Motorcycle Classics – September-October 2019

40 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS September/October 2019

THE HONOR

GUARD

Fifty years ago, three men loved and cherished

these four vehicles. They’re now gone,

so we’re carrying their flags for them.

Might this include the odd quartet of barn-find vehicles seen

here? Let’s take a visit. The beefsteak of 1950s  English motor-

cycling, these 500cc Matchless G80 CS singles were among the

first  factory scramblers, a full decade before motocross  arrived

stateside. With  aluminum engine cases, aluminum heads and

magneto ignition, the big Matchboxes  were simultaneously

maximum and minimalist. Many, like these 1954 and 1955 mod-

els, were stripped of their lights, re-geared and reshod for offroad

work,  and then summarily trained America’s first generation of

dirt riders. These two  bikes were siblings, asleep at the back

of a garage for nearly 50 years after  their owner bought a new

Yamaha RT1 in 1970.

The slinky black 1958 Austin-Healey  100-6 roadster endured

a similar slumber — nearly 30 years in a garage after  its

owner withdrew from the world, closing the garage door and

piling boxes and  housewares atop and around the car. In its

day  though, 61 years ago the Big  Healey (so-called, as it’s big

brother to the Bugeye Sprite) was a formidable sports car, with

a 2.6-liter, dual-carb inline six, a lightweight aluminum central

A

As  urban legend has it, the hamburger was

a spontaneous pairing of a beef patty  and a

bun. Likewise, the Amphicar was a sly fitment

of a Triumph drivetrain and  propellers into a

water-tight  convertible to form a car and boat,

all in one.  And Alice Cooper, the mash-up of

a minister’s son and a makeup mirror was ...

well,  go watch Wayne’s World  for details! Laud  or

lament these cultural icons as you please, but

such disparate elements  sometimes do yield

splendidly offbeat successes. 

Story by John L. Stein

Photos by Seth DeDoes