1949 BSA 348cc Gold Star Project

Registration no. LMA 654
Frame no. ZB32 5116 (see text)
Engine no. ZB32.GS.103

On Wednesday 30th June 1937, a specially prepared Empire Star 500 ridden by the great Wal Handley achieved a 100mph lap of the Brooklands circuit on its way to a debut race victory and award of the Gold Star that would give BSA's new super sports model its evocative name. Possibly the most successful production racing motorcycle ever, the post-war Gold Star formed the mainstay of clubman's racing in the 1950s. In fact, it was the model's domination of the Isle of Man Clubman's TT which led to the event being dropped after Gold Star rider Bernard Codd's 1956 Senior/Junior double victory. No mere 'one trick pony', the versatile Goldie would prove equally adept in trials and scrambles competitions.

Post-WW2, the Gold Star did not return to the BSA range until 1949. First displayed at the Earls Court Show in November 1948, the B32 Goldie boasted the telescopic front fork, first introduced on BSA's larger models for 1946, and plunger rear suspension, though a rigid frame remained available as an option for machines intended for trials use. The engine followed the established B-Series pattern but came equipped with a new aluminium-alloy cylinder barrel and 'head. For 1950 a 500cc version – the B34 – was added to the range, and this larger Goldie was the first to switch to the new die-cast top-end, with separate rocker box, in 1951. The 350 followed suit in 1952 and the pair continued as the 'BB' Gold Stars after the new swinging-arm frame was introduced in 1953.

Offered as a dismantled project, the BSA has been in the present family ownership since the 1980s and has been dry stored in its current condition for some time. The machine passed to the current vendor in 2001 when his stepfather passed away; not being a motorcyclist, he feels now is the right time to part with it.

Prospective purchasers must satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's originality, mechanical condition and completeness (or otherwise) prior to bidding. Accompanying documentation consists of a V5C Registration Certificate, an old-style RF.60 logbook (issued 1962); a copy old V5; and a hand-written purchase note.

Engine numbers for the first post-war Gold Star commenced at 'ZB32GS.101', making this Goldie's unit the third completed; however, it should be noted that the frame number is an obvious non-factory restamp.