The Classic MotorCycle – September 2019

Chaos

theory

Theyearof1965wasnot,onthewhole,agood

onefortheBritishmotorcycleindustry.Confusion,

doomandpanicledtosomebafflingdecisions

fro thechapsincharge.Yet,fromthistumult

camesomeworthymodels,likethisAJSModel33.

Words:RACHAELCLEGGPhotographs:GARYCHAPMAN

I

t’sdoubtfulthatSirNormanHulbertsleptmuch

in1965.AsthechairmanofAssociatedMotor

Cycles(AMC)hewasatthehelmofabusiness

cillosseshadreached£1.5million.Sales

figureshadp 0s,abrutal

factthatow e theBritish

ustry’spreoccupationwithlarger

nes–t appetiteforwhichseemedtohavebeen

assivelyoverestimatedbymanufacturers.

Then,addedtothis,camethePurchaseTax–one

UKgovernment,inspiteofseveralpleasfromthe

torcycleindustry,refusedtorelax.Labourshortages

we vinahu challenge,especiallyforAMC,

if ’ halready,

entopeedthefloo or

J w A l-Japanesetreaty. o,

all ei m prttydomeda that

e einotfrtheglimmerof

e y t market.

s m t mayhemhatteModel 3

d ac gmachiebuilt ffling

t n nycuriusmoveswasits

seer b ulberttojumponthe

J and o tivelencouragingimports

fro ar a t anbildsmallermachines

wi caacyn ,A sig dadealwith

S ast str ,a ovehatundermin

to le ’ tstoimposeimpo

orA , delwithS k

s c l o be edon.

e ,

ytw J d

c s.

c di grmac s as

n liefthat

s ous

’s l a maret.

erl

actua st

m o,

1 61

AJS |Model 33