Douglas was a British
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
manufacturer from 1907–1957 based in
Kingswood,
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
, owned by the Douglas family, and especially known for its
horizontally opposed twin cylinder engined bikes and as manufacturers of
speedway
Speedway may refer to:
Racing Race tracks
*Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta
*Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana
Types of races and race cours ...
machines. The company also built a range of cars between 1913 and 1922.
History
![Douglas motorcycle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Douglas_motorcycle.jpg)
The brothers William and Edwin Douglas founded the Douglas Engineering Company in Bristol in 1882. Initially doing
blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
work, they progressed to
foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
work.
Joseph F. Barter's Light Motors Ltd. was one of Douglas's customers.
Barter built a
single-cylinder
A single-cylinder engine, sometimes called a thumper, is a piston engine with one cylinder. This engine is often used for motorcycles, motor scooters, go-karts, all-terrain vehicles, radio-controlled vehicles, portable tools and garden machinery ( ...
bicycle engine between 1902 and 1904; he then developed the Fée bicycle engine system. The Fée's 200 cc
flat-twin engine
A flat-twin engine is a two-cylinder internal combustion engine with the cylinders on opposite sides of the crankshaft. The most common type of flat-twin engine is the boxer-twin engine, where both pistons move inwards and outwards at the same ti ...
was mounted in-line with the frame, using chain drive to a countershaft beneath (with clutch); this then used a drive belt to power the bicycle's rear wheel.
Barter founded Light Motors Ltd. to build the Fée system.
Production began in 1905; the Fée's name was anglicized to Fairy shortly afterward.
In 1916 The Motor Cycle magazine claimed that the 1904 Fée was the earliest flat-twin motorcycle engine, of which there had since been many copies. Douglas made castings for Light Motors
and took over the manufacturing rights when Light Motors went out of business in 1907.
From 1907 a ''350 cc'' Douglas version was on sale, similar to the Fairy with the engine in-line mounted high in the frame, but without the chain driven countershaft beneath, and with
belt final drive. At the 1907 Stanley Show they attracted a lot of attention with a V4 engined motorcycle, with automatic inlet valves, and 2-speed drive. The V4 was not to go into production and by the 1908 show it was only the updated in-line twin that was on show, now lighter and with a lower engine position. Around 1911 the frame was modified to make the engine still lower, and in 1912 the automatic inlet valves were replaced by mechanically operated valves.
During World War I Douglas was a major motorcycle supplier, making around 70,000 motorcycles for military use. In a 1916 review of flat-twin engines in Motor Cycle magazine
["Flat twins", Motor Cycle, 9 November 1916, pp400-403] two models of Douglas engine are listed. The 2.75 hp (350cc) with 60.5mm bore and 60mm stroke, with the valves placed side-by-side on the side of the engine. The other engine was the 4 hp (544cc) flat twin of 72mm bore and 68mm stroke. One of the significant differences with this larger engine was the oil was carried in the sump and supplied by pump to bearings and cylinders. The sump had a glass window to inspect the oil level. The valves were placed side by side above the cylinders. A third engine was the
Williamson Flat Twin made by Douglas with cyclecars in mind but produced for the Williamson Motor Company to use in their motor cycles since 1912. This was an 8 hp engine of 964cc, 85mm bore and 85mm stroke.
Initially water cooled, from 1913 it was also available air-cooled.
In the 1920s Douglas built the first
disc brakes, and had a
Royal Warrant for the supply of motorcycles to the Princes,
Albert
Albert may refer to:
Companies
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* Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands
* Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia
* Albert Productions, a record label
* Alber ...
and
Henry
Henry may refer to:
People
*Henry (given name)
* Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
.
![Douglas DT 500 cc 1929](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Douglas_DT_500_cc_1929.jpg)
Douglas motorcycles also became popular in
dirt track racing
Dirt track racing is a form of motorsport held on clay or dirt surfaced oval race tracks often used for thoroughbred horse racing. Dirt track racing started in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 1930s ...
. The 1923 ''RA'' model with disc brakes was favoured initially and this prompted Douglas to build specific dirt track models. These motorcycle designs were gradually increased in size and power with ''500 cc'' and 600 cc engines fitted to the ''DT5'' and ''DT6'' Dirt Track models in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The engines had
hemispherical heads and a short rigid
forged crankshaft. They dominated dirt track racing for about three years. In 1929, the most successful dirt racing year, 1,200 Dirt Track motorcycles were sold.
