New Imperial Motors
New Imperial is a Birmingham motorcycle marque known for early unit-construction engines, sprung frames, competition success, and a later revival under Mutt Motorcycles.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
New Imperial was a British motorcycle marque whose roots lay in Birmingham’s late nineteenth-century bicycle industry. The business was founded by Norman Downes, although the precise date of its original formation is uncertain. Downes is associated with New Imperial activity from 1887, when the company made bicycle fittings and later complete bicycles. Some accounts identify 1901 as the brand’s creation, while official records document the New Imperial Cycle Company as a limited company in 1908. The business produced its first motorcycle in 1901, but that early machine, which placed its engine forward of the handlebars and transmitted power to the front wheel by a leather belt, was not commercially successful. A more viable production motorcycle appeared in 1910 using a 293 cc JAP engine. New Imperial Motors Ltd was registered in 1912, when the company began serious motorcycle production with a range of three machines. Before and during the First World War it used engines supplied by firms including JAP and Precision. Its 1914 Light Tourist, with a 300 cc engine and relatively low weight, established a pattern that would become central to the marque: comparatively light motorcycles with advanced engineering and useful performance against heavier rivals. The company also entered road racing and trials, although many of its early Isle of Man TT entries failed to finish. The marque achieved an important competition breakthrough in 1921, when Doug Prentice won the 250 cc class in the Isle of Man event. New Imperial ultimately recorded six Lightweight TT wins and one Junior victory. The 1920s were its strongest commercial period. By the middle of the decade the company was producing approximately 300 motorcycles per month, and from 1926 it began manufacturing its own engines rather than relying exclusively on outside suppliers. Production moved in 1929 from Princip Street in Birmingham’s Gun Quarter to a purpose-built, six-acre factory at Spring Road, Hall Green. New Imperial became particularly notable for engineering innovations that later became more common across the motorcycle industry. In 1932 it introduced unit construction, integrating the engine crankcase and gearbox into a single casting, with the Unit Minor 150 and Unit Super 250 among the early applications. The company also offered motorcycles using Bentley and Draper sprung frames at a time when rigid frames still dominated the British market. By 1938 all New Imperial engines used unit construction. Competition machines delivered striking performances, including Ginger Wood’s 1934 Brooklands one-hour average of 102.2 mph on a 500 cc V-twin, Bob Burnie’s 1935 flying-kilometre speed of 100.76 mph at Southport Sands, and Bob Foster’s convincing victory in the 1936 Lightweight TT on a unit-construction motorcycle. Despite its technical achievements, New Imperial was badly affected by the Great Depression. Sales failed to recover sufficiently even after the 1936 TT success. Norman Downes died in 1938, the company entered liquidation, and Lloyds Bank appointed a receiver in November of that year. Jack Sangster, associated with Ariel and Triumph, purchased the business and announced that production would continue; manufacturing resumed in January 1939. The company was then sold to Solomon Clifford, owner of Clifford Covering and Motor Components, in February 1939. With the outbreak of the Second World War, New Imperial’s spare parts were sold to the Colliers, associated with the AMC network. In October 1939 the company officially changed its name to Clifford Aero & Auto Ltd and turned toward aeronautical components. Motorcycle production ended in late 1939. The subsequent ownership history of the New Imperial name is partly uncertain. The name was reportedly later sold to BSA, possibly in connection with Sangster’s later role on the BSA board, but the precise transaction cannot be verified from the available historical record. A modern revival followed when Mutt Motorcycles acquired rights to the brand and restarted production in Birmingham. The New Imperial Roadster 125, introduced in 2018, was the first motorcycle sold under the name since 1939, followed by the Tracker 125 in 2019. The modern marque therefore combines a historically significant British motorcycle identity with a limited contemporary revival rather than representing an uninterrupted manufacturing business.
History
New Imperial developed from Birmingham’s bicycle-component and bicycle-manufacturing economy. Norman Downes is associated with the business from 1887, although the exact incorporation date of the original enterprise is unresolved. The company may have expanded through the acquisition of the ailing Hearl and Tonks bicycle business. A limited company named the New Imperial Cycle Company was recorded in 1908, and the first New Imperial motorcycle is generally dated to 1901. That early front-wheel-drive arrangement was unsuccessful. In 1910 the company adopted a more conventional motorcycle configuration using a 293 cc JAP engine. The registration of New Imperial Motors Ltd in 1912 marked the beginning of sustained motorcycle production. The company offered three models and continued to use engines from JAP and Precision, with capacities ranging from approximately 250 cc to 1,000 cc before it began producing its own engines. The 1914 Light Tourist was an especially important design because its 300 cc capacity and low weight allowed it to compete effectively with larger motorcycles. New Imperial participated in the Isle of Man TT and other speed events, although its earliest entries produced more publicity than consistent finishes. The company’s sporting reputation grew after Doug Prentice won the 250 cc class in 1921. New Imperial later accumulated six Lightweight TT victories and one Junior victory. Commercially, the marque performed well during much of the 1920s, producing around 300 machines per month by the middle of the decade. From 1926 it built its own engines, and in 1929 it transferred production to a purpose-built factory at Spring Road in Hall Green. Engineering innovation became a defining part of the company’s identity during the 1930s. New Imperial introduced unit construction in 1932, combining the crankcase and gearbox within a single casting. The Unit Minor 150 and Unit Super 250 were early examples. The company also adopted sprung-frame solutions supplied or developed by Bentley and Draper, making its motorcycles unusually advanced in an industry still dominated by rigid frames. By 1938 every New Imperial engine used unit construction. The marque’s racing machines demonstrated strong performance: Ginger Wood set a Brooklands one-hour average of 102.2 mph in 1934 on a 500 cc V-twin, Bob Burnie reached 100.76 mph in the 1935 British Open Speed Championship flying kilometre, and Bob Foster won the 1936 Lightweight TT on a unit-construction model. Technical leadership could not overcome the commercial damage caused by the Great Depression. Sales declined during the 1930s, and the company failed to convert its engineering and racing achievements into a durable recovery. Founder Norman Downes died in 1938. New Imperial entered liquidation, with Lloyds Bank appointing a receiver on 7 November. Jack Sangster purchased the company late that year and production restarted in January 1939. Within weeks, ownership passed to Solomon Clifford. The business’s motorcycle operation was short-lived: after the beginning of the Second World War, spare parts were sold to the Colliers, and the company changed its legal name to Clifford Aero & Auto Ltd in October 1939 to undertake aeronautical component work. Motorcycle production ended in late 1939. The later history of the trademark is not fully documented. It was reportedly sold to BSA at some point, possibly after Sangster joined BSA’s board, but the available account does not establish the transaction conclusively. Mutt Motorcycles subsequently acquired rights to the New Imperial name and revived it in Birmingham. The Roadster 125 appeared in 2018 and the Tracker 125 in 2019, restoring the marque to the motorcycle market after a gap of nearly eight decades.
