duomatic hub was marketed as a continental. I have three automatics and two continentals and all had the same equipment. Brilliant bicycles!
jbBob
There are some photos of mine in the Moultoneer No 104 and 107. I’ll be bringing it to BoA this year.
John
How did you get three!? Unfortunately my front fork lock has gone walkies but I have the stand.
I’ve only seen 4 for sale in the last 7 years. I’ve also seen two which were advertised as Automatics but they were Standards retro-fitted with the F&S hub. The give-away was the cable holders running to the back of the bike. The Automatic, of course, doesn’t have a rear brake or gear cable. The rear brake and gears are in the hub which is operated by back-pedalling rather than shifting cable wires.
They are rare machines, only made in 1966. Only about 3000 machines or less were sold. Paul Grogan in “The “Classic Moulton” notes that only 1,184 machines were sold in the first six months of 1966.
The Preserved Moultons Register overseen by Jack Finucan lists17 Automatics compared with 14 Safaris and 45 Speedsixes.
I understand that they weren’t popular in 1966 and were quickly discontinued. That explains their rarity.
Back in 66 potential buyers may have thought why buy a bike with 2 gears when for the same money I can get a Deluxe with 4?
Or if I want a bike with the F&C hub why not buy a Stowaway which has the added advantage of separation?
Of course car boots are bigger now and separation isn’t so advantageous. Also the absence of a joint can simplifies things.
I enjoy riding mine so much I’m having to ration its usage so that the others get a look in.The first one came to me a few years ago via the sales and wants on this site. A gentleman near Cambridge was selling two f frames that his grandchildren no longer used! The automatic was complete but the standard was very worn. For some reason I had the red bike re sprayed green and put series two rear forks on. The second one was an eBay purchase missing the front forks, it had been over painted but the transfers were still visible. This was originally green. The last one also came from the sales list. This red bike was complete but the running gear had been replaced with a five speed hub. It did come with the original bits though as well as a Speed frame set!
The two continentals are to the same specification, the blue one came from a BoA sale many years ago, the green one was an eBay purchase earlier this year,
I like the duomatic hub so much that four of my mk3 bikes and two of my majors are equipped with it, as well as a TSR and the very last AM2 (revisited) to leave the the factory (it was their demonstrator).
jbBeing overhauled at present is my Automatic-style example, 549353, undated, of the same ‘sideways’ frame, front forks (no lock fitting), stand, etc., as covered by Paul Grogan, but instead a poly blue ‘Standard’, given to me as an original, but wheel-less, scrapper in the ‘eighties.
Fitted then with a Lauterwasser 5-speed – to be retained – it served as my son’s bike at Oxford in the ‘nineties, which it survived well.
The dilemma is whether to retain the, now poor, original finish and faint badging or to repaint and re-transfer, since opinion seems to be that there should not be a ‘Standard’ to this spec. Any answers? Bob CC.John,
I agree; the F&C Duomatic Torpedo hub is great fun, and such a speedy gear change!
Is there any difference in the specification between the Continental and the Automatic?
Surely there must be some difference given that they have different names?
I know that the Continental is even more rare than the Automatic.
I’ve only seen 4 Automatics for sale.
Mine, which I bought from the Moulton list a couple of years ago. Steve Doggett had a red one for sale a few years ago and I saw another red one for sale in London also on Ebay about the same time.
A few months ago one came up for sale in Leicester which I’ve seen and I’ve met the chap who bought it.
Completely original with all the bits including original saddle and working front lock but the paint although original is in poor condition.Hi John
Have you ever seen an Automatic with the Series 2 rear forks?
All the ones I’ve seen have the reinforced Series 1 forks.
Presumably some Continentals had the single speed 57 inch Perry hub with coaster brake and some had the F&S duomatic hub?
The latter would seem to indistinguishable from the Automatic apart for the name.Hello Alexander
All the ones I have seen have had strengthened series one forks, but one of my
automatics needed a respray so it gave me the opportunity of putting on some series two forks with built in prop stand
jbAlso some continentals do not have the spoke lock though one of mine did.
I have a nice condition continental for sale. Unfortunately a previous owner had the coaster brake disabled and it came to me without the removed parts so I rebuilt the rear wheel with a modern single speed coaster. A very close copy of the Sachs single speed.
jbIt may be useful to update this thread.
First: a correction. The reinforced Series 1 rear forks on the Automatic are not the same as those on the S models with Series 1 rear forks.
The Automaticis more heavily reinforced with curved stiffeners over the rear legs which the S models don’t have; however both the Automatics and the S models do have the little triangular insert modification running from the legs close to the pivot to the top of the cup.
The Automatic is a genuinely rare machine. Since writing for the Moultoneer I have now been able to identify about 22 survivors. All the examples I have inspected have the BoA typeface and none has the K66 prefix, suggesting that they were fabricated and assembled at BoA.
The Automatic was designed to use up spare parts, particularly the stock of Series 1 rear forks stored at BoA which, with judicious reinforcement, could be incorporated into the new bike.
They are sometimes dismissed as a “bitza bin” bike which does not do them justice and is misleading.
The frames are the edge-brazed Series 2 frame with the rotated seat tube which is probably the best frame on any production F frame Moulton. The Series 1 rear forks – which many Moultoneers prefer compared with the Series 2 forks – are the strongest and most highly reinforced Series 1 forks on any production Moulton.
Also all Automatics were fitted with the F&S Duomatic kickback hub with coaster brake, a favourite of Dr. Moulton which was also fitted to the Stowaway; however, unlike the Stowaway the Automatic does not separate so there are no potential issues with the joint.
They have clean simple lines; they are fun and responsive to ride; they have the Fichel and Sachs Duomatic hub; they have the excellent Series 2 edge-brazed frame; they have the most highly strengthened and reinforced Series 1rear forks; they have the light Series 1 front forks; they are genuinely rare; they were probably assembled at BoA and the evidence strongly suggests that the frames were fabricated at BoA.
They do not deserve the epithet “Bitza bin bike” but do deserve greater appreciation and respect.
In fact they are one of the best, most interesting, enjoyable, and rare F Frame production bikes in the Moulton pantheon.Two additional points.
As I have mentioned above the small triangular inserts are also on the rare and wonderful S models with Series 1 rear forks.
By 1966 I’m advised that S model production had moved over to Series 2 forks. The issues surrounding the Series 1 rear forks would have been widely known at BoA so the decision was made to strengthen the batch of “old” Series 1 rear forks held at BoA before they were attached to the Series 2 edge-brazed frame to create the Automatic.
I suspect that the small triangular modification was initiated at the small S model workshop, incorporated into the lovely S models with Series 1 rear forks, and then filtered its way to the main BoA factory which is now Antony Best Dynamics.
Assuming I am correct the Series 1 S models and the Automatic will be the only models with this modification fitted at the point of manufacture.
The second point is on the number of Automatics. The Automatic was created to use up the stock of “old” Series 1 rear forks, suitable reinforced, held at BoA. Therefore the number of Automatics which could be built was constrained by the number of Series 1 rear forks held in stock.
I am only aware of one Automatic with Series 2 rear forks but they were retro-fitted.
The reason why the Automatic is a genuinely rare machine is because relatively few were made. I am aware of 22 surviving examples.John – do your Continentals have the small triangular reinforcements on the rear forks running from the legs close to the pivot to the cup which are on the Automatics?
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