Editor | James Robinson |
---|---|
Former editors | Bob Currie |
Categories | Motorcycles |
Frequency | Monthly |
Circulation | 78,993 [1] |
Publisher | Mortons Media Group Ltd from 1998 EMAP from 1983 IPC Specialist and Business Press Ltd from 1981 |
Founded | 1981 |
Company | Mortons Media Group Ltd |
Country | UK |
Based in | Horncastle Lincolnshire |
Language | English |
Website | www |
ISSN | 0263-0850 |
The Classic Motor Cycle is a UK motorcycle magazine originally launched in 1981 with six editions a year as a spin-off from UK newspaper-format Motor Cycle Weekly (previously historically known as The Motor Cycle) as under then Editor-in-Chief Mick Woollett at IPC, Surrey House, Sutton, Surrey.
Editor and driving-force Bob Currie based at Lynton House, Birmingham, was historically a senior contributor in the 1960s to Motor Cycle (renamed from The Motor Cycle in 1962) with the title of Midland Editor, and during the 1970s with the same publication, by then using the name Motor Cycle Weekly. [2]
Having well-established archival links to The Motor Cycle which itself had origins back to 1903, the first edition was dated June/July 1981.
As had occurred with (The) Motor Cycle, The Classic Motor Cycle title changed hands several times, being originally published by IPC Business Press between 1981 and 1983, then by East Midland Allied Press (EMAP) from 1984. Purchased in 1998 by Mortons Media Group, it is now published by their subsidiary Mortons Motorcycle Media. [3] Featuring all marques of classic motorcycles with an emphasis on racing and performance bikes, editor James Robinson says he is "not just interested in classics, but in all manner of motorcycles and motorcycle-related sport." [4]
The magazines contains articles on classic motorcycles, technical articles, and regular features including:
The Norton Motorcycle Company is a brand of motorcycles headquartered in Solihull, West Midlands,, England. For some years around 1990, the rights to use the name on motorcycles was owned by North American financiers.
The Honda CB750 is an air-cooled, transverse, in-line-four-cylinder-engine motorcycle made by Honda over several generations for year models 1969–2008 with an upright, or standard, riding posture. It is often called the original Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM) and also is regarded as the first motorcycle to be called a "superbike".
Velocette is a range of motorcycles made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. One of several motorcycle manufacturers in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling almost as many hand-built motorcycles during its lifetime as the mass-produced machines of the giant BSA and Norton concerns. Renowned for the quality of its products, the company was "always in the picture" in international motorcycle racing from the mid-1920s until the 1950s, culminating in two World Championship titles and its legendary and still-unbeaten 24 hours at over 100 mph (161 km/h) record. Veloce, while small, was a great technical innovator and many of its patented designs are commonplace on motorcycles today, including the positive-stop foot shift and swinging arm rear suspension with hydraulic dampers. The business suffered a gradual commercial decline during the late 1960s, eventually closing in February 1971.
MCN or Motor Cycle News is a UK weekly motorcycling newspaper published by Bauer Consumer Media, based in Peterborough, United Kingdom. It claims to be "the world’s biggest weekly motorcycle newspaper".
Herbert Hopwood was a British motorcycle designer. He was, at least, partly responsible for some of the most influential designs for the British motorcycle industry and worked for Ariel, Norton, BSA and Triumph.
Charles Mortimer is an English former professional motorcycle short-circuit road racer and race-school instructor. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycle road racing world championships from 1969 to 1979. He remains the only competitor to have won FIM Grand Prix races in the 125, 250, 350, 500 and 750 world championship classes.
Classic Bike Guide is a monthly motorcycle magazine based in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England.
Montgomery Motorcycles was a pioneering British motorcycle manufacturer. Originally based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, following the First World War manufacturing was moved to Coventry. Its founder William Montgomery was an innovator and is credited with the invention of the sidecar. Like Brough, Montgomery made use of the best proprietary components from other specialist companies and concentrated on the production of frames and forks in-house - and Montgomery supplied a number of frames and its own sprung fork to George Brough. In an advert from the time, Montgomery claimed "These Montgomery machines are for the men who prefer a distinctive mount in appearance and performance. That extra degree of soundness – those little touches which distinguish the 'super' machine from the mere motorcycle, come naturally to the Montgomery and at a price that is amazingly low."
The Motor Cycle was one of the first British magazines about motorcycles. Launched by Iliffe and Sons Ltd in 1903, its blue cover led to it being called "The Blue 'un" to help distinguish it from its rival publication Motor Cycling, which, using a green background colour, was known as "The Green 'un". Many issues carried the strapline "Circulated throughout the World".
Motor Cycling was the first British motorcycle magazine. It was launched in 1902 by Temple Press as an offshoot of Motor magazine. It was withdrawn after a few months but relaunched in 1909. The Motor Cycle—which was launched by Iliffe in April 1903—coined the slogan on its masthead: "Established in 1903 and for over six years the only paper solely devoted to the pastime". the front covers often had varying degree of green background, green or contrasting text and B&W illustrations or photographic images. This common theme resulted in almost a 'trademark' appearance, being called "The Green 'un", distinguishing it from its rival publication The Motor Cycle which had variation on blue background colouring with contrasting text and images.
The T140W TSS was the last motorcycle model made by Triumph Engineering at their Meriden factory.
Procycling, or ProCycling, was a cycling sports magazine owned by Future plc. First published in April 1999, there were 13 issues a year distributed in all countries where there are English-speaking readers.
The Ariel Leader was a British motorcycle produced by Ariel Motorcycles between 1958 and 1965. A radical design, the Leader was fully enclosed with an integral windscreen and was the first British motorcycle to have optional flashing indicators. Ariel could not compete against Japanese imports and the last Ariel Leader was produced when the company closed in 1965.
The Hesketh V1000 is a 992 cc (60.5 cu in) OHC V-twin motorcycle with 4 valves per cylinder. It was originally designed and built by Hesketh Motorcycles in Daventry, Northamptonshire. Sales proved disappointing as the motorcycle was expensive and, at 86 bhp, it was somewhat underpowered given its hefty dry weight of 244 kg (538 lb).
Philip Edward Irving MBE, CEng., FIMechE., MSAE. (1903–1992) was an Australian engineer and author, most famous for the Repco-Brabham Formula One and Vincent motorcycle engines. He also worked at Velocette motorcycles, twice, and drew the engine of the 1960 EMC 125cc racer.
The BSA Lightning is a British BSA 650 cc-class motorcycle made in Birmingham between 1965 and 1972.
Bert Greeves MBE was a British engineer who founded Invacar Ltd in 1942 and Greeves motor cycles in 1953.
Mortons of Horncastle Ltd is a publishing, events and printing company based in Horncastle in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, England.
The Triumph Tiger 110 is a British sports motorcycle that Triumph first made at their Coventry factory between 1953 and 1961. The T110 was developed from the Triumph Thunderbird and first appeared in 1954.
Robert Frank Currie was an English motorcycling writer and road tester, who later became a magazine editor and book author. Mainly known for his UK journalism work with Motor Cycle, a UK weekly motorcycle magazine-turned-newspaper, then from 1981 as Editor of a new monthly magazine The Classic Motor Cycle, he retired in early 1988 suffering from an ongoing illness, after a full-time writing career starting in 1955, and later died of heart failure.