Mismatched Matchless
Russell Webb probably has AMC motorcycles in his DNA. His father, Anthony, was a lifelong enthusiast and only gave up riding a few years ago, although he was 92 by then. In 1967, father and son were looking for parts for another project and visited two local brothers who were keen competitors, riding scrambles with AMC machinery. In their workshop was a collection of parts that were said to be the remains of a prewar Matchless. The brothers seemed to prefer a vacant space in the workshop to the pile of bits and so the bike, apparently a 1936 500cc G80 Clubman model, was secured for 10 shillings (50p!).
Referring to the purchase as a bike was a loose interpretation. There was a frame and a rear wheel. The engine was represented by cylinder head and bottom half assemblies, but nothing to keep them in the correct relative positions. From the transmission were the internals, but not the shell, of the gearbox. Usefully, as it proved later, there was also a tax disc.
The bits were taken home but remained in storage for a very long time. With other bikes available, the Matchless was some way down the list of priorities.
Russell’s engineering apprenticeship and a spell in the Merchant Navy ended after a conversation with an Australian policeman.
