18 replies to this topic

[Continental Circus]

Hi Everyone,
With the help of many of you we have ID 'Moto Vincent' created by Gordon Colquhoun and sprinted by Charlie Rous between 1955-60.
I am trying to find out where Gordons race workshop was.
Gordon wrote 'Brands Hatch and beyond' which tells his story about the bike. Also the bike was featured in 'Classic Racer 35-Autumn 1991 and 'Classic Racer 36-Winter 1991.
If anyone has any of these works could you please have a look to see where the workshop was based please. I think the team were also involved in road racing so any info or leads would be great.
Thanks Larry and the rest of you guys.
Roy ;)

[gmwzorro]

Hi Everyone,
With the help of many of you we have ID 'Moto Vincent' created by Gordon Colquhoun and sprinted by Charlie Rous between 1955-60.
I am trying to find out where Gordons race workshop was.
Gordon wrote 'Brands Hatch and beyond' which tells his story about the bike. Also the bike was featured in 'Classic Racer 35-Autumn 1991 and 'Classic Racer 36-Winter 1991.
If anyone has any of these works could you please have a look to see where the workshop was based please. I think the team were also involved in road racing so any info or leads would be great.
Thanks Larry and the rest of you guys.
Roy ;)

Hi Roy, Have read both articles in Classic Racer does not mention where workshop was.
Just mention that they tested at Church Lawfod for Santa Pod and also mentions Devon ?
Gary

[Continental Circus]

Hi Roy, Have read both articles in Classic Racer does not mention where workshop was.
Just mention that they tested at Church Lawfod for Santa Pod and also mentions Devon ?
Gary

Thanks for that Gary. I went to Church Lawford around this time. If only we realised what an era it was.
Roy

[simmo]

Thanks for that Gary. I went to Church Lawford around this time. If only we realised what an era it was.
Roy

Gordon "GEE" Colquhoun had a garage "MOTOS of Catford" London He later moved to Axminster Devon and ran a Mitsubishi Garage during which time his son Sean ran the garage and Gee was involved in shooting competitions (shotgun).
Simmo

[Continental Circus]

Gordon "GEE" Colquhoun had a garage "MOTOS of Catford" London He later moved to Axminster Devon and ran a Mitsubishi Garage during which time his son Sean ran the garage and Gee was involved in shooting competitions (shotgun).
Simmo

Hello Simmo,
Thats great info on Gordon Colquhoun. Did you know him, Ian Simpson and I are trying to find where his race workshop was.
See the photo, this is the building we are trying to ID

Any info or ideas would be great.
Thanks for replyng,
Roy

[simmo]

Hello Simmo,
Thats great info on Gordon Colquhoun. Did you know him, Ian Simpson and I are trying to find where his race workshop was.
See the photo, this is the building we are trying to ID

Any info or ideas would be great.
Thanks for replyng,
Roy

Hi Roy,I did not know him I only met him briefly at Axminster.He wrote two books "brands hatch and beyond" and "how many for breakfast".I have read both (onloan to me),they are very difficult to obtain.Try contacting Chris Illman,VMCC archives.VMCC sprint section,
www.vmccsprint.co.uk.He would have more info.on him.
Good luck,keep in touch,
Simmo.

[Continental Circus]

Hi Roy,I did not know him I only met him briefly at Axminster.He wrote two books "brands hatch and beyond" and "how many for breakfast".I have read both (onloan to me),they are very difficult to obtain.Try contacting Chris Illman,VMCC archives.VMCC sprint section,
www.vmccsprint.co.uk.He would have more info.on him.
Good luck,keep in touch,
Simmo.

Hi Simmo, you have been a great help. We are trying to relate dates to various photos.
Gordons 'Moto Vincent' was in the 1955-60 era but we think he was also involved in roadracing.


This is Gordon with Charlie Rous testing 'Moto Vincent'.
Best wishes,
Roy

[fuzzi]

If anyone finds a source for Brands Hatch and Beyond please post on here. I've been searching for one for a while without luck. The book was self published and as Mr Colquhoun has died the trail ended there.

