The Rex Judd Collection, 1938/1939 Rudge 249cc Racing Motorcycle

Fabulous cobby 250cc Rudge racer
* Long term Judd family ownership
* Built by Gerry Turner, successful 250cc Rudge racer

Rudge's 250cc models were highly regarded. As a result of the very difficult trading conditions caused by the Depression, in January 1933 the company decided to concentrate on the development of production machines, and there were to be no more works entered Rudges in the TT and other events. Despite this the Graham Walker Syndicate's privately entered 250cc Rudges achieved 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in 1934 Lightweight TT. In their 1935 roadtest of a 250cc Rudge Sports THE MOTORCYCLE concluded 'It is a delightful machine, capable of a first-class, all-round performance.' Rudge motorcycle production did not resume after the war, and in the years that followed the lack of available 250cc racebikes resulted in the creation of many specials based on pre-war machines, not least the very successful Pike Rudges.

Quite apart from the long-term Judd family ownership of this bike, there is a genuine link between Rex Judd and 250cc Rudge race bikes. That link is the Pike brothers, Roland and Stan, who both worked at Rex Judd's dealership before the war, with Stan returning afterwards, and staying for the rest of his working life. In 1939 Rex Judd entered the Pike brothers and Ginger Wood on 250 Rudges in the Lightweight TT. Ginger Wood finished 9th and Stan Pike 11th with Roland Pike retiring. Rex Judd's support continued after the war with Stan Pike finishing 5th in 1947, and Roland Pike 2nd in 1948, 3rd in 1949, and 4th in 1950. A pre-condition of the 1947 support was that the Pikes must take Rex Judd's son, the then 15 year old Peter, to the Island with them: surely any 15 year old's dream!

This Rudge was on display at Whitewebbs Museum in Enfield for many years with a placard stating that its last outing had been in the hands of John Hurlstone at Brands Hatch in 1989, and that it had been rebuilt by Gerry Tomer. Peter Judd tells us that "Tomer" was a transcription error: the motorcycle was most definitely rebuilt by Gerry Turner who had campaigned a 250cc Rudge with considerable success in the 1950s.

We are indebted to Colin Chapple, VMCC Rudge marque specialist, for his great help with the cataloging of this cracking little Rudge. Colin commented: 'I have seen this bike a number of times in the museum......It is a construct for sure. The frame is April 1938 and would have been a Rapid 2V with engine A16xx originally. The engine is a very late 2v Sports from 1939. The gearbox is Rudge, the oil tank is not. The timing cover is a Bailey cover which converts to rear magneto and would have a 3 point bolt on BTH magneto but this has not used that fixing and a fabricated platform has been added for the BTH platform magneto. Frame and wheels are 250cc but rims are alloy not steel. Petrol tank is almost certainly from the 250 Sports bike that donated the engine. Cylinder head doesn't have the expected Pike hairpin valves or alloy and looks a normal Rudge 2V head. If Gerry Turner did rebuild it then I would expect some decent internals to the engine & gearbox - probably a TTR camshaft and possibly a close ratio gearbox but who knows?'

Details of the Rudge's exact engine specification are unknown. It is offered with an original Rudge instruction book, photocopies of a parts book, and press cuttings about the Pike brothers (some original and some photocopied). The engine turns over, but the motorcycle's mechanical condition is unknown, and following a long period in storage, recommissioning or possibly more extensive work will be required before once again taking to the track. Prospective bidders must satisfy themselves regarding the motorcycle's provenance, condition, age, completeness, and originality prior to bidding. Sold strictly as seen.

Key not required.

