The Rudge Ulster

The sun, as they say, always shines on the righteous. So it seems only right that this 1937 Rudge-Whitworth Ulster is photographed in gleaming sunshine at Davolls classic motorcycles in Billericay, Essex.

This model was, after all, the pride and joy of the Coventry-based Rudge-Whitworth factory, born out of self-congratulation. Its name – Ulster – was a celebration of Graham Walker’s factory win at the 1928 Ulster Grand Prix. It was a race in which he set the record pace of 82mph, winning the race at 80.08mph – the first time an international road race had been won at more than 80mph.

But it was necessary for the factory to proclaim its victory, as the marque had suffered something of a slump during the 1920s. To understand the creation of the Ulster, therefore, we must look at the context of Rudge-Whitworth’s