100 YEARS AFTER THE 'INDIAN SUMMER': ARTHUR MOORHOUSE

PART 2 of our exploration of the Indian 'invasion' of the 1911 Isle of Man TT, in anticipation of Dave Roper's lap of the Island.  brought to you by the authors of 'Franklin's Indians' and Chris Smith of Motorsport.

"Arthur J Moorhouse, who finished 3rd in the 1911 TT on his Indian, hailed from Prestwich, Lancashire and died April 20, 1912 at Brooklands Racing Track. Unforunately we know a lot more about his death than we do about his life, for his death was tragic, spectacular and very public.

Moorhouse had entered every TT race since the second event held in 1908 when he rode a Rex twin-cylinder machine and came 7th. In 1909 he was 9th, again on a Rex, but in 1910 he became one of several converts to the Indian cause after witnessing the brilliant ride of Guy Lee Evans in 1909. The Indian twin that Moorhouse rode in 1910 was his personal machine, entered at his own expense, though Billy Wells (the Indian UK concessionaire) did help every Indian in one way or another, including, sadly, providing a faulty batch of innertubes, and this was the undoing of all the Indian entrants in 1910. Consequently his result was “DNF” (Did Not Finish) after being forced to retire in the 5th lap with terminal tyre trouble.

By 1911, Moorhouse was one of England’s most prominent amateur riders, recognized as an expert at difficult corner work on rough road courses. His fine performances are remarkable as he was a big man, fully 60lbs heavier than Oliver Godfrey, whose physique was typical of the slightly-built “horse-jockeys” that comprised most of the top motorcycle racers.

In the 1911 TT, Moorhouse had a relatively trouble-free race, and was the first private owner to finish. He had a spill when another rider fell right in front of him, but got up very quickly and was soon underway again. Were it not for this incident, he would have finished higher up the leader board than 4th place. Yet, to his delight, he was elevated to 3rd place when Charlie Collier was disqualified for an unauthorized fuel stop.

On Saturday 20th April 1912, during a BMCRC [Brooklands Motor Cycle Racing Club] one-hour race, Moorhouse was in the lead on his Indian twin and lapping at about 70mph in front of G. E. Stanley (499cc Singer), Harry Collier (741cc Matchless-JAP) and Sidney Tessier (741cc BAT-JAP). Moorhouse was seen leaning down to fiddle with various adjustments on his engine, while steering with one hand - typical behaviour of his to get the most out of his engine, yet extremely hazardous at high speed on the notoriously bumpy Brooklands circuit. Competitor Harry Bashall noticed (while being lapped by Moorhouse) that the Indian's rear axle appeared to be loose, and the wheel was canted over in the frame, being held only by drive-chain tension. Moorhouse lost control of the machine when diving down off the Members Banking and onto the Railway Straight, the fastest part of the circuit, veering suddenly left, straight into a trackside telegraph pole.

Spectators and officials saw a pall of smoke rising from Moorhouses’s burning machine, and the race was immediately stopped. Billy Wells and Charles Franklin were among the first to reach the scene, where they found Moorhouse had been killed instantly by a fractured skull. The imprint of his goggles could be seen in the wood of the telegraph pole. After Moorhouse’s body had been removed from the scene, his distraught friends and team mates reputedly grabbed shovels and started digging a big hole trackside where his Indian racer lay smouldering. They put it inside, and buried it.

Moorhouse in a studio shot with his personal Indian racer

It’s possible that Moorhouse’s Indian racer is still there, entombed at the edge of the former Railway Straight at Brooklands."

'Franklin's Indians' is now available in the US at Motorsport Publications and the rest of the world at Panther Publishing Ltd.

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100 YEARS AFTER THE 'INDIAN SUMMER': BILLY WELLS

As part of the general celebration of racing and history at the Isle of Man TT this June, Dave Roper will ride a replica of the Indian motorcycles which dominated the 1911 TT, in a Centenary parade lap.  As no actual 1911 TT machines exist as far as we know, Pete Gagan constructed this 'TT Replica' from a correct type racing engine he found in Ireland, faithfully copying details from period photographs and searching for correct bits at autojumbles.  

