Brough Superior Austin Four
Encyclopedia
Advertised in the 1932 Brough Superior catalog as the Brough Superior Straight Four but commonly known as the Brough Superior Austin Four was a special British
motorcycle
designed and manufactured by
Brough Superior
of Nottingham
in 1932. It is unique that it was powered by a modified Austin 7 automobile engine through a Austin 7 gearbox. It is a water-cooled flathead inline four-cylinder motorcycle. It was designed and made for sidecar use.
-engined four-cylinder motorcycle with twin rear wheels, from George Brough
's Nottingham
workshops. At the time, a standard 747 cc Austin engine could be bought from a scrapyard for about £1. Brough went to the trouble of making the engines special by increasing their capacity by an extra 50 cc to 797 cc and by adding 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 eight examples were actually built. Initially designed for use with a sidecar, the Austin engine was from a well-proven Austin 7
design, which was a side-valve with a low-pressure oiling system. 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. The twin rear wheels would possibly have been expected to make it difficult to handle, but Hubert Chantrey successfully completed the Land's End
Trail on a solo version. Chantry pointed out that it really was a luxury motorcycle, as it had cost George Brough over £1,000 to develop (which equates to over £50,000 today.) The Brough Superior Four was actually sold for £188 - cheaper than the Brough Superior SS100
.
Engine cooling was achieved with a pair of purpose-built radiators fixed either side of the front frame downtube. 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, it should also be noted that in 1932 it was possible to buy an Austin 7 car for £72 less than the Brough Superior Austin Four - and that may be what many potential customers chose to do.
, Wales
one is at the Southward Car Museum in Otaihanga
on New Zealand
's North Island., and one is in Germany.
is actually a replica of the motorcycle that was scrapped in Wales. Built by enthusiast Albert Wallis, who started with a few spare parts including a rear bevel box casting, and a pair of original radiators, it was completed with a standard Austin 7 engine and gearbox.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
designed and manufactured by
Brough Superior
Brough Superior
Brough Superior motorcycles, sidecars, 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 Motor Cycle newspaper. Approximately 3,048 of 19 models...
of Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
in 1932. It is unique that it was powered by a modified Austin 7 automobile engine through a Austin 7 gearbox. It is a water-cooled flathead inline four-cylinder motorcycle. It was designed and made for sidecar use.
Development
The star of the 1931 Olympia Motorcycle Show was an AustinAustin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
-engined four-cylinder motorcycle with twin rear wheels, from George Brough
George Brough
George Brough , , was a motorcycle racer, world record holding motorcycle and automobile manufacturer, and showman. He was known for his powerful and expensive Brough Superior motorcycles which were the first superbikes...
's Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
workshops. At the time, a standard 747 cc Austin engine could be bought from a scrapyard for about £1. Brough went to the trouble of making the engines special by increasing their capacity by an extra 50 cc to 797 cc and by adding 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 eight examples were actually built. Initially designed for use with a sidecar, the Austin engine was from a well-proven Austin 7
Austin 7
The Austin 7 was a car produced from 1922 through to 1939 in the United Kingdom by the Austin Motor Company. Nicknamed the "Baby Austin", it was one of the most popular cars ever produced for the British market, and sold well abroad...
design, which was a side-valve with a low-pressure oiling system. 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. The twin rear wheels would possibly have been expected to make it difficult to handle, but Hubert Chantrey successfully completed the Land's End
Land's End
Land's End is a headland and small settlement in west Cornwall, England, within the United Kingdom. It is located on the Penwith peninsula approximately eight miles west-southwest of Penzance....
Trail on a solo version. Chantry pointed out that it really was a luxury motorcycle, as it had cost George Brough over £1,000 to develop (which equates to over £50,000 today.) The Brough Superior Four was actually sold for £188 - cheaper than the Brough Superior SS100
Brough Superior SS100
The Brough Superior SS 100 was designed and built by George Brough in Nottingham, England in 1924. Although every bike was designed to meet specific customer requirements—even the handlebars were individually shaped—sixty-nine SS100s were produced in 1925 and at £170 were advertised by Brough as...
.
Engine cooling was achieved with a pair of purpose-built radiators fixed either side of the front frame downtube. 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
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s must have reduced the demand for luxury motorcycles, it should also be noted that in 1932 it was possible to buy an Austin 7 car for £72 less than the Brough Superior Austin Four - and that may be what many potential customers chose to do.
Surviving examples
Of the ten Brough Superior Austin Fours built, (eight in 1932 and one in both 1933 and 1934), a total of eight have survived to this day. Of these, two are in the USA, three are owned by UK enthusiasts (with a fourth known to have been scrapped in AngleseyAnglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
one is at the Southward Car Museum in Otaihanga
Otaihanga
Otaihanga is on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is just north of Paraparaumu on the south bank of the Waikanae River and is roughly 55 km north of New Zealand's capital city, Wellington...
on New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's North Island., and one is in Germany.
Brough Superior Austin Four in the UK Motorcycle Museum
The Brough Superior Austin Four in the National Motorcycle Museum (UK)National Motorcycle Museum (UK)
The National Motorcycle Museum occupies an site in Bickenhill, Solihull, England and holds the world's largest collection of British motorcycles. In addition to over 850 motorcycles which cover a century of motorcycle manufacture the site has conference facilities...
is actually a replica of the motorcycle that was scrapped in Wales. Built by enthusiast Albert Wallis, who started with a few spare parts including a rear bevel box casting, and a pair of original radiators, it was completed with a standard Austin 7 engine and gearbox.