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