LOT 793
1934 Matchless 592cc Silver Hawk Project Registration no. JO 1972 (see text) Frame no. 714 Engine no. B684
Sold for £20,700 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 793
1934 Matchless 592cc Silver Hawk ProjectRegistration no. JO 1972 (see text) Frame no. 714 Engine no. B684
1934 Matchless 592cc Silver Hawk Project
Registration no. JO 1972 (see text)
Frame no. 714
Engine no. B684
Registration no. JO 1972 (see text)
Frame no. 714
Engine no. B684
• Rare 1930s four-cylinder motorcycle
• Present ownership since 1984
• In this condition when purchased
Reviewing the v-four Silver Hawk at its launch in the autumn of 1930, Motor Cycling stated that this exciting overhead-camshaft model was "designed primarily to give really high speed, and to give this speed with silence and the added safety of a spring frame".
The early 1930s was a period of severe economic depression, yet the 1931 Motorcycle Show at Olympia in London witnessed the launch of not one but two four-cylinder models aimed at the very top of the market. The ultimate fates of the two newcomers would turn out to be very different however; Ariel's offering – the Square Four – would enjoy a lengthy production life lasting into the 1950s, whereas the rival Matchless Silver Hawk would be gone within four years.
Matchless had introduced another vee-engined model, the twin-cylinder Silver Arrow, the previous year, and the Silver Hawk's design shared many of the 'Arrow's features, most notably the narrow-included angle of the cylinders: 26 degrees. Displacing a total of 592cc, the cylinders were contained within one casting and topped by a single 'head, just like the Arrow's, but the Hawk was intended to be a luxury sports-tourer and so enjoyed the advantages conferred by overhead-camshaft valve gear. Drive to the upstairs cam was by shaft and bevel gears, and there was no denying that the v-four Silver Hawk's was one impressive looking motor. The frame and cycle parts followed Silver Arrow lines, incorporating cantilever rear suspension broadly similar to that adopted later by Vincent-HRD. Expensive to make and introduced at the wrong time, the Silver Arrow failed to sell despite its mouth-watering specification and was quietly dropped in 1935.
This challenging Silver Hawk project comes with an old-style logbook from 1947 listing the owner at that time as one John McNulty. The present owner purchased the machine from Mr McNulty's daughter in 1984 together with two Triumphs: a Tina and a Tigress. The engine was already removed when purchased. The registration 'JO 1972' is not listed in the HPI database; accordingly, prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's registration status prior to bidding. Sold strictly as viewed.
• Present ownership since 1984
• In this condition when purchased
Reviewing the v-four Silver Hawk at its launch in the autumn of 1930, Motor Cycling stated that this exciting overhead-camshaft model was "designed primarily to give really high speed, and to give this speed with silence and the added safety of a spring frame".
The early 1930s was a period of severe economic depression, yet the 1931 Motorcycle Show at Olympia in London witnessed the launch of not one but two four-cylinder models aimed at the very top of the market. The ultimate fates of the two newcomers would turn out to be very different however; Ariel's offering – the Square Four – would enjoy a lengthy production life lasting into the 1950s, whereas the rival Matchless Silver Hawk would be gone within four years.
Matchless had introduced another vee-engined model, the twin-cylinder Silver Arrow, the previous year, and the Silver Hawk's design shared many of the 'Arrow's features, most notably the narrow-included angle of the cylinders: 26 degrees. Displacing a total of 592cc, the cylinders were contained within one casting and topped by a single 'head, just like the Arrow's, but the Hawk was intended to be a luxury sports-tourer and so enjoyed the advantages conferred by overhead-camshaft valve gear. Drive to the upstairs cam was by shaft and bevel gears, and there was no denying that the v-four Silver Hawk's was one impressive looking motor. The frame and cycle parts followed Silver Arrow lines, incorporating cantilever rear suspension broadly similar to that adopted later by Vincent-HRD. Expensive to make and introduced at the wrong time, the Silver Arrow failed to sell despite its mouth-watering specification and was quietly dropped in 1935.
This challenging Silver Hawk project comes with an old-style logbook from 1947 listing the owner at that time as one John McNulty. The present owner purchased the machine from Mr McNulty's daughter in 1984 together with two Triumphs: a Tina and a Tigress. The engine was already removed when purchased. The registration 'JO 1972' is not listed in the HPI database; accordingly, prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's registration status prior to bidding. Sold strictly as viewed.
Saleroom notices
This Silver Hawk is a 1931 example.
Additional information
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