LOT 342

The Anthony R. East Classic Motorcycle Collection 1968 Greeves 246cc 24DF Police Motorcycle Registration no. VJJ 982G Frame no. 24DF119 Engine no. 161FP1645

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Lot 342

The Anthony R. East Classic Motorcycle Collection, 1968 Greeves 246cc 24DF Police Motorcycle

The Autumn Stafford Sale – The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show|14 October 2023, 10:30 BST|Stafford, Staffordshire County Showground

The Anthony R. East Classic Motorcycle Collection
1968 Greeves 246cc 24DF Police Motorcycle
Registration no. VJJ 982G
Frame no. 24DF119
Engine no. 161FP1645

• The last Greeves roadster built
• One of four supplied to City of London Police
• Pictured in Greeves The Complete Story by Colin Sparrow

Greeves' unorthodox trademarks of a cast beam 'down-tube' and rubber-in-torsion leading-link fork proved adaptable to almost all forms of motorcycle from humble commuter to clubman's road-racer, but it was the firm's off-road products which really put it on the map, generating valuable publicity that helped sell the roadsters. Less well known is the fact that Greeves supplied motorcycles for use by the police, the rare example offered here being one of a batch of four 'VJJ'-registered machines supplied to the City of London Police in October 1968. By this time Greeves had effectively abandoned the roadster market to concentrate on their competition models; indeed, in a detailed email on file dated August 2014, Colin Sparrow (author of Greeves The Complete Story) states that 'VJJ 982G' is the last Greeves roadster built. Villiers having by this time ceased to supply engines, Greeves had to purchase some new-old-stock 35A units from Sharpe Commercials, makers of the by-then-defunct Bond Minicar. As the police needed extra generating capacity to power their radios, these engines were fitted with Dynastart units. The quartet of 'VJJ' police motorcycles and their riders, with Tower Bridge in the background, is pictured in Colin's book (page 121).

Its original green logbook records City of London Police as first owners of this motorcycle and the next keeper as Mr Paul Darrell, from December 1972. The next keeper listed is the well-known collector Mr Michael Jackson of Ware (change of ownership not dated). In January 1994 the machine was sold to Mr Roger Neal of Cambridgeshire. Presented in restored condition throughout, this historic Greeves police motorcycle is offered with the aforementioned email and further written correspondence; a quantity of Villiers Services invoices; and old-style V5/V5C registration documents.

Footnotes

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