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Dr Josef Ehrlich, a gifted engineer who had arrived in Britain from his native Vienna in 1937, founded EMC - Ehrlich Motorcycle Company - in 1946. He was a devotee of the two-stroke engine, and the first EMC used a split-single power unit of the type developed in the 1930s by Puch and DKW. Launched in 1947, the 350cc EMC roadster, despite respectable speed, economy and competitive pricing, did not find favour with a conservatively inclined motorcycling public. Nevertheless, Ehrlich was soon involved with racing, an EMC bearing more than a passing resemblance to a pre-war blown DKW winning the 250 race at the 1947 Hutchinson 100 with Les Archer at the controls. In 1953 Ehrlich joined car manufacturer Austin, returning to the motorcycle world in 1958, on this occasion with an outstandingly successful racing 125 of his own design.

Ehrlich was now employed in the De Havilland Aircraft Company's small engines division, working on a new range of engines for a variety of commercial applications. But it was his 125cc racer that stole the headlines. Similar to the Walter Kaaden-designed MZ, Ehrlich's was a water-cooled, two-stroke single of 54x54mm bore and stroke incorporating disc-valve induction and driving via a six-speed gearbox. Norton racer Rex Avery, already a De Havilland employee, was drafted in as works rider and for the 1961 and 1962 seasons EMC was the dominant machine in UK ultra-lightweight racing. Established stars queued up to ride it: Paddy Driver, Derek Minter, Phil Read and the great Mike Hailwood all campaigning works EMC 125s on occasions; indeed, Hailwood won the non-championship Saar Grand Prix for EMC, beating Luigi Tavieri in the works Honda. In 1962 EMC finished 2nd behind Honda in the manufacturers' 125cc World Championship, an outstanding achievement given the firm's limited resources.

De Havilland, though, was beginning to lose interest in the project. A promising 125cc twin was never properly developed and in 1967 Ehrlich departed. The fact that from the late 1970s up to the introduction of Moto GP in 2002, almost every 125, 250 and 500cc World Championship has been won by two-stroke machines using one or more 125cc cylinders like the EMC's, offers a fascinating glimpse of what might have been.

This rare example of EMC's successful racing 125 appears to be an older restoration (the engine turns over). Notable features include a Speedwell 14,000rpm tachometer; Hagon shock absorbers; a digital engine thermometer; and an 'Assen Centennial Classic 1998' sticker to the headstock. (It should be noted that the oil tank is leaking.)

Purchased from a UK auction in 2005 (correspondence on file), the machine was reputed to have been ridden by Mike Hailwood during the 1962 season.

Following a period of inactivity, this motorcycle will require recommissioning and/or restoration to a greater or lesser extent before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's completeness, history, authenticity, originality and mechanical condition prior to bidding.
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