- 2019
Tracker 125 introduced
[1]The revived marque added the Tracker 125 to its modern range.
- 2018
Roadster 125 revival
[1]Mutt Motorcycles introduced the Roadster 125 as the first New Imperial motorcycle since 1939.
- 1939
Motorcycle production ends
[1]Following ownership changes and the shift to wartime aeronautical work, motorcycle production ended late in the year.
- 1938
Founder dies and company enters liquidation
[1]Norman Downes died, after which New Imperial entered liquidation and a receiver was appointed by Lloyds Bank.
- 1936
Bob Foster wins the Lightweight TT
[1]Bob Foster won the Lightweight TT on a New Imperial unit-construction motorcycle.
- 1932
Unit construction introduced
[1]The company began integrating engine crankcases and gearboxes into a single casting in models including the Unit Minor 150 and Unit Super 250.
- 1929
Factory moves to Spring Road
[1]Production relocated from Princip Street to a purpose-built six-acre facility in Hall Green, Birmingham.
- 1926
In-house engine production begins
[1]New Imperial began manufacturing its own engines after previously relying on suppliers such as JAP and Precision.
- 1921
First major Isle of Man victory
[1]Doug Prentice won the 250 cc class, the first of a series of important Lightweight TT-related successes.
- 1914
Light Tourist introduced
[1]The 300 cc Light Tourist established New Imperial’s reputation for lightweight, capable motorcycles.
Products and positioning
A technically progressive British motorcycle marque built around lightweight design, racing credibility, unit-construction engines, and distinctive sprung-frame engineering; in its modern revival, it is positioned as a Birmingham-made heritage and modern-retro motorcycle brand.
Motorcycle · 1914
New Imperial Light Tourist
Introduced in 1914, the 300 cc Light Tourist was designed around low weight and practical performance. Its relatively light construction allowed it to outperform some heavier motorcycles of the period and helped establish New Imperial’s reputation for efficient, technically ambitious machines.
Unit-construction motorcycle · 1932
Unit Minor 150
The Unit Minor 150 was one of New Imperial’s early unit-construction motorcycles. Its engine and gearbox were integrated into a common casting, reflecting the company’s effort to reduce complexity and improve structural integration before the layout became widespread among motorcycle manufacturers.
Unit-construction motorcycle · 1932
Unit Super 250
The Unit Super 250 formed part of New Imperial’s 1930s unit-construction range. It represented the marque’s combination of moderate engine capacity, integrated powertrain design, and advanced chassis thinking, including the sprung-frame technology used on selected models.
Modern-retro motorcycle · 2018
New Imperial Roadster 125
The Roadster 125 was the first modern motorcycle introduced under the New Imperial name after the original company stopped production in 1939. It marked Mutt Motorcycles’ Birmingham-based revival of the historic marque and targeted the lightweight 125 cc motorcycle segment.
Modern-retro motorcycle · 2019
New Imperial Tracker 125
Introduced in 2019, the Tracker 125 expanded the revived New Imperial range with another lightweight motorcycle. It followed the Roadster 125 and continued the modern interpretation of the marque’s Birmingham motorcycle heritage.
Brand decisions
2018
Revive the New Imperial marque with the Roadster 125Product launchBackground
Mutt Motorcycles acquired rights to the historic New Imperial name and sought to return it to the Birmingham motorcycle market.
Action taken
Mutt introduced the Roadster 125, the first New Imperial motorcycle produced since the end of the original company’s production.
Aftermath
The launch re-established New Imperial as a contemporary lightweight motorcycle marque and was followed by the Tracker 125 in 2019.
1939
Shift from motorcycles to wartime aeronautical componentsStrategyBackground
After ownership changes and the start of the Second World War, the motorcycle business faced disrupted production and a changed industrial environment.
Action taken
The company sold its spare-parts stock, changed its legal name to Clifford Aero & Auto Ltd, and moved into aeronautical component production.
Aftermath
New Imperial motorcycle production ended in late 1939, and the original manufacturing operation did not resume after the war.
1932
Adopt unit-construction enginesStrategyBackground
New Imperial pursued engineering differentiation while the motorcycle market was still largely based on separate engine and gearbox units.
Action taken
The company introduced motorcycles whose engine crankcase and gearbox were integrated into one casting, beginning with the Unit Minor 150 and Unit Super 250.
Aftermath
The design became a central feature of the marque and was applied across all New Imperial engines by 1938, although it did not reverse the company’s broader sales decline.
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