Ron's MV's
Willys Jeep - Military Motorcycles
www.roncobb.com
Willys MB Jeep 'BRT' Date of Manufacture 5th June 1942.
Chassis Number 148318 Body Number 148534 Bonnet Number 204 85714
1942 Willys Jeep MB - BRT
Original old war horse. Ex British army. Evidence of medium calibre damage on the front right wing, perforated from above through to inner wing. In Germany when damaged. It was recovered post war by the US Army Butzbach Ordnance Depot where huge quantities of combat materials, weapons, vehicles and spare parts were collected & stored ready for reconditioning to serviceable stock.
In 1951 it was repaired, & fitted with a reconditioned engine from US Army 'Karlsfeld Ordnance Depot' This was the old BMW factory which during the war had switched to producing aero engines for the Luftwaffe. The vehicle was re painted blue & appears to have been used by US Army/Airforce Military Police in post war Germany.
In 1955, it was reconditioned again, this time by The German Railroad, Car and Machine factory, GMB Borsigwalde Berlin. Though post Marshal plan, it made its way to Norway. The Norwegian army repainted it to O/D and fitted a heater along with full winter kit. In the late 1980's it was sold off from Norway and imported back into UK.
In storage for 10 years, then purchased by myself. The Odometer read 7,000 miles which was possibly correct from its last rebuild in 1955. The speedometer unit was found to be radio active whereupon it was immediately and carefully replaced with a new unit! (Jeep speedo's like WW2 aircraft instruments were painted with radium paint during the war).
The gearbox was full of water. Condensation had run down the gear stick filling it to the brim. On the selector plate a 3" stalagmite had formed. Repainted the underside as the Norwegian army underseal had dried out and was flaking off. Have no plans to repaint the top side. Runs as good as any of the "ground up" restorations or low mileage Hotchkiss Jeeps that I have owned. The heater still works, all be it only as a toe warmer!
Coventry Blitz Survivor - 1940/1 Triumph 3SW Military Motor Cycle.
Military Contract number: C 11465.
Delivered (eventually), 28/8/1941 to: RAF Carlisle.
Civilian Registration number HPP 66
Frame number: TL 30296.
Engine number: 3SW 40296. Contract number: C 11465. (+piled arms)
Gearbox number: TE 40897
Gearbox casting numbers: T264. SW1040
Gearbox stamped: 16 M (along with military piled arms arrow).
‘HPP 66’ the Military Triumph 3SW was born in October 1940 in the old Triumph works Coventry. Whilst nearing completion on the 14th November 1940, the German Luftwaffe bombed & destroyed the works along with most of the city centre, during ‘The Coventry Blitz’.
From the ashes a few battered & burned motorcycles were recovered.
A temporary factory was set up at Cape Warwick to resume production whilst work commenced to build the new Triumph factory at Meridian.
Cape Warwick repaired & put together one hundred & fifty Triumph 3SW side valve models for delivery to RAF Carlisle, Quedgeley & Stafford. HPP was one of these. After completion it was delivered to RAF Carlisle 22nd of August 1941. Eighty two Triumph 3HW motorcycles were also saved & delivered to RAF Hartlebury
After the war HPP was sold off in 1946 in one of the military sales. An ex RAF man who co incidentally was formerly based at RAF Carlisle, became the new owner. He laid the bike up in 1950 after the clutch jammed, then eventually sold it in 2001 as a non runner.
The next owner completely dismantled the bike but it remained untouched until I purchased it in 2009. Fortunately it had been taken apart in a very small garden shed. Every part including the original nuts & bolts were found. Post war it had been painted black, but underneath, the original Olive paint was still very evident.
Fortunately most all parts were in good salvageable condition.
The metalwork was carefully cleaned off. It was found that unlike the front half of the frame, the rear half had no primer beneath the olive paint. Instead, the metal was black and scorched from fire. Upper sides of the frame including the field stand were scarred & embedded with small particles. Metallurgist’s opinion confirmed these are old bomb blast scars.
The restoration has focused on originality where possible all original parts have been reused including 99% of the tin work.
British Infantry Bicycle
British Infantry Bicycle, MKV Made by BSA, Lee Enfield SMLE No1 MK 3 dated 1917 also made by BSA.
...... "Those fuzzie wuzzies - they dont like it up em!"
1942 BSA WM20
1944 BSA WM20. Unused for over thirty years, after brushing up the spark plug, mag points, and fresh petrol it started third kick!
1944 James ML 'Clockwork Mouse'
1944 James ML powered by the Villiers 9D 125cc two stroke. The ML saw use with front line assault troops & the commando's. A generally well made & reliable machine it soon became nicknamed the 'Clockwork Mouse' Easy to manhandle over fences & ditches, a tank full of petrol kept going all day.
These vehicles are not for sale but are available for Film, TV, Promotional, Advertising or Special Occasion work.
Some military props available with vehicle(s) please enquire.
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WANTED FOR CASH BRITISH MILITARY & CIVILIAN MOTORCYCLES + WW2 JEEPS.
Export - Import - Established 1975.