As an aside I believe that it was GC who came up with the maxim quoted by Jenks that:

"To finish a project all you have to find are the first fifteen minutes a day in the workshop, and somehow the job gets done."

[simmo]

Hi Simmo, you have been a great help. We are trying to relate dates to various photos.
Gordons 'Moto Vincent' was in the 1955-60 era but we think he was also involved in roadracing.


This is Gordon with Charlie Rous testing 'Moto Vincent'.
Best wishes,
Roy

Yes,Gordon started racing at Brands when it was still grass and went on to race when it became tarmac.He also raced most circuits in the south and around the midlands but I dont think too far north.He sprinted at Brighton,Ramsgate, and some of the eastern counties and I believe Charlie Rous rode at Shelsley Walsh.His books were printed under the "Motoprint" banner.I think another contact who knew him would be the Grandson of the Douglas motorcycle family contactable through the Douglas MCC.
Good luck,
Simmo.

[Continental Circus]

Yes,Gordon started racing at Brands when it was still grass and went on to race when it became tarmac.He also raced most circuits in the south and around the midlands but I dont think too far north.He sprinted at Brighton,Ramsgate, and some of the eastern counties and I believe Charlie Rous rode at Shelsley Walsh.His books were printed under the "Motoprint" banner.I think another contact who knew him would be the Grandson of the Douglas motorcycle family contactable through the Douglas MCC.
Good luck,
Simmo.

Hi Simmo,
You are are a mine of information, my and Ian Simpsons interest is in an unmarked photo albumn which Ian picked up from a junk shop. The enclosed photo is unknown but was with another showing Dave Chadwick racing at the same part of the track. Any help on who the rider with the distinctive helmet and at what track would be great.

Thanks Roy

[Continental Circus]

If anyone finds a source for Brands Hatch and Beyond please post on here. I've been searching for one for a while without luck. The book was self published and as Mr Colquhoun has died the trail ended there.

As an aside I believe that it was GC who came up with the maxim quoted by Jenks that:

"To finish a project all you have to find are the first fifteen minutes a day in the workshop, and somehow the job gets done."

Thanks for that Fuzzi,
Yes we would dearly like to see 'Brands Hatch and Beyond' and 'How many For Breakfast' also by Gordon. he seems to have left his mark 50 plus years ago.
Thanks,
Roy

[simmo]

Hi Simmo,
You are are a mine of information, my and Ian Simpsons interest is in an unmarked photo albumn which Ian picked up from a junk shop. The enclosed photo is unknown but was with another showing Dave Chadwick racing at the same part of the track. Any help on who the rider with the distinctive helmet and at what track would be great.

Thanks Roy

Hi Roy,Have alook at "openlibrary.org/b/ol" and"www.500race.org".fuzzi will find the library ref.of interest.keep up the good work!!.
simmo.

[Continental Circus]

Hi Roy,Have alook at "openlibrary.org/b/ol" and"www.500race.org".fuzzi will find the library ref.of interest.keep up the good work!!.
simmo.

Thanks for that Simmo, much appreciated. Will let you know how we go.
Roy

[Continental Circus]

Hi Roy,Have alook at "openlibrary.org/b/ol" and"www.500race.org".fuzzi will find the library ref.of interest.keep up the good work!!.
simmo.

Hi Simmo,
I have been taught the error of my ways on the 1949/68 thread. Graham Houlihan has ID the rider as Peter Ferbrache which is wonderful news. I am now trying to find where Peter came from and if he had any sponsors, maybe there is something tucked away in a race programme. I have tried the net without success.
I have not yet tried your sites.
Thanks,Roy

[Continental Circus]

Hi Simmo,
I have been taught the error of my ways on the 1949/68 thread. Graham Houlihan has ID the rider as Peter Ferbrache which is wonderful news. I am now trying to find where Peter came from and if he had any sponsors, maybe there is something tucked away in a race programme. I have tried the net without success.
I have not yet tried your sites.
Thanks,Roy

Hi there again, I have just found a small print taken at Church Lawford sprint practice showing Charlie Rous on Moto Vincent. I must have been 1960.

