From the estate of the late David Atkinson , 1938 Brough Superior 982cc SS80

Registration no. GWL 4 Frame no. M8/2006 Engine no. BSX 4706

• Single family ownership for 59 years (1947-2006)
• All matching numbers other than the fuel tank (originally '3343', now '3403')
• Known ownership history
• Present ownership since 2017

'GWL 4' is one of 460 Matchless-engined SS80s built, of which some 300-or-so survive. Its accompanying Brough Superior Owners Club record card shows that this machine was supplied new to Laytons of Oxford in July 1938, where it was registered as 'GWL 4'. The SS80 was purchased from its first owner in May 1947 by Jack Billard, who owned the Brough for 58 years until his death in December 2005, aged 85. He had used it regularly until 2002, when a non-motorcycling injury meant he could no longer ride!

During WW2, Jack Billard was employed making components for the Spitfire fighter and after hostilities ceased became a specialist panel beater, making wings for Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars. Jack was a keen motorcycle enthusiast, owning a Rudge and a Vincent before the Brough. When he married in 1948, he added a single-seat sidecar to the Brough, which was replaced by a Blacknell Safety 2 after his second daughter was born in 1955. The Blacknell was purchased from T C Munday & Co Ltd of Brixton, whose original bill of sale is on file. The Brough 'combo' became the family's main form of transport, with wife and daughters taking it in turns to ride pillion or in the Blacknell's full-size seats. Sundays were spent riding through the Kent or Sussex countryside towards the coast or attending Brough Club events, winning the odd trophy along the way. In spite of this regular use, the Brough covered only 17,705 miles in nearly 70 years.

Jack Billard was not one to polish the Brough or sidecar. His priority was to see that the combination was properly maintained and roadworthy at all times. Jack fitted flashing indicators, choosing his own somewhat idiosyncratic colour code for the wiring, and added a Rolls-Royce picnic table for the convenience of the passenger in the Blacknell's back seat. The original engine was fettled in 2002/2003 by Dave Clark of the Brough Superior Club.

Following Jack's death, the Billard family offered the Brough for sale at Bonhams' Harrogate auction in November 2006 (Lot 363) where it was purchased by the immediately preceding owner. The late owner purchased 'GWL 4' at Bonhams' Stafford sale in October 2017 (Lot 229). Since acquisition the sidecar has been sold and the machine kept in storage. Presented in 'oily rag' condition, the Brough is offered for re-commissioning or possibly more extensive restoration before commencing the next stage of its fascinating history. Accompanying documentation includes the aforementioned BSOC record card, a quantity of expired MoTs, SORN paperwork, and a V5C Registration Certificate.
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