New Hudson Motorcycles
New Hudson Motorcycles was a Birmingham-based British motorcycle manufacturer and marque active from the early twentieth century through the postwar autocycle era.
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Overview
New Hudson Motorcycles was a British motorcycle manufacturer and marque associated with Birmingham, England. The business was founded in 1903 by George Patterson, although its first motorcycle had reportedly been produced in 1902 and was not commercially successful. The company subsequently developed a broader range of motorcycles and became one of the many British manufacturers that helped establish Birmingham as an important centre of cycle and motorcycle production. During the years before the First World War, New Hudson expanded its range substantially. Between approximately 1910 and 1915, its machines included models powered by JAP engines, reflecting the period's common reliance on specialist British engine suppliers. The company later produced motorcycles using both side-valve and overhead-valve single-cylinder engines in capacities ranging from about 350 cc to 600 cc. It also made a 211 cc two-stroke and experimented with three-wheeled vehicles fitted with MAG engines. This mixture of conventional motorcycles, smaller-capacity machines and three-wheelers indicates an effort to serve more than one part of the early motorised-transport market. The First World War interrupted the company's normal motorcycle activities. The factory was directed toward war-related production and did not return fully to motorcycle manufacturing until after the conflict, with operations resuming around 1919. In the interwar period, New Hudson continued to build motorcycles and gained notable publicity through competition and record attempts. In 1927, the rider Bert le Vack reportedly exceeded 100 miles per hour at Brooklands on a 500 cc New Hudson, an achievement that demonstrated the performance potential of the marque even though it did not transform the company into a mass-market leader. New Hudson ceased motorcycle production in 1932 and changed its name to Girling Ltd. Girling later became associated with brake components and continued to exist as a braking-system company, but the original New Hudson motorcycle operation did not continue as an independent manufacturer. The New Hudson name nevertheless returned to motorcycles after the Second World War. In that later phase, the marque operated as a subsidiary of the Birmingham Small Arms Company, commonly known as BSA, and concentrated on autocycles. These lightweight, economical machines suited the postwar market, when inexpensive personal transport was in demand and motorcycle manufacturers were developing low-cost alternatives to full-sized motorcycles. The postwar New Hudson autocycles achieved commercial success relative to the marque's earlier products, but production under the New Hudson name ended in 1957. The brand is therefore best understood as a historical British motorcycle marque rather than a current consumer brand. Its significance rests on its long, interrupted presence in Birmingham's motorcycle industry, its varied prewar engineering programme, its association with a notable Brooklands speed record, and its later role in the British autocycle market under BSA ownership.
History
New Hudson Motorcycles emerged from Birmingham's early motor industry at a time when bicycle manufacturers and engineering firms were experimenting with powered two-wheelers. George Patterson founded the business in 1903. Historical accounts also identify a first motorcycle made in 1902, but that initial machine was unsuccessful, so the company's commercial motorcycle development is generally associated with the following years. The marque expanded its product range before the First World War. From roughly 1910 to 1915, New Hudson used JAP engines in a number of models, while its broader programme included side-valve and overhead-valve single-cylinder motorcycles. Engine capacities covered approximately 350 cc to 600 cc, placing the machines within the principal utility and touring categories of the period. The company also built a 211 cc two-stroke and produced several three-wheelers using MAG engines. These products show that New Hudson did not depend on a single motorcycle format; it explored different engine layouts, capacities and vehicle configurations as the market developed. The First World War brought a major interruption. New Hudson's factory was committed to war-related work, and normal motorcycle production did not resume until around 1919. In the 1920s the company continued to build motorcycles and also sought recognition through performance activity. The most notable recorded event came in 1927, when Bert le Vack exceeded 100 miles per hour at Brooklands on a 500 cc New Hudson. The achievement connected the marque with the speed-record culture of the era and served as evidence of the capabilities of its engineering, although New Hudson remained one of several competing British manufacturers rather than an industry-dominating firm. The original motorcycle business ended in 1932. At that point the firm changed its name to Girling Ltd, a company that became known for brake components. This change marked the end of New Hudson's first period as an independent motorcycle manufacturer. The name was not entirely lost from the motorcycle market, however. Following the Second World War, motorcycles were again produced under the New Hudson name after the marque became a subsidiary of the Birmingham Small Arms Company. BSA ownership gave the brand access to a larger industrial group and a postwar market in which lightweight and affordable transport was particularly valuable. The postwar New Hudson range focused on autocycles. These were lighter and simpler than conventional motorcycles and were intended to provide economical personal mobility. New Hudson's autocycles were regarded as successful within this niche, but changing consumer preferences, increasing competition and the broader restructuring of the British motorcycle industry limited the long-term prospects of the category. Production under the New Hudson name finally ended in 1957. New Hudson is consequently a defunct historical marque with two distinct manufacturing phases: an independent Birmingham motorcycle business active before and between the world wars, and a BSA-associated postwar producer of autocycles. Its surviving historical importance lies in the breadth of its early model programme, its participation in Birmingham's motorcycle industry, the 1927 Brooklands performance achievement, and the transition from motorcycle manufacturing to the later Girling brake-component business.
