Charlie Collier
Encyclopedia
| Motorcycle Grand Prix Grand Prix motorcycle racing Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced... Career |
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| Nationality | British 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... |
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| Active years | 1902 - 1914 |
| Team(s) | Matchless Matchless Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models was produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke twins... |
| TT Race Wins | 2 |
| Podium finishes | 3 |
| Pole position Pole position The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she... s |
N/A |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| First Race | 1902 Canning Town Matchless Matchless Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models was produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke twins... |
| First Race Win | N/A |
| First TT win | 1907 Isle of Man TT 1907 Isle of Man TT The 1907 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the first of the Isle of Man TT races. The races took place on 28 May 1907 over the Short Course... Race |
| Last TT Race win | 1910 500cc Single & 750cc Twin |
| Last TT Race | 1914 Senior TT Race |
Charles R. Collier (1885 – 1954) Plumstead
Plumstead
Plumstead is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. Plumstead is a multi cultural area with large Asian and Afro-Caribbean communities, in similarity to local areas such as Woolwich and Thamesmead...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
a British motorcycle racer famous for winning the Isle of Man TT
Isle of Man TT
The International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world...
races 2 times in his career. Along with his brother Harry Collier
Harry Collier
Harry Collier was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League.-Playing career:Originally from Ivanhoe, Victoria, Collier played for the Collingwood Football Club, debuting in 1926...
he raced Matchless
Matchless
Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models was produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke twins...
motor-cycles manufactured by his father's company H.Collier & Sons. After racing in continental Europe in the 1906 International Cup Races, Charlie Collier became the winner of the first Isle of Man TT
Isle of Man TT
The International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world...
Race in 1907. After setting a number of world motor-cycle records on Matchless motor-cycles, Charlie Collier won another Isle of Man TT Race in 1910 and later became the first competitor to be disqualified from an Isle of Man TT Race for illegal refuelling. Later, Charlie Collier became a joint managing director of AJS
AJS
AJS was the name used for cars and motorcycles made by the Wolverhampton, England, company A. J. Stevens & Co. Ltd, from 1909 to 1931, by then holding 117 motorcycle world records, and after the firm was sold the name continued to be used by Matchless, Associated Motorcycles and Norton-Villiers on...
and Matchless
Matchless
Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models was produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke twins...
motor-cycles and died in 1954.
Racing career
First race was in 1902 at the 3½ mile Canning TownCanning Town
Canning Town is an area of east London, England. It is part of the London Borough of Newham and is situated in the area of the former London docks on the north side of the River Thames. It is the location of Rathbone Market...
cycling track riding a Matchless motor-cycle with an MMC engine. After leading until the last lap, a burst tyre caused a crash and Charlie Collier suffered friction abrasions. In 1905, along with his brother Harry Collier
Harry Collier
Harry Collier was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League.-Playing career:Originally from Ivanhoe, Victoria, Collier played for the Collingwood Football Club, debuting in 1926...
participated in the eliminating trial for the International Motor-cycle Cup held in the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. Held on a 25 mile section of the Gordon Bennett Trial course the event was won by J.S.Campbell. Although, Harry Collier managed to qualify, the Matchless motor-cycle with a JAP
JAP
Jap or JAP may refer to:* Journal of Applied Physics, scientific journal published by American Institute of Physics* Journal of Applied Physiology, scientific journal published by American Physiological Society...
engine which Charlie Collier had specially built suffered a broken connecting-rod and was forced to retire.
After racing in the 1906 International Cup, Charlie Collier and his brother Harry, entered a new motor-cycle event in the Isle of Man in 1907 for road-touring motor-cycles. The new race was to be held on the St John's Short Course with two categories for single and twin-cylinder motor-cycles. The 1907 Isle of Man TT
1907 Isle of Man TT
The 1907 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the first of the Isle of Man TT races. The races took place on 28 May 1907 over the Short Course...
race and the single cylinder-class was won by Charlie Collier riding a Matchless
Matchless
Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models was produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke twins...
motor-cycle in 4 hours, 8 minutes and 8 seconds at an average race speed of 38.21 mph. His brother, Harry Collier also riding a Matchless motor-cycle had problems with an engine seizure on lap 2 and eventually retired on lap 9.
Single Cylinder race
Tuesday 28 May 1907 - 10 laps (158.00 miles) St John's Short CourseShort course
In Swimming, the term Short Course is used to identify a pool that is 25 metres in length. The term is also often included in meet names when conducted in a short course pool...
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| Rank | No | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 |  Charlie Collier |
3½ hp Matchless Matchless Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models was produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke twins... |
38.21 mph | 4:08.08.2 |
| 2 | 2 | Jack Marshall Jack Marshall Sir John Ross Marshall, GBE, CH, , generally known as Jack Marshall, was a New Zealand politician. After spending twelve years as Deputy Prime Minister, he served as the 28th Prime Minister for most of 1972.... |
3½ hp Triumph | 36.60 | 4:19.47.3 |
| 3 | 1 | Frank Hulbert |
3½ hp Triumph | 35.50 | 4:27.49.4 |
TT Race Victories
| Year | Race & Capacity | Motorcycle | Average Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1907 | Single-Cylinder | Matchless Matchless Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models was produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke twins... |
38.21 mph |
| 1910 | 500cc Single & 750cc Twin-Cylinder | Matchless | 50.63 mph |
TT career summary
| Finishing Position | 1st | 2nd | 4th | DNF |
| Number of times | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
External links
- TT database rider profile iomtt.com
- TT database TT results iomtt.com