Title: MOTO-CROSS: The Golden Era 1945-70
Author Jeff Smith
Foreword Paul Stephens
Binding Hard Cover
Book Condition NEW - OLD STOCK - GOOD CONDITION
Number of pages 200 pages
Number of Photos; Illustrated
Dimensions 27.2 x 20.6 x 2 cm
Publisher Published by Osprey 1998
ISBN 1855327058, ISBN-13: 978-1855327054, 9781855327054
Availability ONE COPY
No period in the history of Moto-cross is held in such affection by enthusiasts, as the period which followed the end of the Second World War and the terminal collapse of the British Motorcycle Industry at the close of the 1960s. During those 25 eventful years English riders achieved enormous success as the sport blossomed and vast crowds attended the principal meetings. It was truly a golden era.
In MOTO-CROSS: THE GOLDEN ERA, Paul Stephens traces the rise of moto-cross from its early days as the Cinderella of motorcycle racing to the inauguration of the British, European, and then World Championships. Once the BBC took an interest, it made household names of Arthur Lampkin, Jeff Smith, Chris Horsfield, Dave Nicoll, Vic Eastwood, Alan Clough, Dave Bickers and John Banks.
Smith went on to win the World 500cc Championship two years in succession. Bickers had already taken his British-built Greeves to victory in two European 250cc Championships, to follow in the footsteps of John Draper and Les Archer who had each won the European 500cc Championship. In the 21 years since the Moto-cross des Nations was first run, at Duinrell, Holland, in 1947, Great Britain won the coveted team contest no fewer than 15 times.
It is a measure of the domination by English riders during this scintillating spell, that from when the British 500cc Grand Prix was first run in 1952, only on five occasions did an overseas rider take overall victory. The same number as won by Jeff Smith. This, remember, was in the days when it was not only possible to be competitive on an AJS, Matchless, Triumph, Metisse, BSA or Greeves, but almost obligatory for any rider.
This is a fascinating story, never before told in any depth. All the great riders of this most glittering epoch in moto-cross are here: Geoff Ward, Brian Stonebridge, Don and Derek Rickman, Hugh Viney, Bill Nicholson, Fred Rist, Harold Lines, Basil Hall, and many others. Illustrated with contemporary photographs, many never before published,
MOTO-CROSS: THE GOLDEN ERA also contains the most comprehensive results section ever produced on the subject.
PAUL STEPHENS
A freelance journalist, Paul has, since 1987, covered the World and British Moto-cross Championships for The Daily Telegraph as well as contributing to The European, and to BBC Radio and Motor Cycle News with Grands Prix race reports. He is also kept busy writing about Rugby Union for The Sunday Telegraph. The Independent and several periodicals.
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