O

ne ofthe most historic of all British marques,
best knowntodayfor itsroad racing machinery
like the 1939 supercharged 500ccV4, or the
Porcupinetwin whichwonthefirstever500cc
WorldChampionship 70years ago in 1949, or the 7R 350cc
‘Boy’s Racer’sohc single,AJS establishedareputationfor
solid,dependable products in theVintage era.These were
primarily 350ccohv singles and larger side-valveV-twins
whichweremainlyusedto poweracombination–AJS built
theirownsidecars in large quantities,too.The thoughtof
thefirm making afour-cylinder bike during itsownershipby
the foundingSteven sfamily seems as likely as–well,its rival
Nortonbuilding onetoday.
But Nortonhas indeed createdsuch abike in its new 1200
V4, and if notforthe Depression which eventuallyforced it
into bankruptcy,and to become partoft he AMCtwo-wheeled

RightBike,

WRONG

TIME

The Japanese inventedthe4-cylinder roadster,

right?Wrong,AlanCathcartreportson a

seriouslyheroic Brit machine...

1928 AJS 632CCFOUR

/