Billy Wells and the Indian with which Guy Lee Evans set records at Brooklands in 1909, after the Isle of Man TT

As part of this Centenary of the only win of an American motorcycle at the Isle of Man TT for nearly 100 years (the next win was an electric bike at the TTXGP in 2009!), the authors of the upcoming book 'Franklin's Indians' (a biography of Charles Franklin, who designed the legendary 'Scout') and Chris Smith at Motorsport, have written a series of profiles on the Indian team riders of 1911, edited by Paul d'Orléans for publication on The Vintagent:

William Huntingdon 'Billy' Wells was born in Winthrop, Maine, on 28 March 1868. As a young man he was a keen bicycling competitor, in those days, before the invention of the 'safety bicycle', he raced dangerous 'high-wheel' cycles, which used enormous front wheels before chain-drive made multiple gears possible.  Wells began working as a bicycle builder in 1884, around the time the 'safety' bicycle was invented - setting the two-wheel pattern we still recognize today. 

The Rover 'Safety Bicycle' of 1885

 In late 1902 he moved to England as an agent for the steam-powered automobile the 'Stanley Steamer'. The car was not a commercial success, and Wells switched to importing German-made Allright/Lito motorcycles which he marketed in Britain as the 'Vindec Special'. With bicycle competition in his blood, he modified a few Vindecs  for competition, some with Peugeot 1,000cc v-twin engines, and gained a reputation for winning in hill-climbs and reliability trials. Wells entered the inaugural 1907 Isle of Man TT race on a Vindec twin, and was leading the race comfortably until the last lap when he had three punctures in quick succession. It was while repairing the third puncture that Rembrandt Fowler on a Norton went past him to win the twin cylinder class of the first ever TT. He regretted ever after not winning the race, and history might have looked slightly different had an American won the first TT!

Wells' import company, South British Trading Ltd, went into liquidation after 5 years in business, and with no immediate prospects in England, Wells returned to the USA in March 1909. He happened to meet an old friend from his bicycle competition days, George Hendee, who had commenced manufacture of motor bicycles under the brand name of 'Indian'.

Billy Wells with his 'Vindec Special', 1000cc Peugeot-engined competition model

Hendee urged Wells to immediately return to England and set up an Indian marketing, sales and service organization for all of Britain, her colonies, and Europe. Hendee termed this entity a 'branch office' of the Hendee Mfg. Co. Ltd.  Thus, the Indian depot in London opened for business in May 1909 at 178 Great Portland Street, in the West End close to fashionable Oxford Street and Soho. Launching an extensive sales campaign, Wells worked hard to set up a dealership network in Britain. Always keen on competition, he began offering Indians to top British racers for events at Brooklands and the Isle of Man TT. 

Billy Wells and Guy Lee Evans entered the 1909 Senior TT on Indian twins. Wells crashed at or very near the start, and was injured. Evans rode a heck of a race and, after the faster of the two famous Collier brothers (Charlie) was forced to retire, Harry Collier had to dig deep and try every trick he knew to stay in front. Harry managed to bring his Matchless twin to the finish line just a minute or two ahead of Evans. It was a thriller of a race.

Guy Lee Evans racing the 1909 Isle of Man TT

The 1910 TT was expected to be a repeat of the excitement in 1909. Indian chief designer Oscar Hedstrom came over from the US to observe. Wells did not ride but entered an official Indian team of Lee Evans, Charlie Bennett, and Walter Bentley (later famous as “W.O.” of Bentley cars). Entrants on privately-owned Indians included Arthur Moorhouse, Jimmy Alexander from Scotland and Charles B. Franklin from Ireland, all new converts to Indian. But a faulty batch of  tire innertubes saw them all drop out, or crash spectacularly from blow-outs. The Collier brothers won easily. The 'Indian Spring' was dismal, although Indians did very well at other events during the year.

