motorbike exhibits

George Brough was one of the most outstanding figures the motorcycle world has ever known. From many points of view he was the greatest. He became a legendary figure throughout the world as founder and leader of the exclusive cult of the Brough Superior.

Known as the "Rolls - Royce of motorcycles." The real measure of his achievement was that by lifelong dedication to the cause of perfection, he raised the status of the luxury motorcycle to the point of acceptability by nobility, aristocracy and even royalty. And the image of his own machine to equality with that of the Roll-Royce car.

Brough superiors were always exclusive because so few were made, 3,048 motorcycles of 19 different models were made in 21 years of production. All Brough Superior motorcycles were high performance and superior quality. Most were custom built to specific customers’ requirements and rarely were any two of the same configuration. Each motorcycle was assembled twice. The first assembly was for fitting of all components, then the motorcycle was disassembled and all parts were painted or plated as needed, then the finished parts were assembled a final time. Every motorcycle was test ridden to ensure that it performed to specification, and was personally certified by George Brough.

The Brough Superior Austin 4 was the star of the 1931 Olympia Motorcycle Show was an Austin-engined four-cylinder motorcycle with twin rear wheels. At the time, a standard 747 cc Austin engine could be bought from a scrapyard for about £1. Brough increased the engine displacement by 50 cc to 797 cc and added a well-engineered light alloy cylinder head. He claimed a significant increase in power output, but, as The Motor Cycle magazine observed in a review at the time, it was really built for comfort rather than speed. Power output was actually quite low, and the performance was inhibited by the use of standard Austin rear-axle ratios. The brisk acceleration with a heavy sidecar fitted would, however, more than compensate for lack of top speed.

On sale from March 1932, the Brough Superior Four had been in development for 18 months and brought much needed publicity to the Brough works. Despite the interest, however, only ten examples were actually built. Initially designed for use with a sidecar, George Brough chose to use also the standard Austin 7 three-speed gearbox, complete with reverse, driving a prop shaft to a crown wheel and pinion mounted in a specially cast housing. Engine cooling was achieved with a pair of purpose-built radiators fixed either side of the front frame down tube. 

The Austin Four's greatest success was the publicity generated by the introduction and imaginative marketing of such an unusual motorcycle. Brough Superior was the only UK manufacturer to offer a four-cylinder motorcycle in the 1920s and 30s.

While the Great Depression of the 1930s must have reduced the demand for luxury motorcycles, and in 1932 it was possible to buy an Austin 7 car for £72 less than the Brough Superior Austin Four 

This Exhibit is fitted with a Watsonian special sidecar, and is one of only 8 Austin 4 Brough Superiors left remaining in the world today.