1925 Douglas 596cc Model OB

Registration no. SV 4962 Frame no. HF263 Engine no. UG 317

• Rare overhead-valve sports model
• Present family ownership since 1954
• Requires re-commissioning

Douglas had built racing and experimental overhead-valve motorcycles prior to WWI but the first production OHV models did not emerge until after the war's end. In September 1921 at Brooklands an overhead-valve Douglas set new 350cc records at 200, 300 and 400 miles. The first production models appeared at that year's Motor Cycle Show and soon demonstrated an enviable combination of speed and reliability. Sales were boosted considerably when in March 1922 Cyril Pullin became the first man to exceed 100mph on a '500' riding one of the new OHV Douglas models. Having made a successful start, Douglas improved upon the concept with the successor RA model, which took its name from the British Research Association, designers of the novel disc brakes fitted front and rear. There was a new frame and the gearbox was relocated above the rear cylinder, enabling the engine to be mounted lower down. Instead of a separate oil tank, engine lubricant was contained within a large aluminium sump. Another novel feature was the use of a twist grip for throttle control instead of the customary lever. Extensive use of aluminium kept the weight down to an admirable 275lb.

Riding an RA, Manxman Tommy Sheard won the 1923 Isle of Man Senior TT while Jim Whalley won that year's French Grand Prix and Spanish 12 Hours race. Capitalising on the RA's success, Douglas marketed it as the 'IOM Model', claiming that it was identical with the TT- winning machine. The first standard production versions of the RA were launched at the Olympia Show in October 1923 designated OB/24 (596cc) and OE/24 (346cc).

Listed in the Douglas Machine Register (1993), the 1925 Model OB offered here was first registered to the vendor's father in 1954. Accompanying documentation includes an old-style logbook (issued 1950); old/current V5/V5C documents; and a quantity of MoTs (most recent expired 2009). (It should be noted that the registration documents incorrectly list the engine capacity as 500cc.) Not run for a number of years, the machine will require re-commissioning before further use and thus is sold strictly as viewed. It should be noted that the engine number is recorded as 'EL293' in the registration documents.
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