Brough Superior

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Brough Superior Logo
Brough Superior SS 100 1925

Brough Superior (pronounced /ˈbrʌf/ "bruff") motorcycles and motor cars were made by George Brough in his Brough Superior works on Haydn Road in Nottingham, England, from 1919 to 1940. They were dubbed the "Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles" by H. D. Teague of The Motorcycle newspaper. Approximately 3,048 of 19 models were made in 21 years of production. In 2004, around 1,000 still exist. T. E. Lawrence ('Lawrence of Arabia') owned seven bikes and died from injuries sustained while crashing one. George Bernard Shaw was another among many celebrities who were enthusiastic about Brough products.

George Brough was a racer, designer, and showman. All Brough Superior motorcycles were high performance and superior quality. Most were custom built to the customers needs, 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 SS100 model was ridden at 100 mph (160 km/h) or more prior to delivery. The SS80 model was ridden at 80 mph (130 km/h) or more before delivery. If any motorcycle didn't meet specification, it returned to the shop for rework until it performed properly. The fit and finish was comparable to a Rolls-Royce car, and they were among the most expensive motorcycles.

Brough Superior motorcycles have always been rare and expensive. Because of their connection with Lawrence of Arabia, their high quality of fit and finish, and their reputation for reliability and race victories, they are among the most collectible motorised vehicles. In 2007, prices ranged from $40,000 to more than $3,000,000 USD[citation needed]

Lawrence of Arabia on a Brough Superior he called George V. Lawrence owned eight Brough's in all, listed below, with notes in brackets:
* 1922 - Boa (the name was short for Boanerges) * 1923 - George I (the cost of £150 was more than the price of a house at the time) * 1924 - George II * 1925 - George III * 1926 - George IV * 1927 - George V (RK 4907; see photo) * 1929 - George VI (UL 656) * 1932 - George VII (GW 2275) (the bike he died on) * Undelivered - George VIII (still being built when Lawrence died).6

Contents

[edit] Brough Superior motorcycles

For more details on this topic, see Brough Superior SS100.

[edit] Model history

Four models are the most common:

  • SS100 (Super Sports) - Powered by J.A.P. (J. A. Prestwich of Tottenham) or Matchless 1000 cc overhead valve v-twin engines. Approximately 383 were manufactured from 1924 to 1940.
  • SS80 (Super Sports) - Powered by J.A.P. or Matchless 1000 cc sidevalve v-twin engines. Approximately 1,086 were manufactured from 1922 to 1940.
  • SS680 O.H.V. (Super Sports) - Powered by J.A.P. 680 cc overhead valve v-twin. Approximately 547 were manufactured from 1926 to 1936.
  • 11.50 - Powered by J.A.P 1000 cc sidevalve v-twin engines. These were primarily designed for sidecar and police use. Approximately 308 were manufactured from 1933 to 1940. The model name refers to the horsepower rating of the engine, 11 RAC (Royal Automobile Club), 50 bhp (37 kW), in reality these engines produced 32 bhp (24 kW) . Tax horsepower ratings were required by manufactures for tax purposes. RAC HP equals Piston diameter squared times number of cylinders all divided by 2.5.

George Brough was known for his dedication to his vehicles and customers. He, and later Albert Wallis, continued to service Brough Superiors after production ceased. Parts were made until 1969 but production of bikes never resumed after WW II.

[edit] Production figures

Year Number of Motorcycles Produced 4
1919 0
1920 1
1921 3
1922 103
1923 119
1924 195
1925 168
1926 95
1927 226
1928 155
1929 139
1930 131
1931 117
1932 58
1933 121
1934 104
1935 94
1936 187
1937 173
1938 159
1939 118
1940 10

To this list may be added thirteen motorcycles without a date on their build card. Many records are incomplete for the first few years of production and for some of the low production models. The estimated total production was 3,048 vehicles.

