Offered for sale from one of the finest collections of classic British motorcycles
Valuable transferrable registration number included
The Background
‘Scott’ and ‘conventional’ aren’t words which normally sit side by side, but compared to earlier Scotts the Flying Squirrel was quite a conventional bike. All things being relative, of course.
However, it was still immediately recognisable as a Scott, thanks to its inclined four-stroke parallel twin and its use of water-cooling, made obvious by the bold nickel-plated radiator mounted ahead of the cylinders. Nevertheless, it featured many improvements over its predecessors, such as a redesigned three-speed gearbox, multi-plate clutch and repositioned magneto.
Introduced in 1926, the Flying Squirrel was well-regarded as a road bike, but its reputation was significantly enhanced in 1929 when an example won the Isle of Man T.T.
It remained a strong seller throughout the 1930s even while Scott suffered from financial troubles, and production unfortunately forced to end by the outbreak of war in 1940.
Little is known of the history of these Scotts until they were acquired by the vendor in very recent years. The vendor is a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast and collector and the Scott would have made a wonderful project for him, but his decision to start a new life in Sweden means that his entire collection unfortunately has to be sold.
As can be seen from the pictures, the Scotts have seen better days although, all things considered, they are not in as bad a shape as their scruffy appearance might suggest.
While some surface rust might have spread liberally across most of the parts, it all looks to us to be largely solid. The frames, forks and wheels still look strong, and the fuel tank and wings look to have experienced only cosmetic deterioration, even if it is to quite an advanced degree.
Ancillaries such as the lights and seats are present and correct, although you might not necessarily wish to use everything. Most parts are accounted for twice, though, so we are hopeful that it will not be necessary to source too many parts anew.
It must go without saying that the Scott or Scotts will require a full mechanical restoration, although the dismantled parts do not look all that bad. The cylinders, head and crankcase look reasonably good from the outside, so we hope the same might also be said of the internals.
Again, we believe most mechanical parts are accounted for twice, and we can confirm the inclusion of two pairs of cylinders, two radiators, various gears, a chain, a disassembled carburettor and some pistons, although of course it may be the case that some of them are not usable.
By all accounts, the Scott Flying Squirrel was one of the truly great motorcycles of the pre-war years, and the nature of its engineering will mean that it appeals instantly to the enthusiast who favours ingenuity over convention.
They were made in large enough numbers that many survive today in enthusiast hands and are frequently ridden in Sunbeam Motorcycle Club events and the Vintage Motor Cycle Club’s Banbury Run.
Since it has to be constructed from scratch, this is more a project for experienced hands than for a novice. It’ll take a bit of time but it’ll be worth persevering, since the achievement of returning one or both of these Scotts to the road will be immeasurably rewarding.
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.
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NO RESERVE - 1930s Scott Flying Squirrel
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