![Doris Turnbull on her 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Doris_Turnbull_on_her_2.75hp_Douglas_TT_1923.jpg)
The ''Endeavour'', a
shaft drive
A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connect ...
model came out in 1934. This was again a flat-twin, but for the first time Douglas fitted it across the frame instead of in-line. Like other companies of the time, they were struggling, and attempting to diversify into other modes of transport. In 1935 they were taken over by BAC, Bond Aircraft and Engineering Company.
Motorcycle production continued into World War II and was extended to
generators. In 1948, not long after the war, Douglas was in difficulty again and reduced its output to the ''350 cc'' flat twin models. The first of these models designated the T35 was one of the first production motorcycles to be fitted with rear suspension (swinging arm) unique in that the springing medium was a longitudinal torsion bar. The 1955 350 cc
Douglas Dragonfly
The Douglas Dragonfly is a motorcycle designed and built by Douglas motorcycles in Bristol. The last motorcycle produced by the company, the 1955 Dragonfly was an all-new motorcycle built to use an improved version of an existing engine. Despite ...
was the last model produced; curiously, although a flat-twin, it had chain rear drive rather than an arguably more suitable shaft drive.
The
Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company Ltd
The Westinghouse Brake & Signal Company Ltd was a British manufacturer of rail transport, railroad signs. Founded by George Westinghouse, it was registered as "Westinghouse Brake Company" in 1881. The company reorganised in 1920, associating with ...
bought Douglas out and production of Douglas Motorcycles ended in 1957. Douglas continued to import
Vespa
Vespa () is an Italian luxury brand of scooter (motorcycle), scooters and mopeds manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian. The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A. of ...
scooters into the UK and later imported and assembled
Gilera
Gilera is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded in Arcore in 1909 by Giuseppe Gilera (1887–1971). In 1969, the company was purchased by Piaggio.
History
In 1935, Gilera acquired rights to the Rondine four-cylinder engine. It was, at ...
motorcycles.
Douglas gained significant attention in 1932–1933 when
Robert Edison Fulton, Jr. became the first known man to circumnavigate the globe on a 6 hp Douglas twin fitted with automobile tyres. Fulton went on to write a book on his adventure titled "One Man Caravan".
Cyclecar
A version of Joseph Barter's horizontal twin cylinder engine of 1070 cc capacity, water cooled, was fitted to a two-seat
cyclecar
A cyclecar was a type of small, lightweight and inexpensive car manufactured in Europe and the United States between 1910 and the early 1920s. The purpose of cyclecars was to fill a gap in the market between the motorcycle and the car. A key c ...
in 1913. It was better equipped than the average cyclecar of the era featuring
shaft drive
A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connect ...
from the front-mounted engine to the rear wheels and was sold for £200. The rear suspension was unusual with a horizontal
coil spring
A selection of conical coil springs
The most common type of spring is the coil spring, which is made out of a long piece of metal that is wound around itself.
Coil springs were in use in Roman times, evidence of this can be found in bronze Fib ...
mounted above the
differential, the front used a
beam axle
A beam axle, rigid axle or solid axle is a dependent suspension design in which a set of wheels is connected laterally by a single beam or shaft. Beam axles were once commonly used at the rear wheels of a vehicle, but historically they have als ...
and
semi-elliptic leaf spring
A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles. Originally called a ''laminated'' or ''carriage spring'', and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring, elliptical spring, or cart spring, it ...
ing.
Production was suspended during World War I and when the car re-appeared in 1919 the engine was enlarged to 1224 cc and the price had risen to £400 then to £500. This proved to be too expensive and sales dried up after a few hundred had been made. No original cars survive but a replica using some original parts has been made.
Motorcycle racing
![Motor-Cycling-Douglas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Motor-Cycling-Douglas.jpg)
Douglas had some success in motorcycle racing and trials events. Twelve Douglas motorcycles were entered in both the Junior TT and Senior TT, and another three were in the
Sidecar
A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, making the whole a three-wheeled vehicle. A motorcycle with a sidecar is sometimes called a ''combination'', an ''outfit'', a ''rig'' or a ''hack''.
