NUT Motorcycles

NUT Motorcycles was a short-lived British motorcycle manufacturer established in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1912 by Hugh Mason and Jock Hall. The business grew out of the partners' earlier motorcycle activity, which had begun in 1906. Before adopting the NUT name, Mason and Hall produced machines associated with the HM badge, derived from Mason's initials, and later used the names Jesmond and Bercley. NUT therefore represented the consolidation of an existing engineering and motorcycle enterprise rather than an entirely new start. The company entered the market during a formative period for British motorcycles, when manufacturers were experimenting with proprietary frames, externally supplied engines and competition-derived engineering. NUT initially used JAP and Villiers engines. It subsequently developed its own V-twin sports motorcycles, giving the marque a more distinctive technical identity and a product range aimed at performance as well as ordinary road use. Racing was central to NUT's early reputation. In 1913, only a year after the company was founded under the NUT name, its motorcycles competed successfully in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races. Hugh Mason won the 1913 Junior TT on a JAP-engined NUT, finishing 46 seconds ahead of the relevant field according to the cited historical account. This result provided the young manufacturer with valuable sporting credibility and linked the brand to one of the most demanding motorcycle competitions of the period. Following further racing success, Mason and Hall moved into larger premises, indicating an attempt to expand production and support the company's growing profile. The expansion could not overcome the disruption caused by the First World War. NUT failed financially and was declared bankrupt. The business was later acquired by Robert Ellis, who restarted operations in 1921 under the name Hugh Mason and Company. That revival was brief: the reorganized enterprise foundered in 1922. Motorcycles continued to be produced under the NUT name between 1923 and 1933, but this later activity did not restore the company to sustained commercial health. The manufacturer closed permanently in 1933. As a result, NUT is best understood as a historically significant but discontinued British motorcycle marque whose legacy rests on its early competition achievements, its transition from imported engines to proprietary V-twin sports machines, and its association with Newcastle's early motorcycle industry. Surviving references identify examples such as a 998 cc V-twin associated with 1922 and a 700 cc V-twin associated with 1925, illustrating the range of larger-capacity machines produced during the brand's later period.

NUT Motorcycles originated in Newcastle upon Tyne in the early twentieth century. Hugh Mason and Jock Hall had been making motorcycles from 1906, first using a badge based on Mason's initials and later operating under the names Jesmond and Bercley. In 1912 they established the NUT marque, placing their motorcycle production under a more recognizable and unified identity. The company entered a competitive British market in which manufacturers frequently combined in-house chassis and cycle components with engines supplied by specialist firms. NUT initially relied on JAP and Villiers engines. Its early machines nevertheless attracted attention in competition, particularly through Isle of Man Tourist Trophy participation. In 1913, Hugh Mason rode a JAP-engined NUT to victory in the Junior TT, winning by 46 seconds. The result was an important early achievement for the marque and helped associate NUT with sporting performance. NUT later moved beyond dependence on supplied engines by building its own V-twin sports machines. Further racing success encouraged Mason and Hall to move to larger premises, suggesting that the business was attempting to increase its capacity and consolidate its position. This development was interrupted by the First World War. The company was unable to survive the wartime period and was declared bankrupt. Robert Ellis acquired the business and restarted it in 1921 under the name Hugh Mason and Company. The revival was unsuccessful and the reorganized company foundered in 1922. Motorcycles nevertheless continued to be produced under the NUT name from 1923 until 1933. Historical model references from this period include a 998 cc V-twin associated with 1922 and a 700 cc V-twin associated with 1925. These examples reflect the marque's continuing emphasis on relatively large-capacity motorcycles and V-twin engineering. The company closed permanently in 1933. NUT's historical importance therefore comes less from longevity or production scale than from its place in the early British motorcycle industry and its strong competition profile during the 1910s. Its 1913 Junior TT victory, its use of JAP and Villiers engines, and its later development of proprietary V-twin sports motorcycles form the principal elements of the brand's surviving history.

• 1933

  Final closure

  [1]NUT Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  NUT Motorcycles ceased production and closed permanently.

• 1923

  NUT production resumes under the marque

  [1]NUT Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  Motorcycles continued to be manufactured under the NUT name during the period leading up to the company's final closure.

• 1921

  Business restarted as Hugh Mason and Company

  [1]NUT Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  Robert Ellis bought and restarted the business under the name Hugh Mason and Company.

• 1914

  Business disrupted by the First World War

  [1]NUT Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  The company could not survive the disruption associated with the First World War and was subsequently declared bankrupt.

• 1913

  Junior TT victory

  [1]NUT Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  Hugh Mason won the Isle of Man Junior TT on a JAP-engined NUT motorcycle, finishing 46 seconds ahead according to the cited historical account.

• 1912

  NUT Motorcycles founded

  [1]NUT Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  Mason and Hall founded NUT Motorcycles in Newcastle upon Tyne, consolidating their earlier motorcycle activity under the NUT name.

• 1906

  Mason and Hall begin motorcycle production

  [1]NUT Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org

  Hugh Mason and Jock Hall began making motorcycles before the NUT marque was formally established, initially using an HM badge and later the names Jesmond and Bercley.

A performance-oriented British motorcycle marque whose early identity was built through Isle of Man TT competition and the development of large-capacity sports motorcycles.

• Racing motorcycles

  JAP-engined racing motorcycles

  NUT's early competition machines used JAP engines. The best-known example is the motorcycle ridden by Hugh Mason in the 1913 Isle of Man Junior TT, where it secured a notable victory and established the young marque's sporting reputation.

• Motorcycles

  Villiers-engined motorcycles

  Villiers engines were among the externally supplied power units used by NUT during its manufacturing history. The available reference identifies these engines as part of the company's early technical base, but does not provide a complete model-by-model specification.

• Sports motorcycles

  NUT V-twin sports motorcycles

  NUT later built its own V-twin sports machines rather than relying exclusively on outside engine suppliers. The surviving model references include large-capacity examples, including a 998 cc V-twin associated with 1922 and a 700 cc V-twin associated with 1925.

1. 1NUT Motorcyclesen.wikipedia.org