The high point of Wells' career was the 1911 TT when, again as Team Manager (with Hedstrom also returning as Technical Advisor) he entered a five-man factory team of star American track specialist Jake de Rosier, along with experienced British IoM riders Moorhouse, Alexander, Oliver Godfrey and Charlie Franklin. The combination of their skilled riding and the fact that Indians used chains/gears/clutches over the new 'Mountain Course' at the TT, meant Indians took an unprecedented 1-2-3 in the Senior TT.

The Indian team for the 1910 IoM TT consisted of (from left to right) Walter Bentley, Guy Lee Evans and Charlie Bennett, seen here with Billy Wells after winning 1-2-3 in a 1-hour race run to TT rules at Brooklands Track as "warm-up" for the TT races.

In recognition of his efforts to boost Indian export sales, Wells was made a member of the Hendee Mfg. Co.'s Board of Directors in 1911, a position he held until the company was reorganized and renamed as the Indian Motocycle Company in November 1923.

In 1914 Wells recruited Charles B. Franklin to Indian as manager of a newly-opened Dublin Indian depot. Business was slow with Europe at war, and the depot was closed down again in 1916, and Indian board president Hendee imported Franklin (a trained engineer) to Springfield on Wells’ recommendation, to start a job in the Design Department of Indian. Wells’ recommendation  had major implications for Indian’s future, for it was Franklin who designed the immortal Indian Scout and Chief models.

The immortal Indian 'Scout'

After WWI Wells supported further Indian entries in the TT, and was successful in gaining 2nd and 3rd placings. But a decreasing volume of Indian business in UK made the effort of racing at this level difficult for him to justify beyond 1923, when Freddie Dixon made 3rd place at the TT on his single-cylinder 500cc Indian.  By 1925, international trade protectionism meant a 33% tax levied on imported motorcycles in the UK, significantly raising the price of his Indians during an already rough period of the British economy, and Wells was forced to shut down his British Indian operation. Out of work again and deeply depressed, but started a motoring accessory business. In 1928 Wells was approached by entrepreneurs who wanted his help to introduce 'dirt-track' (later Speedway) racing to Britain, which had proved wildly popular in Australia.  Ever the team manager, Billy Wells became Secretary of Meetings and Clerk of the Course of Stamford Bridge Speedway Track, organizing the first big speedway event at night under electric floodlights. The experiment worked, and the new sport became hugely popular, and profitable, in Britain from then on, with paying customers in the tens of thousands. He was by then in his mid-60s, so returned to his first love in semi-retirement, working from home as a bicycle repairer.

American track-racing superstar Jake De Rosier here photographed with Billy Wells at the London Indian Depot on the first day of his arrival in England to compete in the 1911 IoM TT Senior race.

Wells passed away in Harrow, England on 15 January 1954, a pivotal figure in Indian’s international sales success and the architect of Indian’s finest international sporting achievement, the 1-2-3 clean-sweep of the 1911 Isle of Man Senior TT. 

'Franklin's Indians' is now available in the US at Motorsport Publications and the rest of the world at Panther Publishing Ltd.

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CONCORSO VILLA D'ESTE

Henrik von Kuenheim, General Director of BMW Motorrad, riding the 1934 R7 prototype

The Concorso d'Eleganze di Villa d'Este is well known, and well loved, as perhaps the most elegant automotive celebration anywhere, a rare combination of the perfect landscape (lake Como), the perfect Villa, and a curated selection of 50 truly exceptional vehicles.  With entry to Saturday's Concorso strictly limited to entrants and invited guests, seeing the show at the Villa remains a rose-hued dream to millions of car enthusiasts.  Put bluntly, this is a private party for elite swells, some regularly in the press, some obscure, all on their best behavior and most beautiful attire at Lago di Como.

The Villa d'Este terrace, after the crowds had gone, and only natural grace remained

Festivities began Friday evening, with a cocktail party on the expansive gravel terrace under a mighty Plane tree, overlooking the lake, the hotel's two wings, the extraordinary 16th-century grotto, and tree-lined grounds which retain their Renaissance layout.  The soft music, chatter, and clinking of glasses was interrupted by the sound of a stunning Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 coupé, out of which stepped Karl Baumer, Concorso chief and head of BMW Group Classic.  This gesture - to a rival car company - was typical of BMW's generosity and openness in handling the event, as many rivals manufacturers were invited to show their latest prototypes, some of which will battle their host in the press, on race tracks, and in customer's wallets.

