An historic gathering: the original Pioneers meet at Brooklands

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As 2024 dawned, we were pleased to learn that it that marks the centenary of the Sunbeam Motorcycle Club, and that the club will be hosting a suitably large celebration on March 17th at no less historic a venue than Brooklands. Around the time this news reached the editorial desk, we stumbled upon a superb piece of Pathé film, from Brooklands in 1931, which we thought too good not to share.

While, as its name suggests, the Sunbeam Motorcycle Club was originally founded to cater for owners of Sunbeams, it did not take long for its members to realise the need for a movement to preserve the earliest motorcycles of all kinds, and to that end the first annnual Pioneer Run was staged in 1930, from Croydon Airport to Brighton, with Pioneer machines being defined as those built up to December 31st, 1914. The movement was formalised with the creation of the Pioneer Register in 1938. Both Run and Register are still going strong, while the S.M.C.C. today functions as the foremost club of for all makes of pre-war motorcycle.

Looking now at the film, we must first of all say what a wonderful occasion that early meeting of Pioneer machines looks to have been. The abundance of enthusiasm evident in the owners is delightful to observe. From the old hand with the Clément-Garrard to the have-a-go schoolboy, they're all enjoying themselves immensely.

One of the machines which comes under the spotlight is particularly well-known. Indeed, the 1903 Dreadnought is still very much in existence and may be seen annually on the Pioneer Run and as one of the pre-1905 motorcycle entries on the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. It is seen with its creator, Harold 'Oily' Karslake, who enjoyed great success with his home-made machine in Edwardian reliability trials. Karslake bequeathed it to the Vintage Motorcycle Club which has cared for it ever since, though it looks a little less oily today than it did then.

We'd really like to know more about the other machines. The owner of the 1902 Clément-Garrard was C. Pullen-Brown, who was a regular participant in Pioneer Runs throughout the 1930s. The machine is surely still in existence today, but FX 2745 has not been taxed in Britain since 1982. What has become of it? And what about the 1903 Rex? We don't know the identity of the owner but, considering his youth, we'd like to think he remained an enthusiastic proponent of early motorcycles for many years after the Hitler War. Depressingly, the number PC 3601 is now on a modern Fiat 500. Registration records do not account for GC 5859, the 1902 Matchless, or GN 4311, the 1903 P. & M. forecar, either.

Of course, we see an appearance of a veteran car, too, an 1898 Benz Ideal. Once again, we cannot find a trace of the number DR 3949, so we must appeal to you: what has become of it?

Lastly, we are left to wonder a bit more about the circumstances of this event. Has anyone any more information about this gathering? It is well-known that a series of Old Crocks' Races for veteran cars took place at Brooklands, sponsored by the Daily Sketch, but the absence of any veterans besides the Benz gives us cause to believe that this motorcycle gathering was entirely separate. We'll leave it to you to tell us what you can.

Doubtless, we're all sorry we couldn't be there ourselves in 1931, but we hope the atmosphere will be recreated somewhat when the S.M.C.C. meets at Brooklands on March 17th. It must go without saying that any enthusiast for early motorcycles would be well advised to pay a visit.

Words: Zack Stiling; footage: British Pathé
 

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