Dictionary Definition
matchless adj : eminent beyond or above
comparison; "matchless beauty"; "the team's nonpareil center
fielder"; "she's one girl in a million"; "the one and only Muhammad
Ali"; "a peerless scholar"; "infamy unmatched in the Western
world"; "wrote with unmatchable clarity"; "unrivaled mastery of her
art" [syn: nonpareil,
one(a),
one
and only(a), peerless, unmatched, unmatchable, unrivaled, unrivalled]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Extensive Definition
Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British
motorcycles with the
first models manufactured at the start of the 20th century.
Matchless branded motorcycles produced in
Plumstead,
London from
1899 to 1966 when the name was dropped by its owners.
A wide range of models were produced under the
Matchless name ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc
four-stroke
twins. Among the most famous early models were the Silver
Hawk and the Silver
Arrow.
Matchless had a long history of racing
participation and success. A Matchless, ridden by Charlie
Collier, won the first single cylinder race in the first
Isle
of Man TT in 1907 with an average speed of 38.21 mph
in a time of 4.08.08. Their machines won again in 1909 and 1910.
Matchless have participated in many Isle of
Man TT and Manx Grand
Prix races up to 1997 with varying success.
The Colliers bought AJS in 1931, and in
1938 both Matchless and AJS became part of Associated
Motorcycles (AMC), both companies producing models under their
own marques. During the amalgamations that occurred in the British
motorcycle industry in the 1960s, the Matchless four-stroke twin
was replaced with the Norton
twin ending a long history of independent production. By 1967, the
Matchless singles had ceased production. It was over.
History
Matchless (1899-1938)
The first Matchless motorcycle was made in 1899, and manufacture began in 1901. Matchless was the trading name of Collier & Sons, the father H. H. Collier and his sons Charlie and Harry. The Matchless tank badge was a winged "M". Like many motorcycle manufacturers of the time they had started as bicycle manufacturers.They produced a
JAP V-twin powered bike in 1905 which boasted one of the
earliest swing-arm rear suspensions, coupled with leading-link
front forks. Charlie won the inaugural TT singles race in 1907 with
an average speed of 38.21 mph and a time of 4 hours 8
minutes 8 seconds. Harry did not finish in 1907, but won in 1909,
and Charlie won again in 1910, bringing Matchless motorcycles to
the attention of the public. Matchless made mostly singles, but
they also made V-twins from 496 cc to 998 cc.
They made their own engines from 1912 on.
Matchless was not given a contract to make
motorcycles for the army during the First World
War. Peacetime production resumed in 1919, concentrating at
first on V-twins for sidecar use, leaving singles
until 1923.
In 1926 H H Collier died, and by 1928 Matchless
was a limited company. In 1930 they launched a narrow-angle
400 cc V-twin called the Silver Arrow, designed by
Charlie, and in 1931 they launched an (advanced for the time)
593 cc V-four, the Silver Hawk.The Hawk was designed by
youngest brother Bert, who was now active in the company, and he
was responsible for design right up to the War.
In 1931 Matchless bought AJS from the Stevens
brothers. Matchless bought Sunbeam
in the late thirties, but Sunbeam was sold to
BSA in 1943.
After that the only "true" AJS models, as far as
AJS enthusiasts were concerned, were the racing 7Rs, Porcupines and
the pre-war AJS Four. The shared models were considered by some AJS
fans to be only badge
engineered Matchless models.
In 1935 the Matchless/AJS hairpin valve springs
made their first appearance.
Matchless supplied engines for the V-twin
versions of the Morgan
three-wheeler from 1933 until Morgan production was halted by the
outbreak of World War II in 1939. From 1935 on they were Morgan's
exclusive supplier of V-twin engines. A dozen surviving unused
engines were still in storage at the Morgan works in 1946 and were
used to build a final batch of V-Twin trikes for a Morgan dealer in
Australia.
AMC (1938 - 1966)
see also AJSAssociated
Motor Cycles (AMC) was formed in 1938, as a parent company for
Matchless and AJS motorcycles. AMC later absorbed Francis-Barnett,
James,
and Norton.
In 1941 Matchless motorcycles introduced
telescopic front forks called "Teledraulic" forks, considered by
some to be the first major innovation in front suspension in 25
years.