- 1957
New Hudson production ends
[1]Production under the New Hudson name ended after the marque's postwar autocycle period.
- 1932
Motorcycle production stops; company becomes Girling
[1]New Hudson ended motorcycle production and changed its name to Girling Ltd.
- 1927
Brooklands speed achievement
[1]Bert le Vack exceeded 100 miles per hour at Brooklands on a 500 cc New Hudson.
- 1919
Postwar motorcycle production resumes
[1]After the factory's wartime work, New Hudson returned to motorcycle manufacturing around 1919.
- 1915
Prewar expansion period concludes
[1]By the middle of the 1910s, New Hudson had developed a range including side-valve and overhead-valve singles, a 211 cc two-stroke and three-wheelers.
- 1910
Range expansion with JAP engines
[1]New Hudson's range expanded during the early 1910s, including motorcycles powered by JAP engines.
- 1903
New Hudson founded in Birmingham
[1]George Patterson founded the New Hudson motorcycle business in Birmingham, England.
- 1902
First New Hudson motorcycle produced
[1]The company's first motorcycle was reportedly produced, but the initial machine was unsuccessful.
Products and positioning
A historically significant Birmingham motorcycle marque offering a broad range of prewar single-cylinder motorcycles and later economical postwar autocycles.
Motorcycles
JAP-engined motorcycles
During the early 1910s, New Hudson expanded its motorcycle range with models using JAP engines. These machines formed part of the company's pre-First World War programme and reflected the common practice of British manufacturers sourcing engines from specialist suppliers. The range helped establish New Hudson as a broader motorcycle producer rather than a maker of only one experimental design.
Motorcycles
Single-cylinder motorcycles
New Hudson built side-valve and overhead-valve single-cylinder motorcycles in capacities of approximately 350 cc to 600 cc. These models represented the core of its prewar product offering and covered the engine sizes commonly associated with practical road motorcycles of the period. The programme illustrates the marque's use of more than one valve arrangement and its involvement in the development of increasingly capable British singles.
Motorcycles
211 cc two-stroke
The 211 cc two-stroke was a smaller-capacity New Hudson motorcycle intended for a segment below the company's larger single-cylinder machines. Its inclusion in the range shows the manufacturer's interest in lighter and potentially more economical designs, alongside its 350 cc to 600 cc four-stroke motorcycles. Specific model designation and production-volume information are not established in the supplied reference material.
Three-wheeled vehicles
MAG-engined three-wheelers
New Hudson produced a number of three-wheeled vehicles fitted with MAG engines. These vehicles extended the company beyond conventional two-wheel motorcycles and addressed the early motor-vehicle market's interest in compact utility and transport formats. The available reference identifies the engine supplier and general configuration but does not provide enough information to specify individual models or their commercial positioning.
Autocycles
Postwar New Hudson autocycles
After the Second World War, the New Hudson name was revived under Birmingham Small Arms Company ownership and applied to lightweight autocycles. These economical machines became the marque's most successful postwar products and suited a market seeking inexpensive personal transport. They were produced until 1957, when manufacturing under the New Hudson name ended.
Brand decisions
1957
End of New Hudson productionOtherBackground
Following its postwar period as a BSA-associated autocycle marque, New Hudson's motorcycle manufacturing history came to an end.
Action taken
Production under the New Hudson name was discontinued.
Aftermath
New Hudson remained a historical motorcycle marque rather than an active manufacturer.
1932
Exit from motorcycle production and adoption of the Girling nameStrategyBackground
New Hudson ended its original motorcycle manufacturing operation after an interwar history that included a varied motorcycle and three-wheeler range.
Action taken
The company stopped making motorcycles and changed its name to Girling Ltd.
Aftermath
Girling became associated with brake-component manufacturing, while the New Hudson motorcycle business ceased in its original form.
- New Hudson becomes a BSA subsidiaryM&A
Background
The New Hudson name returned to motorcycle production after the Second World War, during a period when lightweight and inexpensive transport had strong practical appeal.
Action taken
The marque operated as a subsidiary of the Birmingham Small Arms Company and manufactured autocycles.
Aftermath
The postwar autocycle programme was regarded as successful, but production under the New Hudson name ended in 1957.
Sources1 sources
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