The Rex Judd Collection
Baby boomer and Gen X motorcyclists from the northwest London area will associate Rex Judd's name with the busy Edgware based motorcycle dealership. Earlier generations, sadly no longer with us, would have remembered Rex Judd the world famous motorcycle racer best known for his exploits at Brooklands in the 1920s. Born on Christmas Day 1899, during WW1 the young Rex served in the RFC which was of course integrated into the RAF. Afterwards, being a motorcycle nut, he hung around the Brooklands track in the hope of a job offer – which duly came, resulting in him passengering a racing sidecar. This led to him joining one of the very best tuners of the day, "Wizard" O'Donovan, with whom he worked on and raced 500cc Nortons and 250cc two stroke Velocettes. In this period he won numerous races and set multiple speed records which included winning the Godfrey Cup for the first 500cc machine to exceed 90mph. He raced the 250cc two stroke Velocettes in the Island in 1921 and 1922 but retired on both occasions.

At the end of 1922 Rex joined Douglas, who were at the height of their powers in the 1920s, and contributed in no small way to their ongoing success. He continued his winning ways and set more speed records both at Brooklands and Arpajon, and raced in the Isle of Man in 1923 and 1925. He didn't have a lot of luck at the TT retiring in all his races except the 1925 Senior when he won the Nisbet Award for pluck. He had crashed on his first lap, breaking off a footrest, was stopped by the stewards at both Ballacraine and Ramsey, and rode the rest of the race with his boot resting on the exhaust, his foot getting badly burnt in the process, and finally finishing 19th and last in a little over four hours. In 1927 he became the 5th rider to achieve a 100+mph lap at Brooklands, and was awarded his Gold Star retrospectively in 1930 when the early achievers of this great feat were recognised. Following an extremely successful racing year Rex stopped racing at the end of 1927, but he continued working with Douglas, one of his titles being 'Supervisor of racing machines, races, and track work'.

No account of Rex Judd's Brooklands years would be complete without mentioning his close friendship with the legendary Freddie Dixon. Dixon left Douglas in 1926 and it was Rex who persuaded him to return in 1928. They obviously had some great and riotous times together. In Charles Mortimer's book 'Brooklands Behind the Scenes' there is an account of J. S. 'Woolly' Worter's Brooklands reminiscences. He was asked by Mortimer what sort of help and support was forthcoming from fellow riders. The answer was 'Comparatively little. Some riders would go to almost any lengths to hinder the up and coming. Dixon and Judd would help anyone at any time'. In relation to Rex Judd he said 'the spirit of good cheer at all times and a good TT as well as a track man'.

In 1927 Rex had become involved with Bob Newitt in a motorcycle dealership in High Wycombe, but this didn't last, and following his departure from Douglas in 1930, he opened his Edgware showroom the following year. As the 1930s progressed and the country finally came out of the Depression Rex Judd Motorcycles held agencies for many of the British manufacturers, and also had a successful business in bicycles and secondhand cars. Rex never lost his love of racing. In 1939 and the years immediately after the war he supported the Pike brothers with their Lightweight TT entries on 250cc Rudges. Later years saw many other riders being sponsored. He actively supported the Brooklands Reunions, was a regular visitor to the Isle of Man, and ran annual staff visits to the Senior TT. In 1963 he was President of the TT Riders Association. Rex became semi-retired after falling ill in 1965 and sadly died in 1970, but the business continued to thrive in the hands of his son Peter, before being sold in 1989. After his father's death Peter asked the Brooklands authorities whether Rex's ashes could be scattered on the track. They refused but he did it anyway.

Peter Judd had started working in the family business in 1948, and was active in trials, scrambles, and grasstracking, but in deference to his mother he didn't follow his father into road racing. By 1960 Peter was really running the business, and foreseeing how things would turn out in the future, it was he who oversaw the arrival of Hondas on the Judd shopfloor around 1963. In the years that followed Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kawasaki were also offered.

A true motorcycle enthusiast to the end of his life, Rex Judd became well known as a collector of early motorcycles. In a five instalment article published in 1944 'MotorCycling' magazine referred to him as 'one of this country's most brilliant racing men' and highlighted 'his phenomenal collection of vintage machines'. The collection was thinned out in the early 1950s, but Bonhams is honoured to have been chosen by the Judd family to offer the eleven remaining machines which make up The Rex Judd Collection at the Spring Stafford Sale on 26th April 2026.