Veloce Ltd of course manufactured the Velocette motorcycle....
Lets have a brief look at the factory at York Road,Hall Green in Birmingham they occupied from around 1927 and some earlier factory pics in the 1920's.
Originally it was the old Humphrey and Dawes works in which OK Supreme motorcycles were made.
Following the success of the K engine in the 1926 IOM Junior TT, demand increased for Velocette motorcycles and a decision was made to expand and thus the purchase of the Hall Green factory occured.
Veloce Ltd remained in this site until their closure in February 1971.
Veloce Ltd were in several premises prior to Hall Green....
The following is not a complete list year wise, but a guide...
In 1905 Veloce Ltd was in Gisolt Passage, Spring Hill, Birmingham
In 1913 Veloce Ltd was in Fleet St., Birmingham
1920 Catalogues show Veloce Ltd in Victoria Rd., Six Ways, Aston in Birmingham.
Then by 1927 Veloce Ltd was in York Rd., Hall Green, Birmingham
So I'm not always sure of their origin, but there is a good chance they came from "The MotorCycle" and "MotorCycling" , the copyright of which is now held by Morton's Motorcycle Media in the UK and to who I acknowledge credit if applicable.
Some are from Titch Allen's "The Velocette Saga", published originally over 16 editions of the monthly magazine "MotorCycle Sport"from Jan.1969 to April 1970, then as a hardback book under the same name in 1994. Others are from the Burgess & Clew book "Always in the Picture", first published 1971. Then of course Ivan Rhodes, "Velocette...Technical Excellence Exemplified", first published 1990.
Mick Walker's "Velocette, production motorcycles" publishes 2006; George Beresford's "The Story of the Velocette", published 1949 and Len Moseley's "My Velocette Days", published 1974.
Dai Gibberson came over for the 2012 National Velocette Rally at Bundanoon, NSW in October and we shared files.
Some of these are from his sources....thanks Dai.
So lets have a look at the Velocette Factory over the years...
Hall Green works.......
Around 1939, Stanley Woods opens the next test house .
Tommy Mutton in the new test house with a mk.8 KTT engine on test.
Drilling LE crankcases and above photo setting up LE conrods for machining.Welding the box section LE frame in a jig.
Must have been cold in winter in the works....
Peter Goodman, to the right, with the last LE off the production line at liquidation of Veloce Ltd.
After liquidation in Feb. 1971, the Veloce Ltd sign is now gone....
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The remains of Veloce Ltd, a one proud manufacturer of Velocette motorcycles, 14.06.1972....
