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The Excelsior Motor Company Ltd
Tyesley
Birmingham
Excelsior Motorcycles started life in Lower Ford Street, Coventry, in 1874, as bicycle makers. The company took the name of the two partners, Bayliss & Thomas. They chose the brand name, 'Excelsior'.
In 1896 the company were incorporated and became Bayliss, Thomas & Co Ltd.. It was in that year that the company also began making motorcycles, becoming one of the earliest British manufacturers. Excelsior was also noteworthy for their early involvement in motorcycle racing, which started around 1900. In 1910 the company was renamed, The Excelsior Motor Company Co Ltd..
After the end of World War 1, the company was taken over by one of its major suppliers, R.Walker & Son and motorcycle production was transferred to the Walker's site at Kings Road, Tyseley, Birmingham.
The company continued to prosper and grow. In 1935, Excelsior introduced what was to become their most famous model, the Manxman, available with either a 246cc or 349cc engine.
In 1940 Excelsior changed to war related work,
manufacturing the 'Wellbike', which was a collapsible small motorcycle
used by Allied Paratroopers.
Civilian motorcycle manufacturere re-commenced
in 1946 but was
confined to lightweights.
One of Excelsior's best known post war models was the rather adventurous Talisman, which used Excelsiors own 243cc two stroke engine and four speed gearbox.
Excelsior also tried scooters. In 1957 they introduced the 'Skutabike', which was just a 98cc Consort motorcycle with panels!
In 1959 they introduced a more 'scooter like scooter', the Monarch. It used the same panels as the DKR scooter but employed Excelsior's own 147cc engine. This model was short lived and was withdrawn in 1960.
In 1962 the company were only producing two models. From 1963 these models could only be bought in kit form which saved paying purchase tax.
In 1965 the company ceased motorcycle manufacture and continued making car and motor cycle accessories.
It is understood that nothing survives of the original Excelsior factory in Tyseley which was next door to the tool makers, AKD, Abingdon King Dick who interestingly at one time also produced motorcycles.
Memories of Jim Smith chief draughtsman for Excelsior between 1948-1963
Excelsior not only made motorcycles but outboard engines and marine gearboxes although they did not make the outboard leg. They also made small industrial trucks which the operator walked beside, they used a Villiers 3 hp stationary 4 stroke engine, I think.
They won a contract to supply outboard engines to Egypt and because of the sandy nature of the water out there they were to be air cooled. Excelsior made 100s of the engines but the contract was cancelled before delivery and this cost the company a lot of money.
One of the best selling motorcycles was the 98cc Consort and they produced 10,000 one year. They made the mistake of fitting telescopic forks and rear springing rather than just keeping them basic and the price went up and sales dropped.
The plans for the Manxman were stored in a bank in Henley in Arden during the war but the patterns were obviously kept at the factory. Unfortunately these patterns were destroyed in an air raid and the company could not afford to make new ones after the war.
Very few people know this but a 250cc four stroke twin engine was built around 1954. One was made and run up on the Excelsior test bed but the engine never entered production.
One of my most unusual memories was taking a 150cc pool bike one night at 8 o clock and deciding to go for a ride. 27 hours later I returned back after going virtually non stop to Fort William! I sent the factory a telegram when I got there just to explain why I was not at work the next day. I had nothing to eat during the journey, just 3 cups of tea. When I stopped for fuel near Glasgow and the garage owner found out I was English he refused to serve me!
In the sixties Excelsior was taken over by the Proctor family, who owned Britax, it was really an asset stripping exercise and a very unhappy time. People found themselves working in various small places around Birmingham producing car accessories etc. One of the items they produced were choke cables for Halford's which were produced near James in Greet.
I think the Proctors were only interested in acquiring the business for the land, which they later sold.
Towards the end when motorcycle production had ceased it was just a case of selling off what was left. A large London dealer bought all the spares, it might have been Pride & Clarke.
Having previously received a job offer from Triumph I got sick of it all and one day in April 1963 I went to a nearby public phone box, phoned Edward Turner at Triumph and said," when can I start?"!
THE BIRMINGHAM TESTERS RUN is scheduled to start from Excelsior in 2008.