During the Second
World War, Matchless manufactured 80,000 G3 and G3L
models for the armed forces. By 1956 they had eight models in
their line up, but the number had dwindled in 1965. The G3L was the
first to feature the "Teledraulic" front forks.
Post-war landmarks start with the production of
Matchless/AJS 350 cc and Matchless
G80 500 cc singles, developed from the legendary
war-time Matchless G3 produced for the Army. From 1948 competition
models of the singles were produced which gave the company some
memorable wins. In 1949 the first Matchless/AJS vertical twin, a
500 cc, was produced; later to be joined by
600 cc and 650 cc vertical twins in 1956 and 1959
respectively. On the racing front AMC were fielding the (supercharged) AJS
Porcupine and the AJS 7R alongside
the Matchless G50, a 500 cc variant of the 7R, and the
1951 Matchless
G45 500 cc vertical twin. Even when supercharging was
banned, Les Graham
won the
1949 500 cc world championship on a normally aspirated
Porcupine.
For 1952, the first Model G45 twin with its 7R
style heads came into being, the engine still recognisably G9 based
but housed in a 7R AJS based frame etc. This time Derek Farrant won
the Manx Grand Prix at 88.65 mph. AMC put the G45 into
production and it was shown at Earls Court in November.
In 1953 there was a Clubman range of
Matchless/AJS 350 cc and 500 cc singles, and the
production model Matchless G45 500 twin became available.
AMC withdrew from the world of works and one-off
road racing at the end of the 1954, with the death of Ike Hatch,
and in the face of fierce competition from the other European
bikes.
In 1958 the Matchless/AJS road bikes were joined
by a 250 cc and in 1960 by a 350 cc for a
lightweight series of singles.
The Matchless G50 single-cylinder racer was made
generally available for privateers in 1959, and competed against
the Norton Manx. Though its 90.0 x 78.0 mm 50 bhp engine
and top speed near 135 mph (217 km/h) were
slightly down on the Manx, the lighter Matchless could take the day
on tight and twisty circuits. The revised bottom end was introduced
for 1964 and is shared by 350/500 roadsters and the 500CS (G80CS
and M18CS), the engine of which was later adapted to the G85CS. The
new lubrication system helped lubricating the big end and piston as
well as the top end on the high-performance singles. The G85CS was
further tuned for 1966, and received a new piston providing a CR of
12.5:1. An Amal GP carburettor was standard fitting, making the
bike hard to start. Maximum power rose to 41 bhp @
6500 rpm.
Matchless/AJS built predictable handling,
comfortable, well-made, reliable and economical motorcycles, for
their day. Unfortunately such attributes were not enough to keep
them in business. Continuing poor sales led to AMC becoming part of
a new company, called Norton-Villiers in 1966.
Norton Villiers (1966 - 1973)
In 1966 Associated Motorcycles AMC went bankrupt and were taken over by Manganese Bronze Holdings who formed Norton-Villiers to oversee operations. At the time Norton was the only motorcycle marque in the company that was making money. There was a P11 series which comprised the following 4 models: P11 (1967), P11A (1968) and P11A Ranger (1968/69) and the P11 Ranger 750 (1969). It is believed that production of the G15 series was halted late in 1968 (model year '69) with unsold samples on offer through 1969. The P11 series carried on in production until the spring of 1969. The P11 was offered either as Norton or Matchless, but by heritage it is a Matchless bike.Les Harris (1987)
A new Harris “Matchless G80” single, with Rotax SOHC motor and single front disc brake is released. Electric start and twin discs are options.References
External links
matchless in German: Matchless
matchless in French: Matchless
matchless in Dutch: Matchless
matchless in Swedish: Matchless
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
best,
beyond compare, beyond comparison, champion, choice, easily first, elect, elite, facile princeps, for the
best, greatest,
handpicked, immortal, incomparable, inimitable, invincible, nulli secundus,
only, optimal, optimum, original, paramount, peerless, picked, prime, prize, quintessential, second to
none, select, sui
generis, supreme,
surpassing, unapproachable, unapproached, unbeatable, unequaled, unexampled, unexcelled, unique, unmatchable, unmatched, unparagoned, unparalleled, unpeered, unrivaled, unsurpassable, unsurpassed, very best,
without equal, without parallel