Ambassador Motorcycles

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Ambassador Motorcycles
Fate The company was taken over by DMW in 1963
Founded 1946
Defunct 1964
Location Ascot, Berkshire UK
Industry manufacturing and engineering
Products motorcycles
Key people Kaye Don


Ambassador Motorcycles was a British motorcycle manufacturer. Founded by racer Kaye Don after WW2, the company produced lightweight motorcycles with Villiers and JAP engines and imported Zundapps from Germany. Production started in 1947 with a 197cc Villiers engined bikes. In 1953 a model was produced with electric starters and the first Ambassador twin appeared in 1957. The company was taken over by DMW in 1963 who continued production until they closed the company in 1965.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

Founded by Irish motorcycle racer and 1920’s [Brooklands]] star Kaye Don in 1946 as “U.S. Concessionaires Ltd.” The company was started to import American cars. Motorcycle development started with a 494cc vertical twin JAP engined prototype. [1] In 1947 the small Villiers engines were introduced and proved successful so were used until 1964. Ambassador motorcycles were costly and didn’t sell well but exports to Australia and New Zealand were successful.[2]

[edit] Models

Model Year Comments
Popular 1951 Villiers-powered fitted with girder forks until 1953
Courier 1951 Villiers-powered
Embassy 1951 Villiers-powered
Supreme 1951 First fully sprung Ambassador with telescopic forks and plunger rear suspension
Sidecar 1953 197cc Villiers
Self Starter 1953 197cc Villiers
225cc Supreme 1954 Swinging arm rear suspension
150cc Popular 1956 Villiers 30C
Envoy 1956 Villiers
250cc twin 1957 Villiers engine
Statesman 1958 175cc
Popular 1959
"3 Star Special" 1959
Envoy 1959
Super S 1959
Electra 75 1961
Sport Twin 1961
175cc ‘Scooter’ 1961
197cc Popular 1962
50cc ‘Moped’ 1962 Villiers 3K two-speed
DMW Ambassador 1962

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Chadwick, Ian. Ambassador Motorcycles. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
  2. ^ Ambassador. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.

[edit] Links

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British motorcycle manufacturers

Current: AJS · Triumph · CCM

Defunct: Ambassador (1946-1964) · AMC (1937-1966)  · Ariel (1902-1970) · Armstrong (1980-1987) · Beardmore Precision (1921-1924) · Blackburne (1913-1922) · Brough (1908-1926) · Brough Superior (1919-1940) · BSA (1919-1972) · Calthorpe (1909-1939) · Chater-Lea (1900-1936) · Clarendon · Clyno (1909-1923) · Cotton (1918-1980) · Coventry-Eagle (1901-1939) · DMW (1945-1971) · DOT (1908-1978) · Douglas (1907-1957) · Dunelt (1919-1935) · EMC (1947-?) · Excelsior (1896-1964) · Francis-Barnett (1919-1966) · Greeves (1953-1976) · Haden (1912-1924) · Hesketh (1981-1988) · Humber (1898-1930) · HRD (1922-1928) · Ivy (1911-1934) · James (1902-1966) · JAP (1903-1939) · Levis (1911-1939) · Martinsyde (1919-1923) · Matchless (1899-1966) · Montgomery (1902-1939) · Ner-a Car (1921-1926) · New Hudson (1903-1958) · New Imperial (1901-1939) · Norman (1937-1963) · Norton (1898-1992) · NUT (1912-1933) · OEC (1901-1954) · OK-Supreme (1882-1940) · Palmelli · Panther (1904-1967) · Quasar (1975-1982) · Raleigh (1899-1967) · Rex (Rex-Acme) (1899-1933) · Rickman (1960-1975) · Royal Enfield (1893-1970) · Rudge (1911-1946) · Scott (1908-1965) · Sprite (1964-1974) · Sun (1911-1961) · Sunbeam (1912-1964) · Velocette (1904-1968) · Villiers  · Vincent-HRD (1928-1959) · Wooler (1909-1954) · Zenith (1905-1939)