The ex-Cecil Sandford, 1946 Velocette 248cc MOV Racing Motorcycle

Registration no. FNX 255 Frame no. 3142 Engine no. 6162

• Unique British 250-class racer
• Built by Arthur Taylor
• Isle of Man TT competitor (1949)
• Restored in 1999
• Present ownership since 2010

The machine offered here is one of the most successful of the many 'home brewed' British 250 specials that featured on the domestic racing scene in the 1940s and 1950s. A 1946 Velocette MOV, 'FNX 255' was owned and prepared by Shipston-on Stour Velocette agent, Arthur Taylor, competing at first in trials and scrambles events before being converted for road racing. Its rider was a young Cecil Sandford, Taylor's protégé and later his son-in-law, who would go on to become the 125cc World Champion for MV Agusta in 1952 and take the 1957 250 World title while riding for Mondial. He retired from racing when Mondial pulled out at the end of the '57 season and later took over the management of his father-in-law's motor business, A R Taylor Garages Ltd.

After its conversion for road racing, the Taylor MOV was ridden in the Isle of Man Lightweight TT in 1949 by L R Higgins, who recounted the story in an article published in The Motor Cycle on 8th September 1949 (copy available). The little Velo had been prepared in Taylor's workshop by his chief mechanic, Ted Clark, under the supervision of Bob Burgess, formerly with Veloce Ltd. Remarkably, the cycle parts were left virtually standard apart from swapping the original girder fork for Dowty telescopics, most of the development work being concentrated on extracting more power from the pushrod engine. To this end the latter was equipped with a Wellworthy Alfin alloy cylinder barrel, an aluminium bronze head incorporating modified ports and valves, a Martlet high-compression piston and a larger-than-standard carburettor. After bench testing and fine tuning, the motor's maximum power had been raised to 20bhp on a 50/50 petrol/benzole mixture with 18-19 horsepower anticipated on 'Pool' petrol. 'This figure compared poorly with the power output of the Guzzis,' Higgins conceded, 'but was probably better than a great many of our British contemporaries.'

Over on the Island the gear ratios were made closer, bottom gear being raised, and the little Velo set off on its first practice laps. On three successive mornings the MOV stopped with valve gear problems, leading to a rethink which saw the engine slightly de-tuned for the race in the interests of reliability. By the end of the week the Taylor Velocette had completed two non-stop trouble-free practice laps, although its top speed had been reduced from 92 to 85mph. In the race itself Higgins was enjoying a dice with the slightly faster New Imperial ridden by Reg Petty, only to slide off at Keppel Gate on the first lap. The Velo's Dowty forks were twisted in the crash making it impossible to continue.

In his book, British 250cc Racing Motorcycles, Chris Pereira recounts that later developments included a post-war MAC alloy head modified to take hairpin valve springs, a megaphone exhaust system and an Amal TT carburettor. Despite its humble origins, the Taylor MOV was successfully transformed into a highly capable performer, especially on the shorter, tighter tracks. With Cecil Sandford riding it continued to win well into the 1950s, laying the foundations for his later success at international level. On occasions the MOV would get the better of pukka racing machines. Pereira quotes Sandford on a particular instance: "I was due to ride one of the new Velocette works double overhead cam 250s at the Thruxton International meeting in August 1951. Arthur and I had taken the MOV with us just in case. It
was a pretty awful wet day, which made me realise that the works bike, with its narrow power band, would prove tricky to ride in the prevailing conditions. I therefore made the decision to ride the MOV instead. This did not please team manager Bertie Goodman. My decision proved to be correct, and I won the race fairly easily on the MOV, with my team mates Bob Foster and Bill Lomas second and third on the works bikes."

The current vendor purchased the ex-Sandford MOV at Bonhams' Stafford sale in April 2010 (Lot 373). Restored in 1999 and presented in generally good condition, 'FNX 255' is offered with a comprehensive history file containing correspondence, photographs, press cuttings, and its original logbook listing A R Taylor Garages as the sole owner (inspection recommended). A rare opportunity to acquire a unique British racing '250' associated with one of this country's greatest World Champions.
Offered without key