1953

THE AGE REPORTED: “The oldest inhabitant of Market Lavington (Wiltshire), Mr George Dobsony, aged 95, has decided that he will never ride his motor cycle again. He made this resolve after the Devises magistrates had convicted him for having driven his motor cycle without due care and attention. The magistrates put Dobson on probation for three years on condition that he did not ride his motor cycle during that period. This arose from a minor collision when the senior citizen of Market Lavington, according to the prosecution, pulled across the path of an on coming car without giving a hand signal. The motorist, Herbert Dummer, of Corsham, said, ‘The old gentleman had two bottles of liquor in his pocket. His hand was slightly hurt, but he seemed to be more concerned with recovering one bottle which fell on the road and did not break than about the collision.” After his conviction Dobson said, ‘I have been motor cycling since 1913 without an accident. I ought to know how to drive by now. I had my arm out for the whole length of this piece of road. There has been too much fuss.’ Despite his advanced age, Dobson has been on his motor cycle almost every day. Sometimes he went shopping on it, or to see his wife in hospital and on other days he sped along to the Wheatsheaf Inn after a day in the garden, to get himself a couple of bottles of beer for supper.”

AMC developed its G9/7R hybrid into the G45 production racer (the ‘45’ reflected the 500 twin’s claimed power output).

In the USA Professor Red Lombard was granted a patent for a crash helmet.

The BSA Gold Star was treated to swinging arm rear suspension. Also new from Hall Green was the Super Flash, a tuned plunger-framed Golden Flash. Within months the A10 got swinging-arm suspension and the Super Flash became the Road Rocket.

Road racing returned to London with the revival of the Crystal Palace circuit by the London County Council. Facilities included a trackside railway station.

The World Road Racing Championship, started in 1949 with six rounds, had grown to nine ‘classics’: the TT and the Ulster, Belgian, Dutch, French, German, Swiss, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix. The best five performances counted towards each manufacturer’s points standings.