Description
1946 Manx Norton with extensive history.
Original engine, frame, and gearbox as they left the factory on 14th August 1946. Verified by the Norton Owners Club.
Raced to 10th in the 1946 Junior Manx GP (wearing number 57) and 26th in the 1946 Senior Manx GP (wearing number 37) by J. E. C. (John) Purnell. He was touted as the find of the season in The Motor Cycle and MotorCycling magazines of the day. I have video footage of John starting the Junior race and also further along the track.
John also finished 2nd in the 1947 North West 200, though he adamantly maintained he finished 1st and that the declared winner had completed one few too many laps. The contemporary reports agreed that the scorers were having a dreadful time keeping track of the riders due to the weather conditions. The plates the bike is currently wearing bear the number he raced under for that race (39). I have a magazine photo showing John during the start.
John finished 3rd in the 1947 Manx GP, riding a Velocette KTT, and 15th in the Senior.
For 1948 John was sponsored by the famous entrant Reg Dearden and rode the Norton in the Junior (wearing number 58) and Senior TT (wearing number 70) races, though he retired with a burst oil tank in the Junior and crashed out of the Senior. I have video footage of John with a commentary and mention by name by Graham Walker (Murray Walker's father). I should add that copyright of that video belongs to Duke Media: the clip being taken from their video of the 1948 TT.
In 1949, John's last season of motorcycle racing, he rode an AJS 7R in the Junior TT and the Manx in the Senior TT (wearing number 7). Those races were the first year of what we now know as MotoGP. Again, I have video footage of John coming through Ramsay on the Norton.
After he retired John went onto become the Production Manager at Aston Martin during the 1950s. His family still have all the Isle of Man trophies and medals, together with a number of other trophies from his race successes.
He had begun his race career at Donington Park in 1939 before WWII intervened. During the war John was the Production Manager at a major munitions factory.
I have a number of original programmes from John's race meetings together with a large collection of The Motor Cycle and MotorCycling magazines from the same races. I am also regularly in contact with his family in the UK.
This is a rare opportunity to become the custodian of what is a wonderfully authentic motorcycle with a very interesting history