The just-revealed BMW 328-inspired prototype, with the original behind

 BMW have acquired the habit of revealing their latest prototype car at the Villa, and in this 75th anniversary of the legendary 328 series, the latest work of designer Adrian van Hooydonk was inspired by BMW's original sporting, open two-seater.  The car did not disappoint, being a tasteful blend of cutting-edge sportscar cues (carbon fiber body, wide stance, mighty engine), with touches of retro luxury (leather bonnet straps, rally-inspired dash clocks). As the crowd gathered, a vintage 328 driven by the BMW museum's Ralf Rodepeter took its place beside the proto, and all eyes turned to his passenger, the outrageous redhead with whom I had flirted, unwitting, a few moments prior; Christina Hendricks of Mad Men.  I suppose some things are worth watching on the telly...

Journalists dine beneath the stars...

The Swells disappeared into the Villa for a grand dinner, while we journos and BMW functionaries were shunted off to eat an incredible Italian meal of 'trained octopus and talking deer' as one wag put it, on a terrace overlooking the mountain-ringed Lake, beneath a glowing canopy of stars.  The Villa may be old and grand, but mother nature's cloak trumps any painted finery.

Touches of comfort on a sporting chassis: cockpit of the BMW 328 'Hommage'

On Saturday, change snuck in like a gatto nero on the grass of Villa Erba, the 'overflow' real estate at which the public can view Este's cars on Sunday, for a small fee, and on which an RM auction was held Saturday night.  Concorso sponsor BMW, builders of cars And motorcycles (in rare company with Honda, Suzuki, and Peugeot), did the logical thing, and joined the global trend towards including motorcycles within traditionally automotive Concours, such as Pebble Beach and Salon Privé.

A never-before lineup; Wilkinson, Militor, Pierce, and FN four-cylinders

 BMW chose a very conservative strategy to introduce the Concorso di Moto this year, with almost no information published in print or web (barring in The Vintagent, last April) mentioning the additional judged show on the grounds of Villa Erba.  BMW's quiet approach was perhaps justified, given their adherence to a 'since 1929' history of the Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este, which has never included motorcycles, and it might have appeared self-serving that a manufacturer of bikes would break tradition to showcase their 'other' product.

Wooler and DKW under the canopy

They needn't have worried.  The display was clean and modern, on a raised wooden hexagonal platform - for the six judged classes - with a clear overarching canopy marking that Here was Something Special.  And indeed, the curated selection of 30 motorcycles was very special, and incredibly eclectic, from the humble fiberglass Velocette Vogue to Willhelm Noll's 1955 BMW World Land Speed Record streamlined sidecar. The judged categories relate to the Villa's ethos, a refreshing disregard of chronology and nationality, and a focus on type: Pioneers, Design and Technics, Glamour, Racing and Records, Production Icons, and Prototypes.

The judges; Robb, Perelli, the moderator, Kohler, and Wilson

The Motorcycle Judging committee included Hugo Wilson of Classic Bike, David Robb (BMW's motorcycle designer), legendary Italian moto-journo Carlo Perelli of Motociclismo d'Epoca, and Thomas Kohler, director of motorcycles for FIVA.  Their choice of Best in Show was most interesting, reflecting their support for historic preservation, excellent design, and owners with that special relationship which comes from actually riding the motorcycle in question. The winning 1910 Pierce 4-cylinder was a brave choice, being an obscure make from such an early era, with faded 100-year-old paint, and not a 'wow'-styled machine.  The judges chose well and cannily, especially as the Pierce has a big four-wheeled brother, a fact which surely rang a bell for the automotive connoisseurs; an 'aha' moment.