[edit] Racing history (partial)

Riders of Brough Superiors have won many races - TT, sprints (drag racing), hillclimbs, and top speed. Victories include:

  • 1922, George Brough, First Sidevalve Motorcycle to lap Brooklands at 100 mph (160 km/h).
  • 1927, 11 June - R. E. Thomas, 2 1/2 Miles Sprint for Unlimited Capacity Solo Machines, Cefn Sidan Speed Trials. 1st place.1
  • 1927, 11 June - R. E. Thomas, 10 Miles for Unlimited Solo machines, Cefn Sidan Speed Trials. 1st place.1
  • 1927, 11 September - R. E. Thomas, 2 1/2 Miles Sprint for Unlimited Capacity Solo Machines, Cefn Sidan Speed Trials. 1st place.1
  • 1927, 11 September - R. E. Thomas, 10 Miles Unlimited Race for Solo Machines, Cefn Sidan Speed Trials. 1st place.1
  • 1927, 11 September - R. E. Thomas, 25 Miles Race for Unlimited Solo Machines, Cefn Sidan Speed Trials. 1st place.1
  • 1927, 11 September - R. E. Thomas, 50 Miles Race for Unlimited Solo Machines, Cefn Sidan Speed Trials. 1st place.1
  • 1928 - George Brough, one mile (1.6 km) sprint, Pendine. 1st place.1
  • 1928 - R. E. Thomas, one mile (1.6 km) spring, Pendine. 2nd place.1
  • 1931 - J.H. Carr, 50 Miles Any Power Solo, Pendine. 1st place.1
  • 1931 - J.H. Carr, 100 Miles Any Power Solo, Pendine. 1st place.1
  • 1935 - Eric Fernihough, Brooklands motor-cycle lap record for all classes, 123.58 mph (198.88 km/h).2
  • 1936 - Eric Fernihough, Solo world record for the mile. 163.82 mph (263.64 km/h).2
  • 1937 - Eric Fernihough, Solo world record for the flying kilometre. 169.8 mph (273.3 km/h).2
  • 1937 - Eric Fernihough, Side car world record for the flying kilometre. 137 mph (220 km/h).2

[edit] Brough Superior cars5

A Brough Superior motor car.

George Brough made approximately 85 cars named Brough Superior. Built between 1935 and 1939, they were powered by Hudson engines and had Hudson chassis. Three models were made, but only two reached production, as you can read below. Early cars did not carry Brough Superior badges as Brough thought the cars sufficiently distinctive in themselves.

The first car was the 4 litre made from 1935 to 1936 using a 114 bhp (85 kW), 4168 cc side valve, straight-8 engine. Performance was remarkable for the time with a top speed of 90 mph (140 km/h) and a 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time of 10 seconds. The drop head coachwork was by Atcherley of Birmingham.

Hudson stopped supplying the 8-cylinder engine in 1936, and subsequent cars had a 107 bhp (80 kW), 3455 cc straight-6, still with side valves and called the 3.5 litre. A Centric supercharged version was also listed with a claimed output of 140 bhp (100 kW). The chassis was 4 inches (100 mm) shorter than the 4 litre at 116 inches. Saloon bodies were available but most were open cars. Approximately 80 were made between 1936 and 1939.

The final car, the XII made in 1938, used a Lincoln-Zephyr V12 engine of 4387 cc and Brough's own design of chassis with Girling brakes and Ford axles. Only one was made with a saloon body built by Charlesworth. A large car with an overall length of 219 inches (5,600 mm) and width of 71 inches (1,800 mm), it still survives.

Journalist Bill Boddy7 tested an early model Brough Superior Saloon in 1936 for Motor Sport magazine. Noting the car had a reserve fuel tank, he declined to fill up before the journey. Upon running out of petrol, he could not find the switch to activate the reserve. After begging petrol from a passing lorry Boddy then encountered a motorcyclist who had crashed, and offered to assist. When asked, he told Boddy that his bike was a Brough Superior and asked what was 'the nice car in which you are giving me a lift'. When told it was a Brough Superior the motorcyclist was silent for the rest of the journey. Boddy presumed this was incredulity that a famed motorcycle maker could also manufacture cars, and supposed that the motorcyclist presumed he was concussed.

[edit] Etymology

The Broughs' surname is a form of the word borough. See more at borough. "Superior" was a reference by George Brough to his bike's superiority over the original Brough Motorcycles manufactured by his father, William E. Brough.

[edit] References

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[edit] External links

[edit] Non-English-language links

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