Roy

[ianrees1@sky.com]

Hi Everyone,
With the help of many of you we have ID 'Moto Vincent' created by Gordon Colquhoun and sprinted by Charlie Rous between 1955-60.
I am trying to find out where Gordons race workshop was.
Gordon wrote 'Brands Hatch and beyond' which tells his story about the bike. Also the bike was featured in 'Classic Racer 35-Autumn 1991 and 'Classic Racer 36-Winter 1991.
If anyone has any of these works could you please have a look to see where the workshop was based please. I think the team were also involved in road racing so any info or leads would be great.
Thanks Larry and the rest of you guys.
Roy ;)

Hi guys Gorden was a friend of mine lived three doors away ,he was also a navigator in lancastor bombers .His pilots name was John Reeves.as as far as i know he kept moto vincent at Catford.I was due to ride moto vincent at Brands at the meeting of a thousand bikes when Charlie had a tank slapper and dropped it .I can not print what he said when i said do i still get a go .He also had a house in Beer before he moved to Axminster.He also knew a Charlie Street before the war who he said was the greatest natural he ever met .;Book isbn no 09520500 o 5.printer axxent ltd ,99-101.st leonards road windsor berkshire,sl43bz Regards Ian

[Continental Circus]

Hi guys Gorden was a friend of mine lived three doors away ,he was also a navigator in lancastor bombers .His pilots name was John Reeves.as as far as i know he kept moto vincent at Catford.I was due to ride moto vincent at Brands at the meeting of a thousand bikes when Charlie had a tank slapper and dropped it .I can not print what he said when i said do i still get a go .He also had a house in Beer before he moved to Axminster.He also knew a Charlie Street before the war who he said was the greatest natural he ever met .;Book isbn no 09520500 o 5.printer axxent ltd ,99-101.st leonards road windsor berkshire,sl43bz Regards Ian

Hello Ian, thanks for a most interesting reply.

My friend Ian Simpson has a series of photos of a workhshop where Moto Vincent was being prepared, we thing it is in Cork, Eire where Gordon Colquoun was based when they took the Irish Standing Kilo Record in 1961.
This has been a fascinating subject and now have traced Moto Vincent to the British National Motorcycle Museum.
We would like to find more about Gordons RAF service. I have found in 1963 Motor Cycling that Charlie Rous was still campagning Moto Vincent. What a shame you never got a ride.
Many thanks,
Roy

[Ian Simpson]

Hi there again, I have just found a small print taken at Church Lawford sprint practice showing Charlie Rous on Moto Vincent. I must have been 1960.

Roy

Hello Ian,

Many thanks for your insight to Gordon C.

I have now managed to find a copy of his book Brands Hatch and beyond which provides answers to the photos of Gordon and Moto Vincent.

It does appear that all of the workshop and sprint photos are in Ireland dating from when Moto Vincent took the Irish Speed records for Standing start kilometre, solo and sidecar, in October 1960 - remember the cars outside the grand house all have Irish plates.
The workshop is probably that of Transit Garage Ltd, a Cork Ford dealer, where the team was based for the attempt. The guy in the workshop pics with the pipe is definitely Gordon Colquhoun.
In a picture with the Castrol van and crowd gathered around (possibly not posted yet ?), we had spotted the wording "Streamline" or some such word, in the background and this is part of the logo on the "Sidecar" - Streamline Sidecars, the manufacturers of the "Wheel on a stick" as it is described by Gordon.

Regards and thanks to all who have inputted data on these photos.

Ian Simpson

[drumwrecker]

I bought my Ariel Arrow from Moto in Catford in 1960.

I seem to remember the Vincent on display in the shop.