...
race during the
1923 TT. This gave Douglas their first senior
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
victories. However Douglas had previously won the Junior TT in 1912.
Tom Sheard
Thomas Mylchreest Sheard Jnr (6 January 1889 in Dalby, Isle of Man, – 10 August 1954), a motorcycle racer with two victories at the Isle of Man TT races, was a great nephew to Joseph Mylchreest, the 'Diamond King'.''Tom Sheard 'The Modest Ma ...
won the ''500 cc''
Senior TT
The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festi ...
and they won the first ever Isle of Man
Sidecar
A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, making the whole a three-wheeled vehicle. A motorcycle with a sidecar is sometimes called a ''combination'', an ''outfit'', a ''rig'' or a ''hack''.
...
race with
Freddie Dixon
Frederick William Dixon (21 April 1892 – 4 November 1956) was an English motorcycle racer and racing car driver. The designer of the motorcycle and banking sidecar system, he was also one of the few motorsport competitors to have been success ...
while
Jim Whalley had the fastest lap in the Senior TT with a time of just under during a wet race.
A Douglas also placed third in the Junior TT that year. Later in 1923 Jim Whalley won the French Grand Prix, a distance of , and another Douglas won the 1923 Durban-Johannesberg Marathon race; a remarkable achievement by Percy Flook on a 2.75
hp machine with an average for . 1923 also saw Jim Whalley win the Spanish 12-hour race and Alec Bennett won the 1923 Welsh TT race.
The late twenties saw success in Austria (1929 Austrian TT was won by Rudolph Runtsch) Post war the factory had little road racing success however a Mark 3 did win an outstanding victory in the 1950
Bemsee 'Silverstone Saturday' beating all the
Velocette
Velocette is a line of motorcycles made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. One of several motorcycle manufacturers in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling almost as many hand-built motorcycles during i ...
s,
Nortons and
BSA Gold Star
The BSA Gold Star is a motorcycle made by BSA from 1938 to 1963. They were 350 cc and 500 cc single-cylinder four-stroke production motorcycles known for being among the fastest bikes of the 1950s. Being hand built and with many op ...
s
Influence on other manufacturers
![Douglas EW Sport 600 cc 1927](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Douglas_EW_Sport_600_cc_1927.jpg)
Douglas's traditional layout of a flat-twin engine mounted with its cylinders parallel to the frame had been copied by several motorcycle manufacturers in the 1910s and 1920s. The
Williamson Flat Twin, made in Coventry from 1912 to 1914, was a litre-class heavyweight motorcycle using the Douglas layout and with the engine, forks and gearbox made by Douglas.
In the United States,
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
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* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
made their lightweight
Model O from 1917 to 1919 and
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...
made their middleweight
Model W from 1919 to 1923, both using the Douglas layout.
Several German manufacturers began making motorcycles with the Douglas layout when engine manufacturer
BMW made their
M2B15 flat-twin proprietary engine available in 1920.
The M2B15 had been developed from the reverse engineering of a Douglas motorcycle engine.
See also
*
List of Douglas motorcycles
This is a list of Douglas motorcycles please add to it or update where you can:
See also
*List of AMC motorcycles
*List of Ariel motorcycles
* List of BSA motorcycles
*List of Norton motorcycles
* List of Triumph motorcycles
*List of Royal E ...
*
List of car manufacturers of the United Kingdom
:''This list is incomplete. You can help by adding correctly sourced information about other manufacturers.''
As of 2018 there are approximately 35 active British car manufacturers and over 500 defunct British car manufacturers. This page lists ...
References
External links
Douglas motorcyclesat the
Open Directory Project
DMOZ (from ''directory.mozilla.org'', an earlier domain name, stylized in lowercase in its logo) was a multilingual open-content directory of World Wide Web links. The site and community who maintained it were also known as the Open Directory ...
London Douglas Motorcycle Club
{{British motorcycle manufacturers
Vintage vehicles
Defunct motorcycle manufacturers of the United Kingdom
Cyclecars
Scooter manufacturers
Motorcycles powered by flat engines
Defunct companies based in Bristol
1907 establishments in England
1957 disestablishments in England
British companies disestablished in 1957
British companies established in 1907