Best in Show!  The Pierce was ridden onto the field at Villa Erba, on its original tires no less

Reaction from the public, car entrants, and the press corps was 100% positive in my ears, with typical quotes including 'a natural fit', 'the mechanical variety is fascinating', 'this is really fantastic', and my favorite, 'it's about time!'  All agreed that BMW, whose motorcycle bloodline predates their auto history by 6 years (the Dixi of 1929), was completely justified in adding a second Concorso for two-wheelers.  The fortuitous location of the show - in Italy - was emphasized by a local security guard, who explained, 'you Germans have done us Italians a huge favor. We are all of us, men and women, rich and poor, absolutely crazy about motorcycles.'  Well, so are the readers of The Vintagent, so it seems we are in agreement; any excuse to bring so many truly exceptional motos together for our viewing pleasure is to be encouraged.  Attendance at the 'open to the public' Sunday on the grass of Villa Erba was a record high, and thousands saw the best, rarest, and most beautiful cars and motorbikes ever created, displayed in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Villa d'Este from Lake Como

Many thanks to the owners of these fine machines for bringing them to Italy, and sharing them with us.  And many, many thanks to BMW for their generosity, gracious hosting of the event, and making possible The Vintagent's participation.

The winning lineup at the grandstand

75 years of BMW 328s, in the Tricolore

Fantastic Abarth 1300 OT

1956 Aermacchi Chimera

French genius; 1933 MGC with hollow alloy monocoque chassis

One collector described this '68 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale as 'Pure sex; it is the body of a woman.  An Italian woman.'

Rarely-seen Ardie RBK 503 Meran of 1934.  Germany was not immune from Deco!

This '61 Maserati 'Birdcage' was tearing around the rock-wall lake roads Friday night; glorious music

1936 BMW R17 with period Deco sidecar

Emcee Simon Kidston quipped; 'Here we have an Infiniti concept car, in a burkha.  I know the Middle East market is important, but perhaps this is going too far!' Best line of the weekend.  (It was raining hard, and this prototype was very fragile)

The 1955 Wilhelm Noll record-breaker BMW

Interior of the Villa Erba

The programs; hard-bound, hand-illustrated, all class

Local public transport to Cernobbio

The BMW cockpit

'Tradition and Future' design talk at Villa Erba

1928 DKW ZSW; the king of two-strokes

Lightweight E-Type Jaguar parades before guests at Villa d'Este

Prototype Ducati 500cc twin from 1968

Brough Superior 'three wheeler' with Austin engine, as tested on The Vintagent.

The awe-inspiring Britten V1000

1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California

Definitely an Empire State of Mind

The original 4-cylinder motorcycle, the FN.  This model is from 1910

Special-Edition presidential escort Moto Guzzi Falcone, with electric start.

Haven't we met somewhere before?  The incredible Moto Guzzi inline 4 of 1954

Carlo Perelli explains his judging logic with a Moto Guzzi Bialbero of '57

Glamour, metallic sheen, harmonious curves; the 1936 Alcyon 306A

Crazy Husqvarna Mille 3 prototype

A very much earlier Husqvarna, of 1910, with Swiss Moto-Reve engine

Futurismo!  The Motom 98T of 1955

MV Agusta 350 4-cylinder racer of 1960

Trying on a suprisingly light Britten

An American ambassador; 1916 Pope twin

The red carpet was laid out everywhere, even to the boat.

Renault DeZir electric concept car

Ford GT40 roadster awaits a turn at the RM auction

If you've bought a BMW motorcycle in the past decade, this is the man to thank; David Robb

BMW concept car at the Villa Antica party

Mercedes 300SL roadster with almost zero miles; stored from new.

Rolls-ing on the grass at Villa d'Este

The 'Swinging 60s' class at Villa d'Este

Mad Men's Christina Hendricks

Jaguar XKSS at Villa d'Este

Hendrik von Kuenheim tries his moto-gear on the water taxi

Craig Vetter would be proud

The interior of Villa Erba

The Wilkinson 4 of 1910; not hub-center, the steering wheel is linked to standard-ish forks

Talbot Lago teardrop

Welcome to Como, Roma

White glove treatment for the '34 R7 BMW

Kids dig the Britten

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